Scott McGillivray Transforms a Run-Down Cottage Into a Pet-Friendly Vacation Rental Paradise

In Haliburton’s sea of lakeside vacation rentals, it’s hard to get noticed – especially if your cottage is only half-renovated and looking a bit “ruff.” Using his vacation house rules, real estate expert and contractor Scott McGillivray helped a pet-loving couple transform their cottage into a must-book, pet-friendly vacation rental complete with a gazebo, solar-powered bunkhouse and custom mini dog cottage.

Watch Scott’s Vacation House Rules on HGTV.ca, now also available through STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels, or with the new Global TV app when you sign-in with your TV service provider details. HGTV is also available through all major TV service providers.

blue cottage interior with two wicker chairs

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Ready to Rent

After owning a run-down Haliburton lake-front cottage for nearly a decade, homeowners Lynne and Mark were sick of spending their spare time trying (and failing) to touch it up. With a $75,000 reno budget, they needed Scott to help fix it up so it could be their own vacation home part of the year – and make some rental income the rest of the time.

rustic blue cottage exterior with wood bunk house

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Real Potential

Before Lynne and Mark listed their cottage as a vacation rental, Scott used his first vacation house rule, “Do Your Research,” to show them its potential: Four-bedroom vacation rentals in the area fetch $340 per night. At a 50% occupancy rate, that could be $60,000 of potential rental income each year. However, with a rickety balcony, some haphazard renovations and under-utilized space, the cottage needed work.

modern grey kitchen with white appliances

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Kitchen Upgrades

One of the key elements people look for in a vacation home is a clean, modern cooking space, so Debra and Scott ripped out the mismatched kitchen and replaced it with grey shaker-style cabinets and a white tile backsplash.

white interior of bunk house with twin beds and blue door

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Bunkie Beds

Beside the cottage, Scott found an underused bunkie that was basically a glorified shed. By clearing it out and cleaning it up, Scott gave the rental more sleeping space – which means the family can accommodate bigger groups, and charge a higher rental rate. To keep costs down in the bunkie, the team chose an inexpensive solar panel system – giving guests dimmable lights, a cooling fan and power to charge their devices.

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In The Dog House

As Scott’s third rule states, successful vacation home rentals have to “Get Noticed.” To set this cottage apart, Scott had a doggone brilliant idea: Make and market the cottage as a dog-friendly property. Welcoming pets with features like an outdoor dog-washing station, laminate floors (to make accidents and fur easy to clean up) and a custom mini-mini dog cottage (perfect for attracting social media buzz) gives the cottage a competitive advantage.

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Enjoy the View

The cottage’s serene water-front location is another big get-noticed draw – inspiring Scott to add an incredible dual-purpose, pre-fabricated gazebo. Designed with screened-in windows on three sides, the gazebo gives guests a comfortable, bug-free place to take in panoramic views in the summer, while a large side door makes it ideal for storing boats and water equipment in the winter.

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Lakefront Labour

To maximize the lakefront area’s potential, Scott’s fourth rule, “Roll Up Your Sleeves” meant calling on Lynne, Mark and their daughter to help demolish an old shed that was more of an eyesore than an addition. By taking on a little unskilled labour themselves, the family kept overall costs down.

white master bedroom with sloped ceiling and glass door out to balcony

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See Through

Keeping the potential renters’ experience in mind, Scott made the master bedroom into a retreat that capitalized on the property’s lake views. He replaced the old, rotten balcony and added a clear glass railing to let the light – and views – shine straight into the home.