Harris Lake: Secluded and Serene
Surrounded by the beauty that Caledon has to offer, this is the ideal property for homeowners looking for a private, luxurious home.
As one of the leading real estate companies working within and around the Greater Toronto Area, Moffat Dunlap has amassed nearly five decades of experience and has handled some of the most-prestigious listings this area has to offer. The brokerage has announced one of its newest and most-exclusive listings in Caledon Ont. — Harris Lake.
This expansive 101-acre property houses a selection of buildings and amenities homeowners will swoon over, including the recently constructed four-bedroom, three-bathroom country home, the additional two-bedroom bunkie designed with its own kitchenette for the utmost convenience, a tennis court, a stone fire pit, a restored century barn with a workshop and winery room, plus a network of hiking trails, along with the property’s seven-acre private kettle lake.
John Dunlap of Moffat Dunlap shared his insights on the property with Dolce, highlighting the elegant and intricate nature of this exclusive listing.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the area?
A. Harris Lake is located in the hills of Caledon near the hamlet of Palgrave, which was the site for many of the equestrian events of the 2015 Pan American Games. This location in Caledon is convenient to Highways 50, 9 and 27, and is ideal for those who enjoy the tranquility of living in the countryside and yet still being within minutes of shopping and schools, and only 35 kilometres from Pearson Airport.
Q. How can potential buyers embrace the community of Caledon?
A. People can quickly immerse themselves into the Caledon community by engaging in many of the local vibrant activities, whether it’s joining the Caledon Ski Club, playing in local golf leagues, joining a hiking or biking group, [or] volunteering with the local education, health-care, environmental or service charities. There is so much to do in Caledon. There are also lots of activities right on the property, from tennis to swimming in Harris Lake or growing grapes on the property’s Turtle Hill Vineyard. A new owner can be a popular host, if desired.
Q. Tell us about the sellers and the evolution of the home.
A. Four generations of the owner’s family have enjoyed Harris Lake. The property was originally acquired by the family of the current owners more than 70 years ago as a weekend retreat. Harris Lake remains one of the largest privately owned lakes in Caledon. The current owners enjoyed the location so much that they built a new full- time residence on the property in 2007. Since that time, the century barn has been fully restored with a workshop and wine-tasting room, a hobby vineyard has been cultivated and a new swimming dock with gazebo was completed in 2018.
Q. Describe the design influences of the home, and tell us about some of the distinguishing features of this property.
A. The home is designed in the New England style with clapboard siding, cedar shingle roof, centred front door and multi-paned windows with decorative exterior window trim. The main distinguishing feature of this property is the large private kettle lake sited in the centre of the 101-acre property. The elegant, recently built country home, total privacy, picturesque views, miles of groomed hiking trails, restored century barn and tennis court are a few of the other distinguishing features of this offering.
Q. As the property has a wine room and vineyard, how would potential buyers approach that?
A. The property has its own hobby vineyard, which produces about 50 cases of wine per year. An owner can continue this effort by employing local experts to assist with production, or the grapes could be sold to other producers. Currently, there are about 400 vines with Petite Pearl, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Baco Noir varieties.
Q. With the private kettle lake, how can potential buyers utilize that feature?
A. The private kettle lake is locally known as Harris Lake, and the owners enjoy swimming, fishing, paddle boarding and kayaking on the lake in the summer and skating on the lake in the winter months. Dining in the gazebo on the dock is also a favourite summer pastime.
Q. What options would potential buyers have to personalize the space?
A. This wonderful country property offers new owners the chance to finish the basement space in the home, and a new owner could convert the use of the century barn. Barn conversions have been gaining appeal in recent years. Our clients have added kids’ recreation space, large-scale entertaining space and arts studios into century barns recently.
Q. Who would be the ideal buyers for this property?
A. Ideal buyers for this property would be those who enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle (tennis, hiking, swimming, skiing, fishing, paddle boarding, etc.) and those who appreciate total privacy and a casual, elegant architectural style. The property either could be a weekend/holiday retreat or a full-time residence.
Q. For others interested in selling their homes, why should they work with you?
A. Owners of country properties and those interested in moving to the countryside around Toronto have been working with Moffat Dunlap Real Estate since 1972. Our almost 50 years in business have allowed us to amass a depth of local knowledge unmatched by any other firm. We hear about properties before they come to market. We often find buyers for properties before they are listed. We are deeply entrenched in the local scene. Our leadership team has founded a top local independent school, serves on key volunteer boards of directors in education and health care, and we have negotiated the most-significant conservation land donations in York and Peel Regions. For almost 50 years, we have consistently listed and sold the finest country properties in the area.
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