08/28/2026
A surprising amount of trips to Home Hardware is right! 😂
Everyone always asks me, “Are you taking lots of crafts with you to do at the cottage?” 😂
And the answer is usually yes… but they rarely get done. 🤣
Instead, I spend most of my time making trips to the hardware store, doing maintenance, tackling little projects and getting the cottage ready for the next rental season.
Nobody tells you about the cost of running a cottage rental… 😂🏡
You buy a cottage thinking about sunsets, cozy nights, happy guests and coffee on the deck.
Nobody mentions that you also apparently become the proud owner of:
🧻 A small toilet-paper empire
🧺 An industrial laundry operation
🧹 A full-time cleaning department
🌿 A landscaping company
🔧 A maintenance business
🛒 A very loyal relationship with the local hardware store
💡 An electrical repair fund
🧴 A wholesale supply of shampoo, soap and paper towels
🛏️ A linen replacement program
🧾 And enough receipts to wallpaper the cottage
Then there’s the mortgage, taxes, insurance, power, internet, grass cutting, water, propane, security, cleaning, window washing, opening and closing the cottage, repairs, replacements…
…and all those lovely little “Well, that wasn’t on the budget” moments. 😂
And somehow, the list never ends.
There is always something.
A light bulb.
A leaky tap.
A shower door that refuses to stay on its track.
A deck that needs to be stained.
A clothesline that needs to be put back up.
A shed door that needs replaced.
A mystery stain.
A very determined w**d.
Cottage ownership: where the to-do list reproduces when you’re not looking. 😂
And honestly, we love this crazy little adventure. ❤️
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep the cottage beautiful, comfortable and ready for the next guests, and apparently, a surprising amount of it involves receipts, tools and trips to Home Hardware. 😂
We’re not getting rich sitting around sipping margaritas on the deck…
Although, to be fair, that was definitely part of the original business plan. 🍹😂
So to everyone who books with us, recommends us, leaves a review, shares our posts and comes back year after year…THANK YOU. ❤️
You’re helping support a little dream that comes with a surprisingly large collection of bills, tools, cleaning products and questionable hardware-store purchases. 😂🏡❤️
And every time we see guests enjoying the cottage, sitting around the fire, relaxing on the deck or making memories with the people they love, we remember exactly why we started.