If you’re thinking of buying and living in beautiful Thornbury, you are in the right place. I’m here to tell you a little more about this small Ontario town and why it may be the place you’ve been searching for… or why it may not be for you.
Now, I’m a little biased here, as this is my hometown…
Thornbury is located on the shore of Georgian Bay at the mouth of the Beaver River and the base of the Niagara Escarpment, which of course boasts some of the best skiing in Ontario. Rocking major “Main Street” vibes, you might think you’ve landed in a Hallmark Made for TV movie: complete with the independently owned shops and cafes and very well kept, house proud neighbourhoods that make evening strolls very enjoyable. Fewer chain restaurants and big box stores, residents often drive the 20 minutes to Collingwood to access things like Walmart or Movie Theatres. Thornbury has an elementary school – which is rated in the top 10% of Ontario Public Elementary Schools according to the Fraser Institute, but high school kids need to bus the 10 minutes to Meaford to access Georgian Bay Community School for grades 9 – 12.
The pandemic really set Thornbury on a trajectory trending towards a more affluent community – we saw an increase of residents move up to their second homes during lockdowns and, to be honest, once you’re here and experience the four seasons lifestyle, it’s really hard to leave! With an influx of both full time and part time residents combined with slower development, a supply and demand for houses in Thornbury has had a wild effect on single detached house prices, going from $900,000 when the Pandemic started in March 2019 to $1.7 as of this post*: literally almost doubling. Now there are still houses for sale under $1,000,000 in Thornbury – in fact, I have one exclusively listed right now.
Types of Houses in Thornbury, Ontario
So let’s talk about the different kinds of houses you can buy in Thornbury. Now what many think of when they picture Thornbury are the grand Century homes with expansive yards, carriage houses, the whole nine yards: walking up Bruce Street from the “downtown” area you’ll see some beautiful examples of these. In town, there are single detached neighbourhoods featuring quiet cul de sacs and a really lovely community feel; and there are attached townhouses and condo communities. A 2 minute drive out of town is the community of Lora Bay, a fabulous four seasons prestigious enclave surrounding the award winning Lora Bay Golf Course and on the shores of Georgian Bay. Here you’ll find stunning homes ranging from large 5+ bedroom homes overlooking the golf course and Georgian Bay to smaller but equally lovely homes in “The Cottages”: these have been designed as truly lifestyle inspired communities – steps from the private Lora Bay Beach.
You can let me know in the comments if you feel like Thornbury is just too small a town for you and your family, or if you feel like the simple life is what your family needs! And I’ll leave you with a little wisdom from Leonardo Da Vinci:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
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