If I got excited about every house, I'd be nothing more than a puddle by now, or one of those little dogs that runs into walls. Luckily, I've learned to ration my enthusiasm, to save it up like pocket money, waiting for the right place to spend big. 19 Fifth Avenue, plum centre of Kingscourt and close to the parks and allotments, churches and the high school, is an early 2026 standout. From its last-forever and forest-green metal roof, to its lower level Muskoka cottage set-up, as convincing as a movie set, this detached and brilliant home is just slightly different from anything I've seen before in the neighbourhood.

The renovations are unusually comprehensive and take in both infrastructure and energy-efficiency (insulation, vinyl siding, furnace, AC) and aesthetics (bathrooms, luxury vinyl flooring, stainless steel appliances, windows); it's a long list, much longer than I'm letting on. The feeling is of a home in need of nothing but your company. There are two bedrooms upstairs, and the bigger of the two (with its vaulted ceiling, its clerestory window) is lined with pine and feels like a sanctuary, a secluded haven from the daily grind. There is a third bedroom on the main level, and if you need a fourth, then it's already set up for you in the basement, one room over from the woodstove.