House Feature

The Money Saving Lake Front Home

By Rise,

Last Updated: Apr 13, 2025

This is one of those properties we absolutely love. It’s exemplary in that it’s a big money saver, it’s stunning inside and out, and it’s made with the future in mind.

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Why We Love it

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Homeowners Lisa and Marcus Turner are the proud owners of this lakefront house in Hubley, Nova Scotia. It was designed and built by Passive House E-Design with the intent of using it as a vacation home as well as a late retirement home for their parents.
They knew early on that they wanted something with high energy efficiency, with the potential to become completely energy-independent later on if they so chose.

But the results aren’t just stunning in real life, it’s amazing on paper too: it is currently undergoing Passive House and LEED Platinum certifications.

The real showstopper, and although it isn’t completely off-grid yet, is the home’s annual utility bill: a whopping $175 for the year. That’s less than $15/month to operate this beauty!

One of the big reasons behind such a success was the orientation of the home (south views), as well as the attention that was paid to properly and liberally insulate the home. It also boasts an 18 panel solar array that takes care of about half of the homes required energy.