Barrie has become the default answer for Toronto families who want a detached house and a lake without giving up a train to the city. Here is what the move actually looks like.
The commute
Two GO stations, Allandale Waterfront and Barrie South, run direct trains to Union in roughly 90 minutes. Highway 400 is an hour and a bit outside rush hour and considerably more inside it. Most people we have helped move do it on a hybrid schedule: two or three days in the city, the rest at home.
What your money buys
Substantially more house, and usually a garage and a yard, than the same budget gets in North York or Etobicoke. Property taxes are higher as a rate but lower in dollars because assessments are lower. Car costs go up; almost everything else goes down.
Where to live
The south end near Barrie South GO is the newest and most commuter-friendly. The east end and the waterfront streets are older, with bigger trees and lake views. Innisfil, just south, is the waterfront-and-value option, with Barrie South GO ten minutes away and a station of its own planned.
What you keep
A hospital (Royal Victoria), a college (Georgian), a real downtown on the bay, skiing at Snow Valley and Horseshoe in twenty minutes, and Lake Simcoe all summer.
We sell in Barrie and Innisfil directly, and we can sell your Toronto home at the same time so the two closings line up. Start with a evaluation.
Thinking about a move? Get a request a home evaluation, browse our listings or talk to the team.
