HGTV Canada's Scott's Vacation House Rules Features Euro Outdoor Sauna

A sauna is an excellent addition to a vacation home (for several reasons we’ll cover in a moment). But, don’t just take our word for it…

Finnleo Featured on HGTV Canada’s Scott’s Vacation House Rules, Season 4

On HGTV Canada’s Scott’s Vacation House Rules real estate expert and contractor, Scott McGillivray offers the ultimate road map to renovation and rental success. With decades of smart real estate investing and renovation experience, Scott unlocks the rental potential of even the most uninspired properties. He finds and transforms tired, dated, and rundown spaces into unique and buzz-worthy parcels of paradise.

In Season 4’s Episode, Lakeview Luxury Inn (aired 10/17/23), McGillivray’s team sets out to renovate an upper-level lake cottage located in Lakefield, Ontario. The lower level of the cottage is a local market, restaurant, ice cream parlor, and LCBO for those visiting the lake.  

One of the five vacation house rules defined in the show is GET NOTICED. As a vacation homeowner and property manager you need guests to choose your property – so you must give them a reason to. For this Lakefield property, a Finnleo Euro Outdoor sauna was incorporated to draw visitors in, especially during the colder months.

Sauna use and investment continues to grow in popularity in North America, both for relaxation but even more so as a health and wellness practice. This makes sauna an excellent addition to a vacation home, as guests are often looking for a place to get away from their normal routine to rest, relax, and reconnect to what is important in life.

Saunas: A Great Investment for an Income Property

Beyond its ability to get your rental property noticed among a long line of listings, Finnleo saunas are a great investment for an income property, for several reasons. (Note – these reasons also make saunas a great investment for any home, but these uniquely apply to the nature of rental properties.)

#1: Year-Round Enjoyment

Saunas can (and should) be enjoyed year-round, as they provide rest, relaxation, and wellness benefits no matter what time of the year you use one. A common sauna routine, especially relevant for this lake cottage’s sauna, is a sauna-swim cycle. A dip in cool water (or even rolling in the winter snow) is the perfect break between sauna sessions to decrease your body temperature and reset for another sweat.

This is a valuable selling point for vacation properties, especially those located in seasonal destinations; year-round amenities can help draw people in during an off-peak season.

#2: Low Maintenance

Light regular cleaning with water and a soft brush is all a sauna requires on a regular basis (if used respectfully). If stains begin to develop, again a soft hand brush and mild detergent will quickly brighten the wood. When needed (annually if your sauna is used regularly), the benches can be lightly sanded to look like new.  

The only other item to monitor is the sauna rocks in your heater. A general guideline is to replace annually if used 3+ times per week. Though, the condition of the sauna rocks will tell you when it’s time.  

This maintenance is quick and easy for property managers to facilitate between guest stays, or when needed.

#3: Smart Control System

The SaunaLogic2® Control & mobile app is a great set up to facilitate guest operation as well as property manager control. The on-site control is simple for guests to use and operate the sauna. In addition to controlling the sauna features, it also has a built in 60-minute timer signaling the sauna to shut down for safety purposes.

The property manager can also retain control off-site via the mobile application. This may be helpful in monitoring sauna usage as well as troubleshooting guest challenges (which should be minimal).

#4: Connection & Conversation

The intimate space and high heat in a sauna combine to encourage tech-free time and uninterrupted conversation, which can be hard to come by in our ‘always-on’ world. It perfectly facilitates open, honest conversation which can lead to reconnection and deeper understanding. This sauna benefit is often overlooked in discussion, but there is incredible potential for building stronger bonds and relationships if you let the sauna work its magic. Imagine the lasting impression the sauna could leave on your guests (this type of experience is what encourages repeat customers and referrals!).

#5: Relaxation & Wellness

Lastly, we’ll reiterate the relaxation and wellness benefits of sauna. If your guests are truly on vacation, a sauna will be a welcome retreat to support their rest and rejuvenation goals. Heat is a powerful tool, and sauna uses it in all the right ways. Tension relief, toxin release, muscle relaxation, and much more can happen within the high heat and humidity of a sauna, leaving your guests feeling refreshed and renewed.

How to Choose a Sauna

When choosing a sauna for a vacation property you will need to consider a variety of factors, for example:

• Available Space – Indoor or Outdoor
• Guest Experience Goals
• Surrounding Area Allure & Vacation Destination Attractions
• Budget & Timeline
• Long-Term Property Plans/Goals

In the episode, Scott visited the local Finnleo dealer The Sundance Spa & Sauna Store, to determine and assess his options. We’d recommend following suit. Our authorized dealers can help walk you through all the possible options, let you try different saunas with different heat experiences, answer your questions, and generally help guide you toward a sauna best fit for your property.

For the lakeside cottage property featured on Scott’s Vacation House Rules, an outdoor sauna was the best fit. It extends the rental space beyond the upper level and encourages guests to get outside, no matter the weather, and enjoy what this beautiful piece of Lakefield, Ontario has to offer.

Outdoor Euro Sauna

A 6’x8’ customized Euro Outdoor with a western red cedar exterior and metal sloped roof adds character and charm to the cottage’s outdoor space – with interior bench space to seat up to 5-6 guests at a time. Encased in traditional Nordic White Spruce with 4 well-placed windows, the interior is open and bright in the daylight, and moody and cozy in the evening. The Designer-SL2 heater powers the sauna, and heats the room up to 194ᵒ F.

Our custom Euro Outdoor saunas give homeowners options – room size, window size and placement, door placement, wood type, bench configurations, and more. It’s a great solution to be able to incorporate the beauty of your property into your sauna experience. Whatever appealing characteristics your property has to offer – the lake, the forest, the patio, etc. – make them visible from the sauna for your guests to appreciate.

If you missed the episode, be sure to catch it on STACKTV.