Uxbridge, Ontario
Uxbridge real estate with Laura McBride
Uxbridge is northern Durham Region and a different kind of market: a historic town on the Oak Ridges Moraine, ringed by country properties, hobby farms and estate homes. Buying here comes with questions a lakeshore home never raises, so this page is built around them.
Seven questions every country property raises
If you are used to buying in a town, these are the ones that surprise people. Laura helps you get them asked before you commit.
1. Where does the water come from? Most rural homes have a well. Ask about flow, water quality testing and the age of the pump and tank.
2. What is the septic system, and how old is it? Septic age, size and condition affect both price and what you can add to the house later.
3. What is the land zoned for? Zoning decides whether you can run a home business, keep animals, build a workshop or add a second dwelling.
4. How does the Oak Ridges Moraine apply? Much of the Uxbridge area falls under moraine planning rules, and conservation authority regulations can limit building near wetlands and watercourses. Check before you plan an addition or an outbuilding.
5. How is the house heated? Propane, oil, electric and wood all appear, and running costs differ a great deal from natural gas in town.
6. What are internet and cell service like? Coverage varies from road to road, and it matters if you work from home.
7. How do you get in and out in winter? Ask who maintains the road and the driveway, and how long the drive to town is when it snows.
Town, hamlet or acreage?
In town, Uxbridge has a walkable historic core along Brock Street, with the Roxy Theatre and the York-Durham Heritage Railway nearby, character homes close to the centre and a few newer subdivisions on the edges. Prices there are broadly comparable to the Durham lakeshore, sometimes a little below for the equivalent house.
In the hamlets of Goodwood, Leaskdale, Sandford, Zephyr and Udora, small clusters of homes have their own character across the township.
On acreage, homes sit on one acre to many, often with barns, shops, pools or paddocks, and hobby farms and equestrian land take advantage of the rolling moraine terrain. These are priced on land, outbuildings, water and septic, and location as much as on the house.
There is no GO Train, only GO bus service, and the town is roughly 30 to 40 minutes north of Highway 401. Buyers here are usually not commuting downtown every day. Many come for the trails: Uxbridge calls itself the Trail Capital of Canada, with hiking and mountain biking through Durham Forest, Walker Woods and Glen Major.
Frequently asked questions
Uxbridge real estate questions
What is the Oak Ridges Moraine, and does it affect what I can build?
The Oak Ridges Moraine is a ridge of rolling land north of Toronto that is protected by provincial planning rules, and much of the Uxbridge area falls within it. Those rules and local conservation authority regulations can limit building, so check what is permitted on a property before you plan an addition or an outbuilding.
Should I inspect the well and septic before buying a country home?
Yes. Well flow and water quality, and the age and condition of the septic system, can affect both the price and what you can do with the property. Laura helps you line up the right inspections before you commit.
Can I commute to the GTA from Uxbridge?
It is about 30 to 40 minutes north of Highway 401. There is no GO Train, only GO bus service, so most buyers here are not daily downtown commuters.
Does Laura McBride sell country properties in Uxbridge?
Uxbridge is within Laura’s service area. Country and acreage properties need an agent who understands wells, septic, zoning and how rural homes are valued, and she can bring in the professionals a country listing needs. She is also the founder of Junior Green Thumbs, donating a classroom garden for every home she sells.
Dreaming of space and quiet?
Start with what you want the land to do for you. Laura McBride, REALTOR®, Revel Realty Inc., Brokerage.
Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers already under contract with a brokerage.