$7.5 million for a Grey County retreat with a main house, a guest house, a barn and a shed

Location: West Grey, Grey County
Price: $7,499,000 Size: 4,000 square feet plus a 2,000-square-foot guest house, all on 486 acres of land Bedrooms: 7 Bathrooms: 5 Parking spots: 20+ Real estate agent: Kevin Gilchrist, Sotheby’s International Realty

The Place

A four-bedroom, three-bathroom countryside estate in West Grey. The property comes with two storage outbuildings (a barn and shed dating back to 1919) plus a separate three-bedroom, two-bathroom timber guest house. It spans 486 acres, including a private lake, a tennis court, a firepit and an in-ground swimming pool. Residents are a short drive from Highway 6 and a 45-minute drive from the Blue Mountains.

The History

This rural wonder dates back to the 1860s, when the original stone farmhouse was built. The current owners purchased the place as a vacation home and then spent more than $2 million renovating it, adding a laundry room, a great room, a mudroom and a jumbo kitchen. They also landscaped extensively and installed fun warm-weather features, like the pool.

Related: $8,500 a month for a barn-chic box in ski country with a trampoline and its own lake

The Tour

The great room is part of the new addition. It comes with vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and a sandstone wood-burning fireplace.

Turn around to take in the dining area, with the sunroom just beyond the French doors. Nice antlers.

Here’s that sunroom. Note the built-in speakers.

Another angle of the sunroom highlights its view of the manicured gardens and proximity to the dining area.

The kitchen has a large Carrara marble island with bar seating and storage galore.

It’s equipped with Miele double ovens, an Amana fridge and freezer, a built-in microwave, a Wolf six-burner propane cooktop, and a wine fridge.

This is the laundry room, lined with a sink, cabinets and a doggy shower (not pictured).

Next to the kitchen is the office. It has an original 1860s stone feature wall.

Here’s a peek inside the main-floor bathroom, with marble all over and a walk-in shower.

There’s a sitting room at the front of the house, defined by its coffered ceilings and crown moulding. This space is original, as evidenced by the thick walls enclosing both window nooks.

Just across from the sitting room is this living room. It doubles as an office and has another wood-burning fireplace.

Heading upstairs highlights the main bedroom, with a view of the grounds. There are another four bedrooms and one bathroom on this level.

The second floor’s shared bathroom comes with a granite vanity, a subway-tiled glass shower and a soaker tub.

Here’s one of the secondary bedrooms on the second floor, currently set up for kids.

But the real fun starts with the 25-year-old timber guest house. Inside are three bedrooms (with loft space for more), two bathrooms and a recently renovated kitchen.

The guest house’s front porch has an unbeatable view of the property’s private lake.

In the guest house kitchen: poured concrete counters, an electric cooktop, an oven, a sink and a dishwasher.

Here’s a view of the living room. It walks out to the wrap-around porch.

This is the guest house’s main bedroom.

And this is the ensuite bathroom.

This great room (with beavers) rivals that of the main house.

There are many exposed beams in the bedrooms upstairs.

The basement could be upgraded to add another bedroom. There are already a bathroom and a laundry room down here.

Who doesn’t love a fully screened-in dining gazebo?

As for the in-ground pool, it has an automated cover and an ionization system for water cleaning. The firepit, with its flagstone patio, is just beyond the frame.

These raised garden beds were crafted by a mason who installed built-in irrigation.

Tennis, anyone? A ball machine is included in the sale of the home.

Lastly, here’s an aerial shot of the entire estate. Multiple trails wind through those surrounding cedar forests.

Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to realestate@torontolife.com.