A family bought a $2.6 million 100-acre "compound" to all live and raise their children together.<br /><br />Danielle Schleese, 33, had always dreamed of being able to live with her sister, Samantha Schleese, 34, and their parents - so they could bring up their children all together.<br /><br />Now her vision has been made a reality after Danielle, an artist, and her fiancé, Gabe Mazza, 34, stumbled across an 88-acre stretch of land for sale in Kilworthy, Ontario, Canada for $1.1m.<br /><br />The area is full of woodland and already had two houses, two collapsed barns, a garage and a Quonset hut - so the family can all live within a stone's throw from each other.<br /><br />The neighbouring property and 12 acres came up for sale and Danielle and Gabe, a website developer, bought it for $1.5m in September 2022.<br /><br />They are currently renovating the buildings before their parents - Sabine, 68, and Jochen Schleese, 61, who own Schleese Sadlers - move in.<br /><br />The sisters and their partners lived together under one roof until the renovation of Samantha and Jordan Rothery's house was complete in August 2022.<br /><br />The close-knit sisters even had their babies just 13 days apart - and now raise them together.<br /><br />Samanta, a dancer, from Kilworthy, Ontario, Canada, said: "It was always Danielle's vision to live as one big happy family - I wasn't sure at first about us all living together.<br /><br />"But after a hiking trip in Summer 2020 it made me realise how nice it would be to be somewhere surrounded by nature.<br /><br />"We got so lucky when we found the place and had to jump on it.<br /><br />"It's perfect and there is still so much of our land that we have yet to explore.<br /><br />"I was nervous to live all together but I'm loving it."<br /><br />Danielle said: "We joked about the fact that we're all going to live on a 'family compound' - if not for at least one to two consistent years and now we've made it happen.<br /><br />"It's interesting to go back in time and live together like when we were younger.<br /><br />"We've had to relearn what it's like to share a lot of things and create boundaries this time as adults."<br /><br />Danielle had been talking about the idea to find somewhere the family could all live together and started her search in January 2020.<br /><br />Samantha said: "It was tricky to find somewhere with enough land and that had some buildings already."<br /><br />But in January 2021 the family came across the perfect site in Kilworthy, Canada.<br /><br />Samantha said: "Jordan, my parents and I went to look at it straight away.<br /><br />"We knew it was the one, so we went for it, and we got it."<br /><br />Danielle and Gabe moved up from Scarbrough, Toronto, in May 2021, followed by Samantha and Jordan, 35, an appliance installer, from their home in Scarborough, Toronto, in July 2021.<br /><br />The couples lived in a three-bedroom building for a year while the others were renovated.<br /><br />Samantha said: "I thought it might be intense all living together but it has been great and there is enough room if you need some air.<br /><br />"We make sure we are unanimous on every decision and have weekly family meetings for decisions.<br /><br />"We're very diplomatic about it all and hear everyone's opinions."<br /><br />Their sanctuary - which they have yet to agree on a name for - is close to the town, a local beach and lake and has plenty of its own woodland to explore.<br /><br />Samantha said: "It's a really simple lifestyle now and we can all work from home.<br /><br />"There is just so much of our garden to explore."<br /><br />Danielle and Samantha welcomed Wilder and Willow, now 18 months old, on March 27, 2022, and April 9, 2022 - just 13 days apart.<br /><br />Samantha said: "They have the biggest playground to grow up in.<br /><br />"Day to day we just give each other our kids. It gives you a big break."<br /><br />Samantha and Jordan moved into their newly renovated five-bedroom house in August 2022, but the sisters still see each other all the time.<br /><br />Samantha said: "We have meal nights twice a week and sometimes more.<br /><br />"It's a dream set up.<br /><br />"It's a sanctuary."<br /><br />Danielle said: "I'm excited for my children to form a close bond with their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles."<br /><br />They hope once Danielle and Gabe's house is renovated their parents Sabine and Jochen can join them.<br /><br />They want to turn the remaining barns into an event space and want to build a greenhouse to become more self-sufficient on their land.
