21 HUMBERCREST BLVD., TORONTO
ASKING PRICE $1,299,000
SELLING PRICE $1,220,000
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $245,000 (1996)
TAXES $8,009 (2013)
DAYS ON THE MARKET 43
LISTING AGENT Cathy Methven, Sutton Group Old Mill Realty Inc.
The Action: It's hard to come by homes in Baby Point – one of the oldest settled areas by the Humber River – and few are as large as this detached residence. Given the limited pool of buyers in need of so much space, it was listed for about $1.35-million last fall. Finding no takers, it was relisted under $1.3-million during the brisk spring market and a deal was finally negotiated.
What They Got: Less than a decade ago, renowned handyman Mike Holmes converted a bungalow on this 40-by-137-foot lot into a two-storey abode with laundry facilities and four bedrooms upstairs, including a lavish master suite with a double-door entry, deck and fourth bathroom with Brazilian slate finishes.
Glass block windows and curved walls are original period details in the front hall to a main-floor bedroom, open living and dining area with a Juliet balcony above the garage, a ceramic-clad kitchen and a family room with a walkout to a deck, patio and ravine sloping upward.
There is a one-bedroom and one-bathroom basement apartment with an eat-in kitchen and living room.
The Agent's Take: "This unique home started life as a raised bungalow in the fifties, so a major renovation, overseen by television's Mike Holmes, transformed the space into a grand five-bedroom home," says agent Cathy Methven.
"We were looking at almost 3,800 square feet of finished space on three levels, so it was much larger home than typical in the community and architecturally unique home to the community."
The outdoor connection was another perk. "A great yard set on a reverse ravine with good decking and tableland, made the property desirable and beautiful," Ms. Methven notes.
"And the setting in historic Old Millside combines proximity to Bloor Street transit and shops with the beauty of the Humber River and trails [also] an easy walk away."