Done Deal, 15A Grove Ave., Toronto
15A GROVE AVE., TORONTO
ASKING PRICE $869,000
SELLING PRICE $865,000
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICES $699,000 (2008); $365,000 (2003); $127,200 (1998)
TAXES $4,242 (2012)
DAYS ON THE MARKET Four
LISTING AGENTS Paul Johnston and Matt Manuel, Right at Home Realty Inc.
The Action: Over a dozen private showings and two weekend open houses were arranged for this rare laneway home.
What They Got: This modern 21/2-storey structure on a 30- by 65-foot lot off a rear laneway likely began its life as a detached garage that various owners expanded and renovated within the past three decades.
The front door opens into a central foyer with double height ceilings and wide entrance ways into a dining room on one side and a fireside living area and kitchen on the other.
The level below houses a recreation area and den. Private quarters are upstairs, including laundry facilities, a second floor bedroom and a third floor master suite with a window overlooking the main living space, access to a rooftop patio and one of two bathrooms. For parking, there is direct access into a garage.
The Agent's Take: "It's super close to the Ossington strip, but on a really quiet, corner piece of land on a back lane," says agent Paul Johnston. "It's not a monstrous house – it's about 1,600 to 1,700 square feet – but it's so unique and discrete that it appeals to certain people."
A major architectural marvel was the design of the two-storey space on the main floor. "They introduced some really high windows that bring light into the house almost at all times of the day without affecting privacy in any way," adds Mr. Johnston. "The placement of windows on three exposures really created a unique feeling inside the house."