Done Deal, 156 CRAIGHURST AVE., Toronto
156 CRAIGHURST AVE., TORONTO
ASKING PRICE $739,000
SELLING PRICE $836,200
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $310,000 (1996)
TAXES $4,926 (2011)
DAYS ON THE MARKET Six
LISTING AGENT Kara Reed, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.
The Action: On a dead-end street in Lawrence Park, this semi-detached residence was a packed house with 70 buyers promised private showings and about 120 parties granted entry during weekend open houses. Three out of 10 offers registered were extremely generous, but the accepted number was $836,200.
What They Got: Over the past decade, this 86-year-old house was refreshed with new windows, heating and cooling systems, two remodelled bathrooms and a modern eat-in kitchen with custom Corian counters, glass tile backsplashes and pot lights.
For accommodating either formal or casual activities, there is a combined living and dining area with a wood-burning fireplace, hardwood floors, crown mouldings and California shutters, as well as a skylit family room addition with a walkout to the two-tiered yard and a lower level recreation room.
All three bedrooms are allocated to the second level.
For parking, there is a garage that exits to the north via Heather Street and a surface spot fronting south onto Craighurst Avenue.
The Agent's Take: "It's a really entry-level price point for that area, so there are loads of buyers looking now," says agent Kara Reed, who recalls a neighbouring home selling for a similar price in a 10-person bidding war the same evening as this one. "That's how much of a demand there is."
What made this particular house alluring were the hidden extras such as a main floor family room and rare powder room. "It doesn't look as big as it is, but once you get it, it's over 1,500 square feet," says Ms. Reed.
"It's the only house on Craighurst that has a garage in the back, which you access off a dead-end street called Heather, so it's almost as if you have your own private cul-de-sac back there."