Since he was 12 years old, Paul Miklas has been striding around building sites. The lots and houses have just gotten bigger over the years.
Today, he's visiting what promises to be a glittering mansion - with eight bedrooms, 22 bathrooms, tennis courts, a soccer field and swimming pools indoors and out - that will sit on a two-acre lot at 37 High Point Rd.
It will be finished in about a year, but right now, there's just a construction site filled with wood framing, dangling wires, plaster dust and tradesmen vying for Mr. Miklas' attention.
If he were to list the home for sale today, he'd put a price tag of $17.99-million on it. "I'd say it's worth $18-million all day long."
A year from now? "We'll see where the market takes us."
As president of Valleymede Building AMA Corp., Mr. Miklas is a purveyor - and consumer - of the Bridle Path lifestyle. The son of a developer and once a rod man for surveyors, he has his name on five properties in the upscale neighbourhood, with two completed, two under construction and the fifth undergoing renovation.
In one of those homes, just down the road from No. 37, Mr. Miklas lives with his wife, children and two dogs.
After a frenetic inspection of the progress being made at No. 37 and a tour of the unfinished renovation on Post Road, he escapes to the relative tranquillity of his own house.
Beyond the grand entranceway, he moves from the kitchen into a sun-filled solarium, then gestures to the stone terraces, tiered gardens and swimming pool beyond.
"I'm known for this - the solarium that projects out of the building envelope," Mr. Miklas says. "It's my signature."
Mr. Miklas knows that it's not just the light from floor-to-ceiling windows that resonates with well-heeled home buyers, it's that magical transition from the bustle of the kitchen into the haven of the garden. With homes that sell for many millions, people want some serenity in their 30,000 square feet.
Mr. Miklas checks off a roster of opulent features that signify to the wealthy that they are buying a home in keeping with their stature.
At this level, wine cellars and gymnasiums are basic necessities, but buyers also want a private movie theatre, indoor pool, masseuse room and car wash.
"You want to have at least seven 'wow' factors."
In his own house, Mr. Miklas lists the imposing entry gates, dizzying foyer, gourmet kitchen, sumptuous master suite, walnut-panelled study, indoor theatre and ornamented gardens.
Mariel Michael is one client who was dazzled by those feature and others when she saw Mr. Miklas' home on High Point.
Ms. Michael and her husband interviewed a lot of builders, she says, but she liked Mr. Miklas' flair and enthusiasm.
"We had big dreams and Paul has great ideas."
The Michaels virtually copied the walnut-panelled library - they just made it bigger - and also considered the foyer and solarium must-haves.
Ms. Michaels says the two-year project should be complete by early December.
For the most part, she says, building is on schedule and the cost is not too far out of line with the original plan.
"You always go over budget if you're building a home," she says. "You upgrade as you go along."
Mr. Miklas has been drawn to building since he was growing up in Thornhill and accompanied his father to construction sites. As a teen-ager, he spent his summers standing in dusty fields, holding the rod that allowed surveyors to measure elevations before new sub-divisions were mapped out. That early exposure drew him to building.
"I'd be out in the field and I would see houses going up in the distance. I always thought it was a lot more exciting [than surveying]"
He went on to learn framing and other building skills and used the money he earned over time to expand into the custom home market in Markham, Ont. He still builds homes in that $1.5-million range, he says, and six will be completed this year.
Back in 2000, Mr. Miklas took a chance on catering to the ultra-rich when he purchased a lot in the Bridle Path. The builder says he's not worried about selling 37 High Point one year from now but he did feel some trepidation seven years ago. Since that time, people have become increasingly willing to invest previously unheard-of amounts in real estate. "It's not as risky as it used to be."
One way to develop that taste for outrageous luxury is to live in its midst. "I live the lifestyle," says Mr. Miklas, who with his wife Holly, often opens his doors for parties and charity fundraisers. It was through such entertaining that the builder discovered the value of a jaw-dropping foyer.
Now he builds for the Bay Street crowd, entrepreneurs, and tycoons with multinational businesses.
"They want the best. They've worked very hard. They've been successful in business and they want their home to be an extension of their business."
He can offer these business titans 85 per cent of what they would choose if they were building a custom home on their own, he reasons, and they, in turn, can save the time and money - and avoid the spousal arguments - associated with the process.
Mr. Miklas, who boasts that he knows every property in the York Mills and Bayview area, says that a scarcity of lots is his biggest problem right now. Immigration has been fuelling much of the demand for property generally, he adds, and most undeveloped lots have been snapped up in the past few years.
"The lots have easily doubled [in price]and then some." But he keeps his "ear to the ground."
"When I came to build this house in the Bridle Path area in 2000, people thought I was nuts because the market had topped out."
Seven 'wow' factors
People who buy houses in the Bridle Path neighbourhood, where the lots are usually a standard two acres, expect a home crammed with features that not only signal status and wealth, but also provide a comfortable family life for a house full of kids, dogs and nannies, says Paul Miklas of Valleymede Building AMA Corp.
He strives to create seven "wow" factors in each manor he builds:
Imposing wall and gate. There's nothing like solid walls and iron gates to make homeowners feel snug in their security, seclusion and stature. Guests drive up to an intercom, announce their presence, and the gates noiselessly open.
Palatial foyer. It awes visitors and provides a dramatic space for cocktail parties and entertaining.
Walnut-panelled library. With rich, burnished wood from floor to ceiling, and a wood-burning fireplace, the library evokes images of manor homes and hunting lodges in England's countryside.
Serene solarium. Homeowners can step outside the bustle of the kitchen into a sun-filled breakfast room overlooking the garden.
Luxurious master bedroom. A private retreat with the serenity of a spa is an appealing feature for parents. In the en suite bathroom, Mr. Miklas adds luxury in the form of crema marfil marble, for example, and deluxe showers.
Movie theatre. Media rooms are for the middle class. Mr. Miklas builds an indoor theatre so that homeowners can offer private film screenings with all of the pyrotechnics.
Lavish backyard. Fountains, waterfalls and reflecting pools in large backyards are part of the Bridle Path package. At his own home, Mr. Miklas has installed 20 hidden stereo speakers in the garden so that he can listen to music at various spots outside without blasting it at the neighbours. At 37 High Point Rd., Mr. Miklas has built a tennis court with pipes running beneath so that the court can be turned into an ice skating rink in winter. The builder has also included three golf chipping decks with a green, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a soccer field.