Houses that need repairs are selling in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal - at prices that might surprise you
Real estate agents use a variety of terms - “handyman special” or "a renovator's dream" or “needs TLC” – for houses that need major work. This one is modest, but located in the upscale Toronto area near Yonge St. and Lawrence Ave. It was listed for $599,000 and hadn’t been renovated in decades.
It sold quickly for $675,000. Its south-facing backyard offers room to expand; the lot is 165 feet deep.
The house has been owned by the same family for 30 years.
In Vancouver, this duplex in the Strathcona neighbourhood is for sale with an asking price of $1.1-million.
Though not in terrible condition, the house was built in 1988, and its interior is dated. The two three-bedroom units, with 2700 square feet total, have some vintage eighties finishes, including this salmon-pink carpet.
The state of the house is besides the point, though. The house’s 37-by-122-foot lot, on a pleasant street, makes it a good candidate for a teardown. And even with the current lull in the Vancouver market, the average price for a home - condo or house - was $739,587 in April.
In the west end of Montreal, this house in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce has been in the same family since its construction in 1923. Much of its interior hasn’t changed significantly for half a century.
The house, listed at $648,000, is being sold by an estate. The agents, Serge Gabriel and Manon Sénéchal, suggest that the house needs “much upgrading”: electrical, plumbing, a new kitchen, and more.
On the other hand, much of its original woodwork is still intact, the agents say - 90 years later.