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Houses that need repairs are selling in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal - at prices that might surprise you

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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.

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It sold quickly for $675,000. Its south-facing backyard offers room to expand; the lot is 165 feet deep.

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The house has been owned by the same family for 30 years.

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In Vancouver, this duplex in the Strathcona neighbourhood is for sale with an asking price of $1.1-million.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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On the other hand, much of its original woodwork is still intact, the agents say - 90 years later.

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