Done Deal, 51 Melbourne Ave., Toronto
51 MELBOURNE AVE., TORONTO
ASKING PRICE $1,298,000
SELLING PRICE $1,738,000
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $975,000 (2014); $237,000 (1996)
TAXES $5,497 (2016)
DAYS ON THE MARKET Five
LISTING AGENT Linda Ing-Gilbert, Re/Max Hallmark Realty Ltd.
The Action: Mid-October, it was buyer's choice in Parkdale with several properties over the $1-million mark. More than 50 buyers requested tours of this detached, three-storey house and dozens headed to the agents and public open houses. Second and third showings were conducted by several visitors, including 10 who showed up on the offer date with plans to become the next owners.
What They Got: Standing strong on a 29-by-110-foot lot since 1890 is this grand Victorian residence with a brick façade, original baseboards, crown mouldings and 10-foot ceilings above a living room with a fireplace, adjacent dining area and kitchen with a waterfall-edge island.
Off a rear family room is a door to a fenced south-facing backyard and secondary staircase to five bedrooms upstairs. Three of those sleeping quarters have a balcony or deck, including a third-floor master also with one of three bathrooms.
Auxiliary spaces consist of a partially finished basement with a rear exit to reach the two-car parking off a lane.
The Agent's Take: "You're steps to everything on Queen Street West. You're a block and a half away from the Drake," agent Linda Ing-Gilbert says.
"There were other homes listed in the area and … taking offers because I had agents say [my clients] are trying to decide between yours and something else."
What gave this 2,800-square-foot house added allure was its design. "It's a true Victorian home that exudes a lot of warm character, and the owners took a lot of care in updating it so it maintains the character," Ms. Ing-Gilbert notes.
"All the trim work around the window are original, but the windows are new and the floors they picked were engineered wood, but they picked a colour and wide plank to match the period it was in."