Toronto/GTA "house for sale" reviews

Are you interested to buy house, townhouse or condo in Toronto or suburbs (Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, North York, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa)? I am here to help you.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

House for sale in Etobicoke ($430K)

A detached semi-floor house for sale in Etobicoke district.



Location
Address: 31 Aldgate Ave, Toronto, Ontario.
Main intersection - Park Lawn Rd / The Queensway, Etobicoke.
MLS district - W07.


Price
$429,900.

Square Footage
The information is restricted.
Judging by its view, it’s about 1000 square feet (100 square kilometres)


Age of the house
About 50 – 60 years.

Type of real estate
Semi-floor house.
As I understood, initially it was a single-floor house, but then some know-it-all decided to build a staircase to the attic and made a bedroom there.
Build and made.
But it’s impossible to sleep there when it’s hot.
I was there not on the hottest day, but 2 air conditioners didn’t manage the workload – it was quite hot and stuffy upstairs.

Size of the lot
40 x 175 feet (12 х 52 metres).

Kitchen and household appliances
The kitchen looks quite good against the general background.
At least, there are fewer complaints against it.
The colors a bit depress, but this can be easily helped.


Main rooms
There’s only one main room.
It’s logically divided into two parts by the sofa.

There’s a fireplace.
The agent said that it’s gas, though it seemed to be firewood (there was even an armful of wood nearby).


Bedrooms
It’s a sore point in this house.
There’s only one bedroom (upstairs), but it’s impossible to sleep there: it’ll be hot in summer and cold in winter.

But tastes differ.
If you, like Rakhmetov by Chernyshevsky, decided to train your strength of will by means of torturing your body, this house will be a suitable variant for you.
Philosophers should pay attention to this house too.


Basement
The basement is finished and tolerable, saving nearly a total lack of windows.
There’s even a bedroom there.

Driveway
The driveway would be nearly normal, if it fit for 2 cars in its width.
Though there’s even a garage, 3 more cars would fit into, but they’ll leave along the stack.

Backyard
The backyard is a light moment in the survey.
The backyard is large, with a pool and hottub,
and old fruit trees.


District
The district is not totally awful, but not very good.
It’s probably possible to live there, but you could find some better variants.

Schools
The nearest schools are Etienne Brule JS, Park Lawn JMS (both of them are quite near – 5 10 minutes of walk) and Etobicoke CI (you need to go by bus there).

Parks
Woodfrod Park, South Humber Park and Bell Manor Park – it’s just a 5 - 10 minute walk (in different directions, see the map).

Shops
The Shop in Queensway,
You need to drive somewhere to find big ones...

Transport
The highway (Queen Elizabeth Way) is a three-minute drive,
streetcars and buses are also nearby.
Though it’s not very convenient to go to the subway using public transport.

Property tax
About $3000 in 2007.

Pros
The price isn’t high for Etobicoke.
The highway is nearby; the access to TTC (Toronto buses-trams) is not very far.
The backyard made me happy.
The pool and hottub produce the impression of luxury.


Cons
The house is extremely small, it actually has a single bedroom (it’s not a suitable variant for families with children).
The district is so-so, a bit dirty.
In South Humber Park (within one kilometre to the east from the house) there are large sewage-purification facilities. If the wind blows from the east, it’ll smell, you know.

General thoughts
The backyard impresses greatly.
On the whole the house produces a better impression than the previous one, but this kind of real estate is lower than the average level.
It’s possible to live here only in case of emergency.
My evaluating of the house is 4 of 10.


Technical details
Living room: 7 m x 3.50 m
Dining room: 4.50 m x 3 m
Kitchen: 3.40 m x 2.70 m
Kitchen with a place for having meals: 3.30 m x 2.70 m
Bedroom (upstairs): 5.25 m x 3.40 m
Room in the basement: 4.80 m x 2.80 m
Kitchen in the basement: 2.75 m x 2.40 m
Bedroom in the basement: 3.30 m x 3 m
Room for washers-dryers in the basement: 3.80 m x 3 m

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

One more detached Etobicoke house ($430K)

One more detached bungalow in Toronto (Etobicoke district).



Location
Address: 5 Inverleigh Dr, Toronto, Ontario.
Main intersection - Royal York / QEW, Etobicoke.
MLS district - W07.
Etobicoke – a house for sale at a low price

Price
$429,000.

Square Footage
A difficult question.
The agent dodged the question.
Seems to be not more than 1000 square feet (100 square metres).

Age of the house
About 60 years.
Looks decrepit.

Type of real estate
A detached bungalow with finished basement.
No garage.

Size of the lot
44 x 113 feet (13 х 34 metres).

Кitchen and household appliances
The tiniest kitchenette I’ve ever seen in Canada.
Kitchenette
To my mind, kitchens are larger even in Canadian apartments.
Here it reminded me 50-100 years old European flat.
The appliances are comparatively new – they say that all of them (the fridge, washer, dryer, and stove) were bought in 2007.

Main rooms
Several adjoining rooms.
Produce a bit miserable impression because of their small size and the age of the house.
Dining room

Bedrooms
Two bedrooms upstairs and one in the basement (it’s scary to sleep in the basement).

Basement
Curtailed and deterrent.
Iron-barred windows, the existence of which I’ve already forgotten about.
As the agent says, the owner of the house is crazy about safety.
But, frankly speaking, it’s indicative of bad criminal situation.
Real estate in Toronto: a house for sale in Etobicoke - basement

Driveway
Grass-bush-flowers.
3 cars, they say, can fit into the asphalt driveway.
They may fit into, but only the last will be able to leave.
The driveway to the main road fit for a single car reminds me of the times when horse-drawn trams ran about in the street, and the fact that a family had more than one car seemed to be a flight to the Moon.

Backyard
The backyard is unexpectedly large (or it seems such against the background of the house).
Backyard for sale in Etobicoke

District
Judging by the iron-barred windows, the district is good :)
Indeed, the nearby street Queensway seems dirty and ragged. The sidewalks are broken, there’s garbage in the streets.
The first sign that there’s something wrong with the district...
A detached house in Toronto (Etobicoke district)

Schools
The nearest schools - Norseman JMS (10-15 minutes of walk) и Etobicoke CI (you needn’t go by bus).

Parks
There aren’t any parks nearby.
It’ll take you 10-15 minutes to walk to Woodford Park, Queensway Park East and West – a bit farther.
But there’s a playground with some slides nearby (just a few minutes of walk).
Tree in the frontyard

Shops
Small shops are on Queensway,
something more or less big like No Frills, are about 5 minutes of ride.
There are no big stores nearby.

Transport
The highway (QEW) is nearby, buses (along Royal York) go to the subway.
A streetcar going downtown was also declared (it was said that it would take about 40-50 minutes).

Property tax
About $3000 in 2007.

Pros
The price can be considered low for the district.
The highway is nearby and the centre of the city is not so far.
Life’s flowers

Cons
The house is old and small, one of the smallest Canadian houses I’ve ever seen.
The district is so-so, not at all super...

Resume
The house is for those people who want to live not far from the centre, and the magic word “Etobicoke” makes the heart pounding.
But the house itself is sheer disappointment.
My evaluating of the house is 3 of 10.
Living room in the house for sale

Technical details
Living room: 4.30 m x 3.70 m
Kitchen: 2.85 m x 2.45 m
Dining room: 2.80 m x 2.50 m
Master bedroom: 3.17 m x 2.66 m
Bedroom 2: 3.23 m x 2.94 m
Bedroom 3: 3.53 m x 2.75 m
Main room in the basement: 10.85 m x 3.37 m
The bedroom in the basement: 3.70 m x 3.13 m

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Friday, October 3, 2008

House for sale in Brampton ($430K)

Interested in buying real estate property in Canada?
Take a look at Brampton - one of the most affordable areas near Toronto!

Detached two-storey house in Brampton for sale.



Location
Address: 266 Fernforest Dr, Brampton, Ontario.
The main intersection: Bovaird Dr. East / Bramalea Rd., Brampton, Ontario.
MLS area - W24.
House in Brampton for sale

Price
$429,000.
A little bit reduced.
Previously the house was for sale for 449K.
Dining room
The owners are already moved out so are paying two mortgages now. That means they would be very flexible in case of any (of course reasonable preferably) offer.
Family room

Footage
Approximately 2500 sq.feet (250 sq.m.), plus finished basement which is usually not included into declared house size.
Kitchen in Brampton house for sale

House Age
Near 12-15 year.
Family room again
New roof in 2007th.
Entrance to backyard
Everything looks very nice.
Living room

Property Type
Detached 2-storey house with finished basement.
2-car garage.
Property for sale

Lot Size
41 x 110 feet (12 х 33 metres).
Large Lot

Kitchen and Appliances
The best impression.
Kitchen
Everything looks like new.
If move-in date is tomorrow I think you wouldn't even do any cleaning.
Nobody lives in the house now so I guess a complete cleaning was done at the time of moving out. Everything just shines.
Kitchen is clean at the house listed on MLS for sale

Main Rooms
Family room at the house
All the rooms are big, light and spacious.
Not comparable to other houses (at the same price range) located at other areas of Toronto suburbs.
Living room
Hardwood floor are everywhere on the first floor.
Real estate property in Canada: stairs

Bedrooms
Master bedroom has very unusual panoramic windows that make a kind of semicircle on the wall (right on perimeter of the house which is non-rectangular).
Master bedroom
Also there are many windows in a bedroom that faces to driveway but that one can be considered as a game room, not bedroom. But it depends on your requirements..
Washroom and bath

Basement
The basement is finished and well-done.I cannot say it is too light (it is hard to modify when the house is already constructed) but being there is absolutely comfortable.
No strange smells.

Driveway
The driveway is for 4 cars.
It looks inconvenient that the house is located at Fernforest Dr which is actually very busy.
So driving out of driveway becomes a problem and often can be a dangerous action.

Backyard
The backyard is pretty standard, contains nice deck.
Faces to neighbors so there is no special privacy.
Backyard

Area
The area is very Indian.
Turbans and saris are everywhere - on streets, stores and children playgrounds.
Wind brings smell of curry.
Brampton is little India
So all the attributes of Indian culture is here.
Welcome to Brampton

Schools
Across the street - Father Michael J. McGivney Catholic School.
A school is across the street

Parks
Within 5-10 minutes of walking you can reach Upwood Park and Sandringham Park.

Shopping
5-10 minutes of driving.
Who are the neighbors of this house?

Public Transit
Highway 410 is in 5 minutes of driving.
Local Brampton buses are on Bramalea, Bovaird, Dixie and Sandalwood which are in 5-10 minutes of walk.
Indian neighborhood in Canada, Brampton

Property Tax
$3830 in 2008.
Neighborhood of this house listed for sale

Pros
The house is big, light and pleasant.
Dining room

Cons
The area is a bit far from Toronto so you may experience troubles with commuting if work there.
Not really multicultural neighborhood.
House for sale in Indian area

Resume
It is really hard to say...
My personal opinion about the property - 7 out of 10.
A room in the house

Technical Details
Living room: 4.18 m x 3.29 m
Dining room: 4 m x 2.90 m
Dining room
Kitchen: 6.10 m x 3.96 m
Family room: 4.46 m x 3.29 m
Master bedroom: 5.31 m x 4.31 m
Bedroom 2: 5.28 m x 4.14 m
Bedroom 3: 3.28 m x 3.20 m
Bedroom 4: 3.21 m x 2.94 m
Stairs to the second floor

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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

House for sale in Brampton ($440K)

Detached two storey house for sale in Brampton, Ontario.



Location
Address: 28 Panorama Cres, Brampton, Ontario
The major intersection - Bovaird Dr. East / Bramalea Rd., Brampton, Ontario.
MLS Area - W24.
House for sale in Brampton, Ontario

Price
$439,900.
An audacious price taking in consideration the common trend of price reducing plus historically Brampton has lower than average prices comparing to other GTA areas.

Footage
2500 sq.feet (250 sq.m), plus finished basement.

House Age
Near 25 year.

Property Type
A detached two-storey house that has a basement completely renovated for renting purposes (with a separate entrance). There is another separate entrance for one more tenant that can occupy a part of the first (main) floor.
Entrance for tenants
Two cars garage.

Lot Size
42 x 140 feet (13 х 42 metres).
The lot is big enough, but not rectangular as usually - it is slightly dilative to backyard.

Kitchen and Appliances
Enough room,
looks good but pretty standard.
Kitchen in Brampton house
Central air conditioner unit is broken (air pipes are ok according to the real estate agent) so it would require your attention.

Main Rooms
Although relatively large house, it looks not enough rooms here.
Dining room
That may look so because of part of the house (I mean the main floor) is re-done to make a separate entrance for tenants (there are one bedroom, washroom and laundry room dedicated for that). No owner/tenants day-to-day crossing, everyone uses his/her own entrance.
Living room in the house for sale
However anyway the rest of the house (owner's part) looks spacious enough because most of the renovating job done in a smart way, and also the house is really bigger than average by its size.
A washroom in the house for sale in Brampton

Bedrooms
There are four bedrooms on the second floor, one more at the basement (for tenants) and another one on the main floor (redone part of the house dedicated to another tenant).
Bedroom

Basement
The basement is completely re-built for renting out.
There is a permission from municipality (city of Brampton).
A separate entrance from south side of the house.
The basement contains kitchen, washroom, bedroom and pretty large living room.
There is also a gas fireplace but it seems not functional.
Basement

Driveway
4 cars driveway here.
Driveway - a parking lot for cars

Backyard
I wouldn't say the backyard is so big as you could expect from so large house.
It faces to neighbors so there is no feeling of any kind of solitariness.
Brampton house backyard

Area
Brampton as you may know is a little India in Canada.
So this area is mostly occupied by emigrants from this country.
Brampton is occupied by Indian emigrants

Schools
The nearest schools - Calderstone Middle School, Red Willow Public School, Thorndale Public School, Chinguacousy Secondary School.

Parks
There is a lake in two minutes of walking (Professor's Lake), and a park near by.
Enough place to walk.

Shopping
No major stores within walking distance.
10-15 minutes of driving however will help you.

Public Transit
Highway 410 is located within 5 minutes of driving (actually - the best distance ever: it is close enough but you don't hear the noise and your air is not a highway air).
Local Brampton buses are in 5 minutes walk (on Bramalea and Bovaird).

Property Tax
$3800 in year of 2008.
Would you like to buy a house in Canada?

Pros
The house is big.
Family room in the house for sale in Brampton
You can rent out a part of the property to two families and earn additionally $800-900 for the basement and $400-500 for the part of main floor.
A beautiful lake is near by.
Windows are changed at 2008.

Cons
A noise on backyard from a busy street (Bovaird Rd).
Central air conditioner is not working.
No really multiculturalism (there is one dominated culture).

Resume
The price is not so low for the house a) in Brampton, b) on highway.
Also you may be not happy to live in another culture neighborhood.
However the house itself is spacious and it looks it has enough room and rooms.
My opinion - 5 out of 10.
Something is visible from the driveway

Technical Details
Kitchen: 7.01 m x 3.66 m
Living room: 5.79 m x 3.66 m
Family room: 6.10 m x 3.66 m
Dining room: 3.81 m x 3.66 m
Master bedroom: 6.40 m x 3.66 m
Bedroom 2: 4.57 m x 3.35 m
Bedroom 3: 4.88 m x 3.35 m
Bedroom 4: 3.66 m x 3.51 m
Family room in basement: 6.10 m x 3.66 m
Kitchen in basement: 5.35 m x 3.33 m
Environment and Neighborhood

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