Sometimes it blows me away how insane the Toronto real estate market is. This home last sold in 2012 for just under $1 million. Now, in 2018, it sold for almost $3 million in under a week. That’s crazy, but not unreasonable.

The seven-bedroom home is located in the desirable High Park neighbourhood. It’s been fully renovated but managed to keep those special historic touches like stained glass windows and original hardwood floors, and it comes with a salt water pool.

The main floor is lovely with lots of natural light, but it’s not the most spacious house. With a width of only 31 feet, the principal rooms like the living room and dining room can come across as a bit cramped.

The kitchen is sleek and minimalist. It has high-end appliances and plenty of counter space.

On the second floor are three bedrooms, a family room and a playroom. One of the bedrooms has an original fireplace in it, the red tile is just one of the bits of character that makes me love this home.

I really like the playroom/office combo the owners have created. The window that stretches the length of the room lets sunlight flood into the space. It looks like such a nice area to do your homework.

The third floor is solely for the master bedroom. The space comes with a four-piece en suite, walk-in closet and a sitting area. I like the hardwood floor that’s been painted white—it gives the space a Scandinavian vibe.

The basement could be its own contained apartment with a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It would be handy for having a live-in nanny or it could be rented out for some extra income.

The backyard is narrow yet has plenty of shade, a lovely patio area and a whole salt water pool.

The Essentials

• Address: 195 Westminster Avenue
• Type: House
• Bedrooms: 5 + 2
• Bathrooms: 4
• Size: 31 x 100 feet
• Realtor: Trust Realty Group
• Hit the market at: $2,850,000
• Sold for: $2,815,000

Why it sold for what it did?

It’s a great family home steps away from High Park. It also has a basement apartment suite, a pool and was recently renovated. It’s a total catch!  

Was it worth it?

While it seems ludicrous that the price of this house has tripled in six years, if you look at how the housing market has behaved in the last few years combined with the work that was put into upgrading the home, it’s easily worth the $2.8 million.