16 Laurel Ave., Toronto
Asking price: $1,285,000
Selling price: $1,284,821
Taxes: $2,092 (2018)
Days on the market: 17
Listing agent: Paul Johnston, Right at Home Realty Inc.
The action
Not only is this infill home a modern alternative in Scarborough, but it is also less than a five-minute walk from the Scarborough GO station. It took a couple weeks for a buyer to spot the unusual find and finalize a trade in ownership in May.
“The area is predominantly more modest homes that typically sell within a month,” agent Paul Johnston said.
“This was a more contemporary home – and a larger home – than what’s typical in the neighbourhood. It sold in 17 days, so half the average [time frame].”
What they got
Construction was completed this year on this three-storey house designed by Atelier RZLBD.
The architectural firm devised a sleek façade with a carport facing the front of the 25- by 110-foot lot. There are large windows throughout the home and massive sliding doors from the main and lower-level entertaining areas to a back deck and patio.
Nearly every area of this 2,380-square-foot home bathes in natural light courtesy of skylights above a glass-enclosed staircase and several of the two-storey rooms. For instance, the family room on the second floor was cut with a skylight and double-height windows to allow light to spill over the railings overlooking an eat-in kitchen below.
In the master retreat, sliding partition walls create privacy between the sleeping and bathing areas and can block or allow more sunshine in from the central skylight as desired.
The agent’s take
“More and more architects are grappling with the question of how to make some of these more open-concept homes work for families, and this was a very good example of one,” Mr. Johnston said.
“There’s a tremendous master suite on the third floor, but there are also two generous bedrooms on the second level that have an oversized bath and a connection to what is designed as a homework space for the kids.”
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