87 De Vere Gardens, Toronto
Asking price: $4.5-million
Selling price: $4,398,000
Previous selling price: $1,175,000 (2004)
Taxes: $20,542 (2018)
Days on the market: 50
Listing agents: Nigel Denham and Robert Nelson, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada
The action
The kitchen of 87 De Vere Gardens.
Just a few streets east of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, this custom 2½-storey house found its new owner during a nearly two-month-long marketing stint this summer.
“In the mid-$4-millions, those homes all take a little time to find the right buyer. This house was no exception to that rule,” agent Nigel Denham said.
“[Plus] there were about two other comparable listings at that time, one of which just sold before us.”
What they got
The detailed interior incorporates three separate entertaining areas.
In 2005, a 50-by-139-foot lot became the base for this more-than-5,000 square-foot house with an attached double garage and private outdoor space with a pool, hot tub and fountain.
The interior was painstakingly crafted with a formal dining room and three entertaining areas with gas fireplaces, including two on the main floor and a third in the basement. The latter also features heated floors and a wet bar.
Private quarters consist of five bathrooms and three bedrooms, plus a lower-level guest room.
The agent’s take
The outdoor space features a pool, hot tub and fountain.
“If we told you the house was three years old, you’d believe it. The quality of materials was ahead of its time and it was impeccably cared for, so it’s still very relevant and very current,” Mr. Denham said.
“It had two retreats for their children, each with their own walk-in closet and ensuite baths, which in itself is not that unique … but you [also] had a flight of stairs to their lofts, which played house to sleepovers, video gaming and all of that fun stuff. It was so cool.”
The owners also spared no expense outside. “They did the entire house fully wrapped in natural stone, most people would just do the front façade,” Mr. Denham said.
“Like the rest of the house, they elevated the backyard with a saltwater pool and natural stone everywhere … and also had a cabana with a flat-screen TV and draft-beer taps.”