The Kitchen is probably the most important room in any house. More than any other room, the kitchen will usually determine how you as a prospective buyer feel about a house you are thinking about buying. Unlike in most condos where kitchens are pretty much cookie-cutter from one to the next, no two kitchens are alike in Toronto houses.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Most people know a good kitchen when they see one. But like most things in real estate, it’s the details that make all the difference. The best and highest quality kitchens are custom crafted for the house they are in, have a sensible and well thought through layout, and contain high quality materials that are built to last.

Every appliance manufacturer has tried to take advantage of the stainless steel trend by selling what I call ‘fake’ stainless steel appliances. They are just black appliances with a stainless steel front on them or in some cases, it’s just regular steel that is painted to look like stainless steel! Learn to spot the difference! You can buy a fridge, stove, & dishwasher in these imitation stainless steel appliances at future shop for around $1500. A real quality stainless fridge like this one will cost 3x that much. Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations!

I wanted to show you the kitchen in this house in Cabbagetown because it has everything a GREAT kitchen should have. Check out the custom built, real wood cabinetry. Notice how the trim goes right up to the ceiling giving it that built-in look. The appliances are all high-end real stainless steel. You’ve also got great bonus features like a built-in desk area, under cabinet lighting, soft close drawers, beautiful granite counters and under mount sink. The list of premium features goes on and on. This kitchen was obviously built by a craftsman and will still look great in 20 years.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Canary District Condos is here. Platinum VIP Sales are on now. If you are interested in purchasing a unit at Canary District, simply complete the form below to register for the Platinum VIP sales event.

As the first new condo in the heart of the West Don Lands neighbourhood, this project is already generating a lot of attention from Realtors, the media, and condo investors alike. Because the West Don Lands is a brand new neighbourhood, being built from scratch, most people don’t even know where it is! This post will help you understand where Canary District Condos is going to be located in relation to the downtown and in relation to the West Don Lands.

The first image above in this post shows the entire downtown east side, including the West Don Lands. Side note: many people find it confusing that the “West Don Lands” neighbourhood is actually on the east side of downtown, the name is derived from the Don River which empties into Lake Ontario here. The name is derived from the fact that the area is on the west side of the Don River.

This next image below is a zoom in of the West Don Lands which shows Canary District. What is not on this map is three new TTC streetcar stops which will be located along Cherry Street.

Next up is a picture of a scale model of the West Don Lands neighbourhood. In the foreground is the Don River Park. Right up the middle is Front Street which will act as the centre piece of the neighbourhood. It will be as wide as Spadina avenue, but will only have 2 lanes for traffic. The remaining expanse will be filled will extra wide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and sitting areas, lush landscaping, and patios for the restaurants, cafes and shops.

Next is a photo of the actual site for Canary District as it looks today. It is amazing to think that this empty piece of land will play such an important part of Toronto’s future. The West Don Lands will be a model for urban renewal and brownfield redevelopment for cities all over the world!

Finally, here is a promotional video for Canary District put out by the developer and just released yesterday:

To get floor plans and pricing for the Platinum VIP sales event for Canary District Condos, simply complete the form below.

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Most people who live in downtown condos never get a chance to get to know their neighbours. You can pretty much co-exist right next to each other without ever seeing your neighbours. Living in a house on a street is quite different, and who your neighbours are is suddenly very important.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your neighours. This may be true once you have already moved in, but before you buy that house, it’s quite alright to find out who will be living beside you – sharing the sidewalk, possibly the backyard, or who’s one the other side of the wall if you buy a semi.

Expert Tips

First, look around! when you are thinking about buying a house, look at the adjacent properties and those on the same block. How are they kept up? do you see any broken down cars on blocks in the yard? does it look like people generally care about their homes or are they all falling apart? The condition of the property can tell you a lot about the people who live inside.

My second expert tip is quite obvious:
-Talk to the neighbours! ask them about the neighbourhood and the street. find out how long they have been living there. find out if there are any unsavoury characters on the block!
You’ll be amazed at what people will tell you!

There are many horror stories of how bad neighbours have made home buyer’s lives miserable. But I can tell you from my own experience my neighbours have been great. Every summer I get fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from my next door neighbours’ vegetable garden, and every September there is a block party for the whole street in my other neighbour’s back yards.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

When you’re shopping for a house, going down to the basement is probably not one of the first things you think of when first entering a home, but the basement can actually tell you a lot about the overall condition of the home.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

The basement is actually the first place I go into whenever I am looking at a house with a client. There are a few key things I always look for:
1) the ceiling height
2) the furnace and hot water tank
3) the electrical panel
4) any signs of water damage, mold or mildew

In my opinion ceiling height is the most important feature of any basement. You can change just about anything else in a basement for minimal cost, but ceiling height is one thing you can’t unless you are prepared to spend $50,000 to dig your basement down.

My expert tip is to try to find a house with good ceiling height. Even if the basement is completely unfinished, just the potential of what you could do with a basement with good ceiling height adds tremendous value to your home.

I wanted to show you this example of something that is quite common in basements in older homes in Toronto and that is efflorescence. Efflorescence occurs on the walls of a foundation when water penetrates the brick and as it evaporates it leaves behind a mineral residue. It can also occur when the air in a basement is too moist. If you see a lot of efflorescence it might be a sign that there was a moisture problem in the past or there is one currently. Proceed with caution.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Next to the Kitchen, the bathroom is probably the second most important room in any house. Just like when you bought your condo, adding multiple bathrooms to a property can dramatically increase its price.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Many starter homes in the best neighbourhoods in the city priced around $600K or less will only have 1 bathroom in the house and it’s usually on the 2nd floor. It may seem crazy but it’s simply because most of the homes in Toronto’s best neighbourhoods were built 80-100 years ago. Having a main floor bathroom is actually a very highly sought after feature, and if you can find one in a house priced under $600K be prepared to fight for that house!

Water pressure is something that you probably took for granted while living in your condo, however, in many of Toronto’s older neighbourhoods in particular, water pressure can range from mediocre to horrible. My expert tip for bathrooms is to always check the water pressure in the place that it is most important: the shower. One way to really test it is to run two things at once and see how the pressure in the shower holds up.

I wanted to show you this gorgeous bathroom in one of my client’s homes in cabbagetown. This is actually the master ensuite which used to be a bedroom in the original Victorian house. Notice the details that make this one special including custom vanity, built-in storage, high end finishes etc.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

There are 2 basic components in an electrical system of a house: the wires and the panel. The panel is usually located in the basement and is where the power from the street come in before it is fed throughout the entire house. There are various types of wiring that you may encounter, and of course the newer the wiring the better!

The good news is you don’t have to be an electrician to know the basics of what to look for when you’re buying a house. Knob and tube wiring is the biggest thing to watch out for when inspecting the electrical system of a house.

Most insurance companies will not insure your house if it contains knob and tube wiring, however, they usually allow you a few weeks after you take possession of your house to change any outdated wiring. Re-wiring a whole 2-storey house can cost you up to around $10K.

I’m here in a house that is around 90 years old but the electrical has all been updated. I wanted to show you an example of an electrical panel and show you a few things to look for.

-First of all, notice the panel itself is an updated, modern panel that is 100AMPS.
-Second, notice the wires coming out of the panel are nice and neat. This is usually a sign that a professional installed the wiring. If it look like a bowl of spaghetti, watch out! might be a sign of a hack-job.
-Finally, notice that in this particular house, the hydro meter is actually on the inside of the house, and it is not a smart meter. Every home in Ontario will eventually have one, but this home does not yet.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Coming soon to Yonge and Eglinton from Bazi’s International, E Condos. Complete the form below to register to receive floor plans and prices and for your opportunity to purchase a suite before the public opening.

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Eglinton Avenue, mostly due to the ongoing political battle over the LRT line that is being added to this major route and whether or not that line should go underground.  Well, regardless if it goes underground or overground one thing is certain: Yonge and Eglinton is about the become the next Yonge and Bloor. Look at what the Sheppard subway line ahs done for condo development on Sheppard over the last decade. Over the next 10 years you can expect to see the same thing on Eglinton.

From an investment standpoint, it is hard to go wrong with Yonge street. It has been and always will be the centre of our city, it’s importance only grows each year as gridlock becomes more and more of an issue and as demand for real estate along Yonge street keeps soaring higher and higher. The developer of E Condos- Bazi’s International-is no stranger to Yonge Street either with Crystal Blu already completed at Yonge and Bloor and Emerald Park is under construction at Yonge and Sheppard.

E Condos promises to be something special, and will certainly transform the area, with not one, but two towers promising to be 65 and 45 storeys respectively. Direct access to the subway will be a feature of this building, along with presumably access to an eventual LRT station underground too. Each building will have it’s own amenities including their dramatic cantilevered pools that will jut out from the buildings-wow!

Complete the form below to register for E Condos VIP Sales!

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Coming Soon to the West Don Lands: Canary District Condos. Fill out the form below to receive floor plans and pricing and for your chance to buy a suite in this project before the public release.

The West Don Lands is an entirely new neighbourhood is under construction in downtown Toronto and its name is the West Don Lands. The centre piece of the neighbourhood is the 18-acre Don River Park which is nearly complete. It’s amazing to think that in just 3 years time, this HUGE parcel of land which was an industrial waste land just a couple years ago will be completed transformed into a thriving neighbourhood with condos, apartments, retail, schools, recreation facilities, new public transit lines, roads, bike lanes, restaurants and shops.

The reason why so many people are already excited about Canary District Condos is because this is the first opportunity to purchase something in the centre of the West Don Lands neighbourhood. River City and River City 2 are great projects and also located in the West Don Lands neighbourhood, however, Canary District arguably has a much better location as it will be right on the new section of Front Street, which will lead directly in the heart of the Don River Park.

Something extremely unique about Canary District is that the building will be completed in time for the 2015 Pan Am games and the units will first be used as housing for the athletes. Once the games are finished, the suites will be finished to the purchaser’s specifications and handed over. Exact details on this program are yet to be released but something similar was done in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Finally, check out this great video from Waterfront Toronto which talks about the West Don Lands and preparation for the 2015 Pan Am games.

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Probably the last question you’ll ever ask yourself if you own a condo is where does the water from my sink go? Or What condition are my building drains in?  However, when you are selling your condo and buying a house, there are a few things you need to know about your drains and plumbing system.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

The main drain of your house is the pipe that all your toilets, sinks and showers empty into before they go out to the street and into the sewer system.

Drain pipes in many older homes in Toronto were all originally done with clay pipes. There are two main potential problems with having one of these old style drains.

Firstly, because they are made of clay, tree roots can break through them which causes your drain to clog. Secondly, there is no back-flow valve in these old drains meaning if there is a problem on the street side, there is nothing stopping sewage from coming into your basement through your drain.

My expert tip for finding out if your drains are original clay pipe or modern PVC is look at the front of the house for the drain vents. If you see one or better yet, two white PVC pipes with caps like these, your drain may have been replaced (or at least some of it has been replaced). If you see one of these steel vents then the drains are all likely original.

I wanted to show you an example of something that is fairly common in older Toronto homes, and that is partial drain replacement. This house here in the east end has had the original clay pipe drains replaced with white PVC on the exterior portion of the property, however, from the foundation wall inside the basement, the pipe is still the original clay. The home owner probably had an issue with roots on the exterior portion of the drain, so they replaced it, but they didn’t replace the interior portion because that is a much more expensive repair.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.