Small house on busy Birchmount gets two bids after price trimmed

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309 Birchmount Rd., Toronto

Asking price: $629,900 (January, 2025)

Previous asking price: $679,000 (September, 2024)

Selling price: $610,000 (January, 2025)

Previous selling price: $155,000 (June, 2001)

Taxes: $3,434 (2024)

Property days on market: 107

Listing agent: Ira Jelinek, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.

The action

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This two-bedroom house on a 25- by 105-foot lot attracted about 30 would-be buyers last fall looking for an inexpensive (for Toronto) home. But convincing those visitors to make an offer for the small house on a major artery just north of busy Danforth Avenue was not easy.

“It’s unusual to find a house that’s very original; that requires work,” said agent Ira Jelinek. “The basement needs to be finished, so it turned off a lot of people.

“Not a lot of first-time home buyers, thinking of it as a condo alternative, would really want to fix up a basement,” said Mr. Jelinek. “It took a unique buyer to want this property.”

Once the price dropped to $629,900 in January, two buyers discussed terms of a trade. One won out with an offer of $610,000.

“We weren’t getting any offers, so we figured with the start of the new year coming and momentum with interest rates coming down, it was a good time to relist,” Mr. Jelinek said. “Then we got two offers at the same time.”

What they got

This 1½-storey house still has its original 1920’s-era layout, with an open entertaining area, a formal dining room and a separate kitchen.

The main and upper levels both have one bedroom. The only bathroom – a three-piece set – is in the basement.

One car can fit on the private driveway.

The agent’s take

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“One thing that draws attention is it’s detached,” Mr. Jelinek said. “Usually you see semis and townhouses in the $600,000 to $850,000 range

“Some things were really nice, like the hardwood floors. And they had painted it.”