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Address: 152 Annette Street , Unit 211
Neighbourhood: Junction Area
Agent: Michael Griffiths , Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage
Price: $749,000
The Place: A one-bedroom unit on the second floor of the historic Victoria Lofts, a 19th-century church turned condo building in the Junction. We featured another unit in the building back in 2012.
Bragging Rights: Two decidedly different patios. The first, off the kitchen, is set into an exterior brick wall. The second, off the living room, is built on an original stairway into the building. (MacGyvers take note: The stairs themselves have been landscaped, and the owner isn’t permitted to convert them into a second entrance into the home.)
Big Selling Point: The best of both worlds. While the stained-glass windows, brick walls and living-room chandelier are original, the marble countertops, granite stairs and white column in the bedroom (crafted by Toronto’s Kaolin Designs) are all thoroughly modern add-ons.
Possible Deal Breaker: This unit has plenty of charm, but it’s not the swankiest in the building. One of the neighbouring suites is inside a massive bell tower.
By the Numbers:
• $749,000
• $691.46 in monthly maintenance fees
• 1,245 square feet
• 2 bathrooms
• 2 patios
• 1 bedroom
• 1 den
• 1 parking space
• 1 party/meeting room
278389 The building is a converted 19th-century church Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-01/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-01 0 0
278390 This unit is fairly normal looking, but some of the suites on higher floors have weird angles and elaborate trusses left over from the church's previous life Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-02/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-02 0 0
278391 The living area Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-03/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-03 0 0
278392 The dining area Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-04/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-04 0 0
278393 And here's the kitchen Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-05/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-05 0 0
278394 This family room is down a short flight of steps from the open-concept living/dining area. The doors in the background lead to one of the unit's two patios Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-06/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-06 0 0
278395 The unit's one and only bedroom Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-07/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-07 0 0
278396 And here's the bedroom's en suite washroom. The floors are heated Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-08/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-08 0 0
278397 The view from the unit's covered balcony Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 Condo of the Week: 152 Annette Street, Unit 211 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street/slide/toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-09/ toronto-condo-of-the-week-152-annette-street-unit-211-09 0 0
I used to live there. The lacklustre property management alone was a dealbreaker. The tankless water heater was as loud as hell and often failed in the middle of a shower. The kitchen was poorly laid out. Half the cupboards were unreachable. You are guaranteed to lock yourself out because there are self-locking “fire” doors between you and the entrance, the mailboxes, the storage lockers, the “garbage room”. Heaven help you if there is a fire and you have a visitor with mobility issues, because you would be trapped. Oh, did I mention the garbage room? It is the most disgusting experience. Be sure to get a tour of it. And noise travelled unpredictably through the building so one never knew who was keeping one awake at night. The flooring is not hardwood; it’s engineered planks that cannot take the slightest pressure without denting. But some of the neighbours were very nice people.
That building won a Heritage Toronto Award!
$750000 for a 1 bedroom condo? Some people have more money than brains.
I put in an offer on another suite in that building late last year. When my lawyer looked at the status certificate, he pointed out that the property management company was about to file a lawsuit against the builder for “perceived deficiencies”. Which meant that a) if the mgmt. company won, there were, indeed, problems that would arise down the road, or b) if the builders won, they would probably get their legal fees reimbursed. The condo’s reserve fund wasn’t that impressive, either. Either way, I saw my future maintenance fees skyrocket in my mind. I dodged that bullet.
You could become Detroit’s biggest slum lord for a quarter of that cost.