House of the Week: $3.9 million for a Rosedale townhouse that doesn’t look like a townhouse
Address: 18 Ancroft Place
Neighbourhood: Rosedale
Agent: Christian Vermast and Fran Bennet, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Brokerage
Price: $3,895,000
The place: A historic home tucked away at the end of a tiny street, overlooking the Rosedale Valley.
The history: The place is an end unit in a row of townhouses built in 1927 as rental properties. Other units in the complex have at times been rumoured to be home to wealthy scions of tony Toronto families, like the Eatons.
Big selling point: The picturesque backyard offers more privacy than those of typical townhouses (not to mention infinitely more space) and, if future summers prove to be anything like this July weather-wise, the buyers could certainly get plenty of use of out that pool.
Possible deal breaker: Swirling a snifter of brandy in the wood-covered library would be all the sweeter if the room came with someplace to burn a log or two, but no worries: there are three fireplaces in other parts of the house.
By the Numbers:
• $3,895,000
• 2,695 square feet, above grade
• 88 years old
• 4 bedrooms
• 4 bathrooms
• 3 fireplaces
• 1 parking space
• 1 pool
321513 Though it looks detached in this shot, the home is actually an end unit in a row of townhouses. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-1-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-1.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-1/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-1 0 0
321514 The entryway has a stylish marble floor. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-2-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-2.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-2/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-2 0 0
321515 Herringbone floors are never a bad thing. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-3-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-3.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-3/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-3 0 0
321516 The dining area is continuous with the living room. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-4-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-4.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-4/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-4 0 0
321517 The kitchen has more of that marble flooring, plus a big centre island topped with granite. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-5-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-5.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-5/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-5 0 0
321518 The second-floor library has an old-school masculine vibe, thanks to its wood panelling and coffered ceilings. There's even a Murphy bed in here, for when guests stay the night. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-6-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-6.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-6/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-6 0 0
321519 There are two bedrooms on the second floor. This one has special moulding in its ceiling for the bed's fancy draperies. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-7-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-7.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-7/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-7 0 0
321520 The master bedroom has a gas fireplace, large windows and an en suite bathroom. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-8-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-8.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-8/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-8 0 0
321521 The house also has a basement nanny suite, complete with a kitchen and a bathroom. And there's a pool in the backyard. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-9-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-9.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-9/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-9 0 0
321522 Most townhouses don't come with this much lot space to spare. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-10-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-10.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place/slide/toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-10/ toronto-house-of-the-week-18-ancroft-place-10 0 0
Way to go, Toronto Life. Keep being totally out-of-touch with the real world and targeting yourself to the 0.1%.
Seriously? You don’t expect the ‘House of the Week’ to be aspirational? I’m guessing there might be a number of listings in the $700,000-$1,000,000 mark that make up the the lower to average range of Toronto real estate but is that what makes you click? For ‘F’s’ sake, its the “House of the Week” not, “Here’s what you can afford around the corner”.
I’m going to save you a lot of reading time; fashion magazines are going to picture clothes that you’d never wear to the office and cost a fortune, car magazines are going to feature cars that cost the price of a nice downtown condo and real estate features are not going to focus on East York Post War Bungalows.
Thank you. I am so sick of commentators who want to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator. PS: love the house.