House of the Week: $4.95 million for a Fallingbrook home with a private ravine backing onto a golf course

Neighbourhood: Fallingbrook Agent: Roxane Bryce, Real Estate Bay Realty
Price: $4.95 million Previously sold for: $1,950,000 in 2019 Size: 3,500 square feet Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4

The place

A four-bed, four-bath detached house in Fallingbrook, a quiet lakeside neighbourhood sandwiched between the Beaches and western Scarborough. The home has a private ravine that backs onto the Toronto Hunt Club, a members-only golf course.

The history

In 2019, a retired couple purchased this post-war house from a family that had lived in it since the ‘70s. It was in need of a big-time renovation, but given Covid restrictions, the owners opted to rent the place out until the Spring of 2021. They then gutted the house to the studs, removing 18 bins of construction waste in the process. The upgrade was completed this past fall.

With a smaller house already in the neighbourhood and a cottage in Muskoka, the owners changed their minds about living in the newly upgraded home. It’s now on the market, ready for would-be residents.

The tour

Here’s the front entrance. The front porch, equipped with glass railings, spans the entire width of the house.

The entrance leads into this open kitchen and family room. There is engineered hardwood flooring throughout the main and upper floors.

A closer look at the family room showcases the gas fireplace with its floor-to-ceiling slate surround and solid wood mantle. There’s also a double sliding door walkout to the front porch.

The kitchen’s 12-foot island has a quartz countertop, custom cabinetry, a Kohler sink and outlets for all manner of culinary devices.

Here’s a reverse shot of the kitchen. The appliances—including a six-burner gas stove with a griddle—are JennAir. The backsplash is also made of the same quartz as the island, and those sliding doors lead to the backyard.

The dining area comes with a wooden feature wall and a double-door walkout to the front patio.

There’s a butler’s pantry next to the dining room with a KitchenAid fridge and dishwasher, as well as a quartz countertop and backsplash. Behind this space is a powder room and a larger coat closet that leads to the mudroom.

Here’s that mudroom. It’s serves as a second entrance to the home, with connections to the backyard.

The main bedroom is on the upper level. It has an electric fireplace (underneath the TV) and a sliding door walkout to a private balcony overlooking the front yard.

The main ensuite has a double vanity, a walk-in marble shower and heated porcelain flooring.

And the main bedroom has a walk-in closet.

Here’s the second bedroom on the upper floor.

The third bedroom is currently staged as a nursery. It overlooks the backyard.

And here’s the fourth bedroom, also on the second floor, overlooking the front.

This shared bathroom has a double vanity and a tub with porcelain subway tiling. The porcelain flooring is also heated.

The rec room in the basement has another feature wall with a big-screen TV and electric fireplace. This floor has zoned heating and cooling separate from the rest of the house.

Next to the rec room is this glass-walled office area.

The lower level also has a wet bar with an ice maker, dishwasher, wine fridge and another TV. The kitchen island and backsplash are quartz, and the flooring is heated.

Down the hall is the laundry room, which opens with a sliding barn door. There’s also heated flooring in this room.

The basement bathroom has a shower-panel tower with a waterfall head, as well as more of those subway tiles.

The garage fits two vehicles and has frosted glass doors. It’s prewired for an EV charger.

Here’s a closer look at the front of the house, including the walkouts from the living room and dining room.

The backyard has an outdoor kitchen with a gas grill, fridge and sink. There’s an in-ground sprinkler system at both the front and rear of the home.

Now, one last look at the lush backyard. Those steps lead to the proerty’s ravine, with the Hunt Club golf course just beyond.

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