The Sell: finding a homebuyer who will honour an Annex classic, not obliterate it
Two sisters search for the right buyer for their parents’ place, a 19th-century Annex coach house with a mid-century modern interior
The Sellers: Joan Bosworth (below), 60 years old and now retired, was formerly general manager of Opera Atelier and director of development for Canadian Stage. Her sister, Susan Hammond, is a 62-year-old classical pianist and six-time Juno winner.
The Property: A 2,000-square-foot, 19th-century coach house on Kendal Avenue near Spadina Road. It belonged to Bosworth and Hammond’s parents, Bess and James A. Murray, an architect.
The Story: The sisters inherited the place when their mother died suddenly last year (their father had died two years earlier). They rented it out for a year before putting it on the market.
The Prep: Murray had completely redone the interior in a mid-century modern style, and it was immaculately maintained. Bosworth’s agent, Ophira Sutton, recommended nothing more than a few paint touch-ups. “From the outside, it looks like a little coach house,” says Bosworth. “But the inside has almost a Frank Lloyd Wright feel.”
The Offers: The sisters first listed on October 13. Though there were many curious visitors, the offers were few. A month later, they reduced the price to $999,000. In all, they received five offers, including a decent one from a builder who saw the teardown potential of a small house on a large lot. But they wanted to sell to someone who would honour the house, not obliterate it. In the end, they picked the highest bid—$960,000—from among the buyers who liked the house the way it was.
(Photo of Bosworth: John Cullen)
