This couple needed more space for their growing boys. They found it a short walk from their Liberty Village condo
“Moving into this house has felt like a warm, fuzzy hug”
The buyers: Jaro Wowk, 38, a paralegal, and Sally Poon, 37, a medical lab technologist, with their sons, Hendrix and Lennox.
The story: In 2019, Sally, Jaro and Hendrix were living in a one-plus-one-bedroom condo in Liberty Village. It was fine until Lennox was born in 2022 and they started feeling squeezed. Last fall, Sally saw homes popping up for under $1 million and took it as a sign. They wanted a property near Liberty Village, with at least two bedrooms, lots of storage and indoor parking. The couple set their budget at $800,000 and began their search.
Option 1: Laidlaw Street near King and Dufferin
Listed at: $699,900 Unsold
In late October, Sally and Jaro attended a viewing for this two-bedroom townhouse on a corner lot. It had large custom closets and a 700-square-foot terrace. They could picture themselves hosting dinner parties and birthdays up there, plus there was room to build a shed. But the interior was almost as cramped as their condo: it was just a single storey, long and narrow like a bowling alley. The property was listed low for the area, and their agent suspected it would sell for way over asking, so they moved on without making an offer.
Option 2: Florence Street near Queen and Brock
Listed at: $699,000 Sold for: $740,000
A few weeks later, with no results, the couple upped the intensity of their search. One day in November, they viewed six different properties, including this unit in a Parkdale complex. They liked the location and price, but the layout was a turn-off. On the main floor, there was a small galley kitchen and a massive island, with little space left over for a living room. Worse still, both bedrooms were located in the basement, and there was no indoor parking. They debated lowballing but decided it wasn’t worth their time.
The Buy: Strachan Avenue near King
Listed at: $778,000 Sold for: $778,000
On a Saturday in December, Sally, Jaro and the kids were walking home from the aquarium when they saw an open house one block from their condo. It had two bedrooms and a private garage, plus a bonus rooftop patio and plenty of storage. They also loved that the place came with new appliances and got lots of natural light. Two days later, they bid at asking, and by the end of the week, the deal was done. “The boys are so excited to have a proper room of their own,” says Sally. “Moving into this house has felt like a warm, fuzzy hug.”
