House of the Week: $1.7 million for a High Park home that looks old in all the right places

Address: 33 Mountview Avenue
Neighbourhood: High Park Agent: Martin John Stothard, Remax West Realty Inc., Brokerage Price: $1,699,000 Previously sold for: $525,000 in 2006

The place

A thoughtfully renovated home near High Park that has retained much of its original charm.

The history

The home was built in 1913. The current owner bought the place in 2006 and spent a year upgrading the interior. He renovated the kitchen and bathrooms, installed air conditioning and added a basement apartment, but left many of the home’s historical features untouched.

Here’s the living room, at the front of the house:

This was probably originally a dining room, but it makes a nice family room, too. And check out those stained beams on the ceiling:

The kitchen has had a sleek, subway-tile upgrade:

And there’s a little dining area by the kitchen:

There are two bedrooms on the second floor. Here’s one of them:

Attached to that bedroom is a sunroom:

Here’s the master bedroom:

All the bedrooms share this hallway bathroom:

There are two more bedrooms on the third floor. Here’s one of them:

And the other:

A basement kitchen means potential rental income:

And here’s the backyard:

Big selling point

The owner kept the home’s original hardwood floors, double-hinged doors, wood trim, stained glass, fireplaces and coffered ceilings—so this place has character in spades.

Possible deal breaker

Buyers looking for clean lines and industrial chic will be out of their depth here. And homes this old always come with the potential for higher-than-normal maintenance costs down the line.

By the numbers

• $1,699,000 • 2,284 square feet • $6,175.37 in property taxes • 4 bedrooms • 4 bathrooms • 2 parking spaces • 2 fireplaces