Sale of the Week: The $1.35-million Riverdale house that proves it doesn’t always take a bidding war to fetch a decent price

Address: Near Broadview and Dundas Street East Neighbourhood: South Riverdale Agents: Tory Brown and Jessica Brown, Royal LePage Estate Realty, Brokerage Previously sold for: $353,000, in 2003      

The property

A three-bedroom South Riverdale home whose owners took a chance with an aggressive listing price.

The history

In the 1890s, most of Cummings Street was lined with small grocery businesses. This house was once a fruit and vegetable stand, but it had already been converted into a private residence long before the sellers bought it in 2003. Over their 14 years of ownership, they added a new kitchen, new hardwood floors, and a wine cellar in the basement.

The dining area is next to the foyer:

And yes, that appears to be a repurposed church pew:

The updated kitchen:

And the family room, at the back of the house:

There are three bedrooms on the second floor:

Here’s one of them:

And another:

Weirdly, the only way to get to the master bedroom is by walking through the main bathroom:

It’s worth the trip, though. Check out those skylights:

The master bedroom also has a door to this deck:

The spiral staircase leads to a loft:

In the basement, a maximum security wine jail:

And here’s the backyard:

The fate

The buyers loved the neighbourhood, with its homey feel and quaint shops, but the history of the house and the bonus wine cellar sealed the deal. They take possession next month.

The sale

The sellers loathed the idea of a bidding war. Even so, they initially listed at a relatively low price, $999,000, to match other properties in the area. After declining a lowball offer, they decided to relist the property at something closer to fair market value. One day later, they accepted the highest of several offers: $22,000 over their new list price.

By the numbers

• $1,350,000 • $4,108.00 in taxes (2016) • 1,445 square feet • 8 days on MLS • 3 bedrooms • 3 bathrooms