Sale of the Week: The tiny $700,000 Parkdale cottage that proves size doesn’t always matter (that much)

Address: 22 Trenton Terrace
Neighbourhood: South Parkdale Agent: Monte Burris, Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty, Brokerage Previously sold for: $128,500, in 1996      

The property

A 120-year-old worker’s cottage reimagined into a loft-like living space.

Here’s the foyer:

White paint on brick is the most potent weapon in the real estate stager’s arsenal. It can make any interior look like something out of a Scandinavian design magazine:

Here’s the dining area, with super-chic table and chairs:

The kitchen seems to make good use of the available space:

The family room has a ladder of unclear purpose:

The bedroom is on the second floor:

And there’s also an office nook:

And here’s the deck:

The history

The row houses on this tiny pedestrian walkway date back to the late 19th century, when they were two-room tenements for fishermen. The seller, a TTC worker who’s moving uptown, recently made some upgrades to the kitchen plumbing, the bathroom tiling, and the insulation.

The fate

The buyer, a first-time homeowner, loved the privacy of the laneway and the open floor plan, as well as the lush back garden:

The sale

The listing generated four offers. A young couple bid the highest, but they got cold feet and withdrew. The seller accepted the next highest offer, at $40,000 over asking.

By the numbers

• $690,000 • $2,838.29 in taxes (2015) • 1,105 square feet • 5 days on MLS • 4 offers • 1 bedroom