Sale of the Week: The $1.3-million Highland Creek home that shows Scarborough is the new Beaches

Address: 30 Watson Street
Neighbourhood: Highland Creek
Agent: Shea Warrington, Royal LePage Estate Realty, Brokerage
Previously sold for: $300,000, in 2008, prior to a renovation

The property

A recently renovated home in Scarborough, with a backyard and plenty of parking space.

The history

The seller is the agent’s brother, a landscaper and car collector who bought the original home in 2008 for just $300,000. At the time, it was a small one-bathroom home in need of work. He added a complete second storey and a large garage. Now he’s moving west in search of a more urban-style home.

Here’s the dining area:

The living area has a fireplace:

And the kitchen, with a large sliding door to the backyard:

There’s also a little office space on the ground floor:

Here’s one of the upstairs bedrooms:

And another:

This is the master bedroom. It has a private balcony (not visible in this shot):

And the master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom:

And there’s a patio in back:

Plus this glassy ping-pong shed:

The fate

The buyers, a chef and an executive, sold their Leslieville condo and have been renting in the Beach, where they enjoy cycling and paddleboarding. They wanted to buy in that neighbourhood, but they were put off by the area’s high prices. This home is a 10-minute drive away from the waterfront, and it was much more affordable than other places they had scouted.

The sale

The home was originally listed in October, but it wasn’t getting much attention, possibly because of its off-the-radar location. The selling agent de-listed the property and started marketing it privately. It sold for $114,000 under the original asking price.

By the numbers

• $1,285,000
• $3,775 in taxes (approximately)
• 3,400 square feet (including the basement)
• 23 days on MLS (in October)
• 6 parking spaces
• 5 bedrooms
• 4 bathrooms
• 3-car garage