House of the Week: 1 Hurndale Avenue

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This Playter Estates detached home at 1 Hurndale Avenue has been carefully staged from top to bottom, inside and out, but don't consider it a dupe. The house has been thoughtfully renovated and has a lot of attractive new features, including bathrooms with heated marble floors, a fully rebuilt cedar and slate front porch, and a surfeit of pendant lights. In a barren, bidding war-filled winter real estate market, this place won't be a hard sell.

The house is within sight of Broadview Station (got you covered, TTC access) but it does back right onto Danforth Ave (enjoy sweeping vistas of the LCBO's yellow brick butt). The small building in the backyard was probably a crumbling storage shed in a past life, but is now a finished, heated studio. It's being billed as an artist/music/yoga studio, but it could really be used for anything: ballet/painting/sĂŠances, scrapbooking/30 Day Shredding/meltdowns, meditation/dog mansion/life-sized board games.

A large master bedroom retreat can be found on the third floor. This might not work for parents who want to be close to their kid's rooms, but the solitude and space can't be beat. The renovated bathrooms are especially nice--heated towel racks sound at once indulgent and totally amazing--but those sliding glass bathroom doors might be a turn-off for people who like their private time to stay private.

SPECS

Address: 1 Hurndale Ave
Price: $1,589,000
Lot Size: 25 x 100 ft.
Bedrooms: 4 + 1
Bathrooms: 4
Parking Spaces: 1 according to the listing, but all signs point to street permit only
Taxes: $6,918.00 (approx.)
Walk Score: 95

NOTABLE FEATURES

New AyA kitchen with quartz countertops
Quarter sewn white oak floors throughout
Newly built back deck with glass and aluminum railings
Large wood-burning fireplace

GOOD FOR

Taking in stellar views of downtown while tobogganing down Riverdale Park, a quick 200m walk to the subway, picking up a bottle of wine after work. The Playter Estates neighbourhood is known to be tight knit, friendly, and full of nearby amenities. There's a grocery store just down the street, and the high-ranked Jackman Public School is only a short walk away.

MOVE ON IF

Parking might be an issue here (including overflow from Danforth Ave), so buyers with multiple vehicles should exercise caution. Although the house is fully finished and looks great on film, some cosmetic changes might be needed. The oversized, dark fireplace doesn't really suit the front room, so consider shelling out to have it repainted or refaced. Also take note of the lack of curtains and blinds--staging strikes again--and prepare to outfit most of the windows if you want to retain some privacy.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS