$800,000 Toronto house looks like it's been trapped in the past

You know a house has been off the market for a long time when it still runs on an oil furnace.

Sure, there are technically still 610,000 households in Canada clinging to oil heating. But in Ontario, under five per cent of homes use oil heating, and finding one in Toronto? Practically unheard of.

Yet that's just one of many relics from the past you'll find at 18 Scarlett Rd., a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that hasn't quite made it into the 21st century.

The front hall. 

The listing describes it as "full of original vintage character," and yes, that is just real estate code for "needs work." 

The dining area in the kitchen. 

Although there are some redeeming vintage qualities.

The living room. 

For example, the stone fireplace, the arched doorways, and apparently buried underneath that horrible green carpeting is hidden hardwood flooring, just waiting to be uncovered.

A bedroom. 

Still, this place hasn't seen much action in a while.

The kitchen. 

The kitchen doesn't have a stove or a fridge, and it's safe to say that anyone looking to move in would need more than just a few paint swatches and some elbow grease to make it liveable.  

The stone fireplace is original to the house. 

You're either renovating or rebuilding from scratch.

Another bedroom. 

But the real selling point of 18 Scarlett Rd. is the fact that the property is zoned for both residential and commercial purposes.

The den or a bedroom. 

That opens the door to a ton of possibilities, and with a 25 by 110-foot lot, there's room to dream big.

The upstairs bathroom.

Also, with a listing price of only $799,999, it's one of the more affordable tickets into a neighbourhood poised for growth.

The basement. 

While Lambton still lacks the cafés and boutique stores that have made places like The Junction or Bloor West Village hot spots, that might just be the opportunity here. Be the one who gets in early—before the wave hits.

The backyard. 

So sure, the place might look like it's been abandoned for the last decade, but with the right vision (and maybe a sledgehammer), 18 Scarlett Rd. could be well worth the investment.