Detached Toronto house selling for under $500K is actually not bad

Toronto real estate prices have come down from their pandemic-era insanity, but finding a detached house for less than $500,000 is still enough to make you wonder what, exactly, is wrong with it.

And while the home at 19 Robinson Ave. certainly isn't going to win any design awards, it's surprisingly... fine.

Located in Scarborough, the three-bedroom detached house is currently listed for $499,000, putting its asking price firmly in condo territory.

The view of the front entrance. 

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the home previously sold for $558,000 back in 2017, meaning it's now listed for less than it changed hands for nearly a decade ago.

The main floor bedroom. 

Of course, an asking price is just an asking price, and Toronto sellers have been known to list homes at low prices in hopes of sparking a bidding war.

One of the upstairs bedrooms. 

Still, it's not every day you see a detached Toronto home with a price tag starting with a four.

The main floor bedroom. 

And unlike some other bargain properties that occasionally hit the market, this one doesn't appear to be missing any floors, walls, ceilings, or other fairly important components of a house.

The dining room has a walk-out to the backyard. 

The home is admittedly basic, but it's also bright, clean, and seemingly perfectly livable.

The living room. 

The main floor features a fairly straightforward layout with a living room, dining area, and kitchen.

The kitchen. 

The kitchen isn't exactly ripped from the pages of Architectural Digest, but it does have granite countertops and a brand-new over-the-range microwave and range hood.

The primary bedroom. 

Upstairs, there are two bedrooms, including a decently spacious primary bedroom.

The living room and the stairs leading to the bedrooms upstairs. 

The home has also been freshly painted and features smooth ceilings throughout.

The unfinished part of the partially finished basement. 

Downstairs, the basement is partially finished, offering some additional living space, along with a large unfinished area that could be used for storage, a workshop, or eventually renovated into something a little more exciting.

The backyard. 

Outside, the property has a deep backyard with plenty of room for kids, pets, gardening, or whatever else people lucky enough to have Toronto backyards do with them.

The DIY structure. 

There's also a very interesting DIY version of a gazebo that could actually be a nice spot to hang out during the summer.

The bathroom. 

And although the listing notes that the parking isn't official, there is apparently room for two cars.

A sunroom. 

The house is located just minutes from Victoria Park subway station and Danforth GO station, as well as schools, parks, shops, and restaurants.

The powder room. 

Naturally, at this price point, the listing is pitching the property as everything from a starter home and investment opportunity to a renovation project or future building lot.

The kitchen. 

And chances are, whoever buys it will eventually want to make some updates or build an entirely new house.

A view from the DIY gazebo into the backyard. 

The property sits on a 19-by-120-foot lot, and homes in the surrounding area can sell for upwards of $1.4 million, so there's certainly potential to turn the relatively inexpensive property into something much more valuable.

The finished part of the basement. 

But considering the average Toronto condo will set you back considerably more than the asking price of this entire detached house, the fact that 19 Robinson Ave. is standing, functional, and actually kind of decent feels like an accomplishment in itself.

The back of the house. 

Now, whether it actually sells for under $500,000 is another question entirely.