Inside this renovated $2.5M detached Christie Pits home with ‘gigantic’ garage

Neighbourhood: Christie Pits
Price: $2,499,999
Size: 2,085 square feet | 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms
“Brand spanking new” is how listing agent Lynsey Foster described this three-storey detached home with a basement at 31 Melville Ave.
Fully renovated in 2019, the open concept first floor features a modern-looking living room, dining area and kitchen. At the rear of the main room is a door that leads out to the backyard with a patch of grass and a small patio for a grill and outdoor table.
The backyard also leads to the garage that is accessed through the alley behind the house.
“This is a gigantic garage. I’d want everyone to know you got a garage to stick your car,” Foster said.
The upper floors of the house are dedicated to the bedrooms, with two on the second floor and three on the third — one of which, Foster notes, has “spectacular views of the CN Tower.” There is also a five-piece ensuite on the second floor and another, separate five-piece bathroom upstairs.
Foster said the layout of the upper floors was designed with families in mind.
“When you send (your kids) to bed, you can exist in three other levels of your house without having to hear a child, which was something that the sellers were really interested in,” she said.
The family-friendly design also extends down to the open-concept basement, which the listing notes is spacious enough to allow for another sitting room and kids play area.
Foster notes that both the basement and the garage in the back could be converted into an in-law suite or living space for a live-in nanny.
The house is located a few blocks north of Christie Pits Park and the Christie subway station on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, and is near schools and retail shops.
“Our marketing has really been about the families who are in semi-detached houses down the street,” Foster said, adding that this home would offer a step-up in terms of schools.
“I think if you’re living in Roncesvalles or you’re out in Leslieville, you’re probably not considering Christie Pits. It’s not your lifestyle. But if you are looking for school districts and family fun, this is where people want to stay once they’re there.”
Foster says the current price of $2,499,999 is the fifth price she and the sellers have settled on since listing the house.
“What is the market doing? Between 2.5 and 3 million (dollars), not a lot quickly.”
The latest housing market report from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) says that the average price of a detached home in Toronto was $1,353,581 in July. But, the TRREB report also noted that homes sales in the GTA were up in July 2024 compared to the year before.
Selling the house will come down to showing buyers that it is a bang for their buck, Foster said.
If you’re looking at over 2 million, you’re expecting square footage, you’re expecting pristine systems, she said.