195 Poplar Plains Rd: Six Condos in a Georgian-Style South Hill Mansion

195 Poplar Plains Road is for buyers who want a South Hill address and a house-like home without the house. It is a Georgian-style mansion, converted in 1994 into only six condominium suites, on one of the prettiest streets below St. Clair. It is also self-managed, which is the single most important thing to understand before you buy here. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mansion with an unusual back story

The building’s published history is not the usual one. It was begun as a large single-family house on extensive grounds, and the account on condos.ca says construction stopped when the October 1987 stock market crash, Black Monday, hit the fortunes of the intended owner. The grounds were later subdivided for housing, the house was finished as apartments, and in 1994 it was converted into six condominiums.

So while it is described as a Georgian mansion, it is not a 19th-century house. If that account is right, it is a Georgian-style building of 1980s vintage. That matters when you think about maintenance: the structure is far younger than the century-old houses around it, but it is a building that was planned as one house and adapted twice, and adaptations are where problems tend to hide.

I have not found an independent published record of the original architect or owner, and I would treat the story as character rather than as verified fact. The registration date and corporation number are what matter legally.

Two-level suites with house-like rooms

Six suites in a two-storey mansion means each one takes a real share of the house. Listings have described two-level layouts with fireplaces, hardwood floors, private terraces, patios and decks, and, in at least one upper suite, sloped cathedral ceilings with exposed beams under the roofline.

Database records of suite size are thin; condos.ca has a single recorded size of about 1,537 sq ft. Suites differ from one another because they were carved out of one house, so measure, and read the registered unit description, before comparing two of them on price per square foot.

Listings have also shown a parking space and a locker attached to suites, and condos.ca lists a parking garage and security system. Confirm exactly what is owned or assigned with the suite you are buying.

Self-managed: the part that needs your attention

There is no management company here. The six owners run the corporation themselves: they hire the trades, collect the fees, keep the books and maintain the reserve fund. In a small, stable building with careful owners, that can work very well and keep costs low. It also means the quality of the records depends entirely on whoever is doing the work.

The fee includes heat, hydro and water as well as common elements, which is unusually inclusive and makes monthly budgeting predictable. The flip side is that one shared utility bill is split six ways, so a cold winter or a rate increase lands on everyone.

Before you make an offer, ask for the status certificate early, along with the reserve fund study, the budget, insurance details and the last two years of minutes. If any of these are missing, out of date or hard to get, treat that as information.

Self-management also shapes the sale itself. Status certificates in owner-run buildings can take longer to arrive, and questions your lawyer raises may go to a volunteer rather than a manager’s office. Build extra time into your conditions, and do not waive them on the strength of a friendly conversation with the seller. A short delay is much cheaper than buying into an underfunded reserve.

Living in South Hill

Poplar Plains Road winds up the hill west of Avenue Road, below Casa Loma and the St. Clair escarpment. It is a street of large houses and mature trees, with only a handful of small condominiums, including the eight-suite building at 265 Poplar Plains Road. The building is around the corner from Scaramouche, one of the city’s best-known restaurants.

For buyers coming from a house, the street is the selling point. You keep the same trees, the same quiet and the same neighbours you would have in a detached home, and you hand over the roof, the snow and the exterior to a shared budget. In South Hill, very few properties offer that, and fewer still come up for sale.

The walk down to Dupont and Davenport or up to St. Clair involves a hill either way, which is part of the charm and something to think about if you plan to age in place. Transit, schools, parks and Walk Score are shown in the data panel on this page.

Pricing six suites with no comparables

Condos.ca reports a building average of about $1,057 per square foot. With six suites and very few recorded sales, that is a rough guide only. A single sale of a renovated upper suite with a terrace can shift the average a long way.

There were no suites listed for sale or for rent when I checked. Because heat and hydro are included, the fee here covers costs that most buyers would pay separately, so compare the all-in monthly figure, not the fee, with other buildings.

To price a suite here, I start with the building’s own sales history, then look at small boutique buildings and converted houses in South Hill, Deer Park and the Annex, adjusted for outdoor space and parking. Ask me for the building sold report for what has been recorded.

Building specifications

Amenities at 195 Poplar Plains

There are no shared amenities in the condo-tower sense. What the building offers is private outdoor space, parking and a quiet, house-scaled setting on one of midtown’s best streets.

Jatin’s honest take on 195 Poplar Plains

195 Poplar Plains — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.