DW Lofts, 160 Bedford Rd: Eight Big Suites Between Yorkville and the Annex

DW Lofts at 160 Bedford Road is one of the smallest condominiums in the Annex: eight suites over four floors, registered in 1986, on a short street between Dupont and Davenport. Almost nothing about it is advertised, and it seldom trades, so most buyers never hear of it. That makes it worth knowing about, and it also makes your homework more important. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A tiny building tied to Designers Walk

The name tells you where this building comes from. Designers Walk is the name long attached to the design showroom and office complex around Davenport and Bedford, and condos.ca lists both the developer and the property manager of DW Lofts under the Designers Walk name.

That connection is unusual. In most condos, the developer is long gone and a third-party manager runs the building. Here the management appears to sit with a company linked to the original developer, which can mean continuity and local knowledge, but it is also something you should understand clearly before you buy. Ask who the manager is today, how they are paid, and what role, if any, the commercial owner next door plays in the corporation.

Size matters in a second way. With eight owners, every cost is split eight ways. A $200,000 roof or garage repair that barely registers in a 300-suite tower becomes a serious bill for each owner here, which is why the reserve fund study is the single most important document you will read for this building.

Large suites, and very few of them

Eight suites across four floors works out to about two suites per floor, and condos.ca lists sizes from roughly 954 to 1,285 sq ft. There is no small studio here; every suite is a full-sized home, which is rare in a building this central.

The loft name suggests open plans, but I could not find published floor plans or ceiling heights for the building. Do not assume exposed brick or double-height rooms. Ask for the plan of the specific suite and measure the ceilings at the showing.

With about two suites per floor, many suites should have more than one exposure, which helps with light and cross-ventilation in an older building. Ask which way the windows face, because a Bedford Road outlook and a rear outlook toward the commercial buildings can feel very different.

A 1986 building also means 1980s construction and finishes, unless the suite has been renovated. Ask what has been updated, both in the suite and in the common elements, including windows, roof, heating and cooling equipment and any parking structure.

What the fee covers is the first question

Condos.ca lists no fee inclusions and no amenities for DW Lofts, and there were no active listings when I checked to show a current fee. That does not mean the fee covers nothing; it means the information is not published, and you need it before you make an offer.

Ask the seller for the current monthly fee, the list of what it includes, the latest budget and the reserve fund study. Ask too whether parking and a locker come with the suite, and whether they are owned, exclusive-use or rented. In a building of eight suites, each of these details is negotiated and recorded one suite at a time.

Bedford Road, between Dupont and Davenport

This stretch of Bedford sits at the seam between the Annex and Yorkville. Walk south to Davenport and you are at the edge of Yorkville’s shops and restaurants; walk north and you reach Dupont and the residential streets of the north Annex.

The area around Davenport and Bedford is changing. UrbanToronto lists a 22-storey, 100-unit mixed-use condo proposed for 314 Davenport Road, at the north-west corner of Davenport and Bedford, designed by BBB Architects for Cityzen and Greybrook Realty Partners and still in pre-construction. A tower at that corner could affect views, sunlight and construction disruption on this part of Bedford, so check the City of Toronto development applications for the latest status before you buy.

Nearby, the Bedford Mansion Lofts at 120 Bedford and the One Bedford tower are useful comparisons. They give you a sense of how a small conversion and a new full-service tower price against an older, eight-suite building like this one.

What DW Lofts costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $560 per square foot. Treat that figure with caution. In a building of eight suites that rarely sells, the average can rest on one or two old sales, and it may say more about when suites last traded than about what one is worth today.

There were no active listings when I checked. To price a suite here, I would look at the most recent sales in the building, if any are recent, plus sales of comparable large suites in older Annex and Yorkville low-rise buildings, and then adjust for condition and for what the fee includes.

Large suites in small, older buildings often trade at a lower price per square foot than new towers, and that can be good value if the corporation is well run and well funded. If you are weighing a suite here, I can pull what has traded through my building sold report and set it against nearby buildings.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on DW Lofts

DW Lofts — 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.