222 Christie St: Buying Into a Four-Suite Condo Near Christie Pits

222 Christie is about as small as a condominium gets: four suites in a three-storey building, registered in 2014. Buying here is less like buying a condo and more like going into partnership with three neighbours. That can work very well, but it calls for a different kind of homework. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Four suites, one corporation

Most condominiums have dozens or hundreds of owners. This one has four. Condos.ca lists the builder as an individual, Paulo Bernardo, rather than a development company, which is typical of small infill projects on residential streets.

A condominium this small has the same legal structure as a tower. There is a declaration, by-laws, a board of directors, a budget and a reserve fund, and the corporation has to meet the same requirements under Ontario’s Condominium Act. The difference is that four owners carry all of it.

In practice that means you will almost certainly know your neighbours, and you will probably be asked to serve on the board at some point. If you like the idea of a say in how your building is run, that is a plus. If you would rather not be involved, think carefully.

A good small corporation runs on goodwill and clear rules. Ask the seller how decisions get made, how often the board meets, and whether owners generally agree on spending. A friendly, organized group of four owners is one of the nicest arrangements in the city; a divided one can be the opposite.

Suites from about 560 to 850 square feet

Condos.ca lists suite sizes from about 561 to 849 square feet. That points to one-bedroom and smaller two-bedroom layouts, though I could not confirm the floor plans for each suite.

In a small low-rise, ask whether the suite is on one level or split, how many exterior walls it has and where the windows face. A suite with windows on more than one side can feel much larger than its square footage suggests.

Also ask what outdoor space, storage and parking come with each suite. In a building like this, those details are set out in the declaration and can vary a lot from one suite to the next. A three-storey building is unlikely to have an elevator, so expect stairs.

If you plan to renovate, read the declaration and by-laws first. Changes to floors, plumbing or anything touching the common elements usually need the corporation’s approval, and in a four-suite building that means asking your neighbours directly. It is worth knowing how earlier requests were handled.

What a tiny corporation means for fees

Condos.ca does not list what the fees include, and no property manager is listed. Some very small corporations hire a manager; others are run by the owners themselves. Ask which applies here, who keeps the books, and who handles repairs and insurance.

Every shared cost is divided four ways. A new roof, a masonry repair or a higher insurance premium can mean a noticeable fee increase or a special assessment, simply because there are so few owners to share it. Ask for the current budget, the most recent reserve fund study and the last few years of financial statements.

Ontario requires condominium corporations to have a reserve fund study and to update it on a regular schedule. In a four-suite building, check that this has actually been done and that the plan is being followed. A missing or outdated study is a real warning sign.

Insurance deserves its own look. The corporation’s policy covers the building, but its deductible can be passed to an owner when damage starts in their suite, and in a small building that deductible can be large relative to the budget. Read the policy summary in the status certificate and make sure your own suite insurance covers the deductible.

Christie Street north of Bloor

This is a residential part of the west end, with Christie Pits Park nearby and the shops and restaurants of Bloor Street West to the south. Streets here are mostly older houses on narrow lots, and a small infill building fits into that pattern far better than a mid-rise would.

A 2014 building on a street of century-old houses also has a practical advantage: modern construction, insulation and wiring, without the maintenance that comes with an older semi. You get the setting of a house street with the systems of a newer building.

It is a quieter setting than the main streets of Queen West or Little Italy, and daily life tends to revolve around Bloor. Transit, school and park details are in the data panel on this page.

Pricing a building with almost no sales

With four suites, resales here are rare, and Condos.ca does not report a reliable building average. There were no active listings when I wrote this. Any valuation has to lean on comparable small condos, stacked townhouses and condo apartments nearby rather than on sales in the building itself.

That cuts both ways. You face less competition from other listings when you sell, but buyers and appraisers have fewer reference points, and some lenders ask more questions about very small corporations. A well-documented corporation makes the sale much easier.

Get the monthly fee for the specific suite, find out what it covers, and work out what it is per square foot so you can compare it fairly. For a valuation, ask me for a building report and I will pull the nearby comparables. That way the number you settle on reflects the whole cost of ownership, not just the asking price.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 222 Christie Condos

222 Christie Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.