Manor at Highland Creek, 238 Galloway Rd: 32 Large West Hill Homes

Manor at Highland Creek is about as small as a Toronto condominium gets: 32 homes, all of them large by condo standards. Buyers come here for space at a price per square foot well under what newer towns ask, and they stay because the complex is quiet. The catch is that a small corporation carries every repair with very few owners. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Thirty-two homes from Aragon

The City of Toronto’s list of 1997 condominium draft approvals shows Aragon (Pony Trail) Dev. (Ontario) Corp. receiving draft approval for a condominium at 238 Galloway Road on 29 September 1997, in the Highland Creek community. The corporation was registered about a year later, in October 1998, as MTCC-1217.

A 32-home complex is a small project by any developer’s standards. The “Pony Trail” in the applicant’s name suggests the project’s original working title, and you may see it on old paperwork.

Condos.ca records the complex as a low-rise and lists it at one storey. With homes this large, ask for the floor plan of the home you are viewing to confirm how many levels it has, and whether it includes a basement or garage.

Large homes, few owners

Condos.ca puts homes here between about 1,267 and 1,425 square feet. That is the size of a modest freehold townhouse, and far more space than most condo buyers in Scarborough can find at a similar price.

Thirty-two owners is a very small corporation. Board meetings are personal, rules can be changed quickly, and you will likely know your neighbours. The flip side is cost sharing. A new roof, a repaved driveway or a drainage repair is split 32 ways, so each owner’s share of a large project is much bigger than in a 200-suite building.

That makes the reserve fund study more important here than almost anywhere. Read the planned spending for the next ten years against the balance, and look for any gap that might lead to a special assessment, which the status certificate will disclose.

What a 1998 home needs

Homes of this age have usually been updated, but not all at once. Kitchens and bathrooms may be new while windows, the furnace, the air conditioner and the electrical panel are original. Have an inspector check each system and ask the seller for receipts.

The declaration sets out what the owner maintains and what the corporation maintains. In many townhouse condominiums, roofs, windows, doors and exterior walls are common elements, while furnaces, water heaters and interior finishes are the owner’s. Read it before you budget for repairs.

Since condos.ca lists only common elements, building insurance and parking in the fee, plan on paying your own heat, hydro and water, as you would in a freehold home. Ask how water is billed.

Living on Galloway Road

This stretch of Galloway Road is residential, mostly detached houses with a few small condominium complexes such as Tradewinds further down the road. It is quiet, leafy and car-oriented.

The wider area includes the Highland Creek valley, the University of Toronto Scarborough campus and Centennial College’s Morningside campus, which support steady rental demand. The automatic panel on this page shows the nearest transit, parks and schools.

Because the complex is so small, it has little effect on traffic or parking on the street, and visitors are usually easy to accommodate. Ask how visitor parking works on site, since condos.ca lists none as an amenity.

How I would approach a purchase here

With so few homes, a listing here can draw several buyers at once. Even so, I would get the status certificate ordered before offers are due, or make the offer conditional on reviewing it. In a 32-home corporation, the reserve fund is the single biggest factor in what the home will really cost you.

Ask for the declaration, rules, latest budget and reserve fund study early. Look at how fees have moved over several years: modest, regular increases usually signal a board that is planning ahead, while a long freeze followed by a jump can signal catch-up.

If you are a downsizer coming from a detached house, think about what you want the corporation to handle. Snow clearing, lawn care and exterior repairs are often common responsibilities in townhouse condominiums, but only the declaration and the budget will tell you what this one does. Read them before you assume.

If you plan to rent the home, read the rules for any leasing requirements, and if you plan to renovate, check what approvals the board requires for flooring or exterior changes.

Pricing at Manor at Highland Creek

Condos.ca shows an average of about $518 per square foot here. For homes of 1,267 square feet and up, that is a low figure for Toronto and well below what new townhouses in Scarborough ask.

There were no homes for sale or rent at the time of writing, which is normal for a complex of 32. Sales here are infrequent, so one sale can move the average a lot. Treat the figure as a guide, not a valuation.

Buyers here usually come from two directions: downsizers selling a detached house who want less upkeep, and growing families moving up from an apartment. That mix helps support demand for homes in good condition, while dated homes can sit longer.

Compare against Tradewinds and other small West Hill townhouse condominiums, and against freehold towns nearby, adjusting for size, levels, parking and the fee. For the complex’s actual sale history, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Manor at Highland Creek

Condos.ca lists a security system and notes that pets are permitted, and nothing else. In a 32-home complex there is no gym or party room to fund, which is part of why the fee stays basic.

Jatin’s honest take on Manor at Highland Creek

Manor at Highland Creek — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.