River Hill Condos, 2088 Lawrence Ave W: All-Inclusive Fees in Weston

River Hill is the building I bring up when a buyer tells me they want one predictable monthly number. This 2006 Sunset Homes condo at 2088 Lawrence Avenue West puts heat, hydro, air conditioning, water and parking into the fee, which almost nothing built since does. It also sells at some of the lowest prices per square foot I see in Toronto, and you should understand why before you treat that as a bargain. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The fee covers almost everything, including hydro

The fee inclusions here are the story of this building. Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is the unusual one. Most Toronto buildings from the mid-2000s onward put each suite on its own electricity meter, so owners pay hydro on top of the fee.

That changes how you should read the fee. When I checked, the two active listings showed monthly fees of roughly $782 to $1,229. That looks high next to a newer building, but once you add back a hydro bill, a heating and cooling bill and a parking charge, the gap gets much smaller.

The trade-off is that you are sharing the building’s whole energy bill. If utility rates rise, the corporation’s budget rises with them, and that flows straight into your fee. Ask how much the fee has increased over the last few years, and what the board expects next. Also ask whether the corporation has looked at energy upgrades, such as more efficient mechanical equipment or lighting, because in an all-inclusive building those savings come back to every owner.

A mid-2000s building with big suites

River Hill was built when developers in the inner suburbs still drew generous floor plans. Suites run from about 545 sq ft to just over 1,300 sq ft, and den layouts are part of the mix. A den matters more than people expect: it is the home office, the nursery or the guest room that a plain one-bedroom cannot give you. That is a size range you rarely find in a new tower at this price.

With 135 suites over 11 floors, it is a mid-sized building. You get fewer neighbours per elevator than in a big tower, while there are still enough owners to share the cost of repairs. Condos.ca lists a party room, a meeting room, visitor parking, a parking garage and a security guard.

Pets appear in the amenity list as allowed. Rules on number, size and breed vary by corporation, so read the declaration and rules before you move in with a large dog.

Weston, and the Humber at your back

Weston is one of Toronto’s old towns. It grew around Weston Road, just north of Lawrence, and its main shopping street still runs along Weston Road with older brick storefronts, churches and a historic library. River Hill sits on Lawrence just west of that core, close to the Humber River valley, which is where the name comes from.

The valley is the best thing about daily life here. Weston Lions Park, south of Lawrence, has sports fields, an ice rink, a swimming pool and a skatepark, and there are trails along the river. Hurricane Hazel washed away the original Lawrence Avenue bridge in 1954, and the floodplain was turned into parkland afterwards, which is why so much green space survives along the river.

The other big change is rail. Weston GO Station at Weston Road and Lawrence is served by the Kitchener line and the UP Express to Pearson Airport and Union Station. The data panel on this page shows the walking time. For a commuter or a frequent flyer, that is a real asset that the price per square foot does not yet reflect.

Why it sells for so little per square foot

Condos.ca puts the average at about $391 per square foot, which is very low for Toronto. Part of that is the large suites, because bigger units almost always sell for less per square foot. Part of it is the high, all-inclusive fee, which buyers price in. And part of it is location: buyers pay a premium for neighbourhoods closer to the core, and Weston is not yet priced that way.

None of that is a reason to avoid the building, but it is a reason to be careful about resale. A low price per square foot can stay low. Buy here because the suite and the location work for you, not because you expect the gap with the rest of Toronto to close quickly.

What River Hill costs

At around $391 per square foot, River Hill is one of the cheaper ways to buy a large suite in Toronto. When I checked, there were two suites for sale and none for lease, with asking prices from $389,000 to $459,999. Two listings is a thin sample, so ask for the recent sales; my building sold report will show what actually traded.

The fee is where the comparison has to be done properly. Divide the fee by the suite size, then compare it with a building that charges hydro, heat, cooling and parking separately. On a like-for-like basis, River Hill often ends up closer to the middle of the pack than its sticker fee suggests.

What matters more is the direction of the fee. In an all-inclusive building, energy costs are a big share of the budget, so a rising fee can hit your affordability and your resale price at the same time.

Building specifications

Amenities at River Hill Condos

River Hill is not an amenity-heavy building, and that helps keep the fee focused on utilities rather than a pool or a big gym. For recreation, the Humber valley and Weston Lions Park do the work that a fitness floor would do elsewhere.

Jatin’s honest take on River Hill Condos

River Hill Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.