10 Buller Avenue Townhouses: 14 Beach Homes Near Woodbine and the Lake

10 Buller Avenue is a tiny townhouse condominium at the western edge of the Beach: 14 homes from 1978 on a side street near Lake Shore and Woodbine, close to Woodbine Park and the lake. You get family-sized townhouses in one of Toronto’s most sought-after neighbourhoods, inside a corporation small enough that every repair is personal. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Fourteen townhouses on a Beach side street

Condos.ca records 14 units at 10 Buller Avenue, built in 1978. The condominium corporation is YCC-384, registered on 27 April 1978, the year several small townhouse condominiums were registered across the east end. City Sites Property Management is listed as the manager.

Buller Avenue is a short residential street at the western end of the Beach, near Woodbine Avenue. The complex is close to Lake Shore Boulevard East, so the lake, the Martin Goodman Trail and Woodbine Park are part of everyday life here rather than a weekend outing.

A complex of 14 homes feels more like a small street than a condominium. There is no lobby or concierge, and the board is a handful of your neighbours. That suits buyers who want privacy and quiet, provided the corporation is well organised.

It is worth asking how many owners actually live in the complex. In a corporation of 14, a few rented homes can make it hard to fill the board and reach a quorum at the annual meeting. Ask how often the board turns over and whether meetings are held on schedule.

Layouts: two-storey, three-bedroom homes

A recent listing described one of the homes as a two-storey townhouse with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, at roughly 130 to 149 square metres, about 1,400 to 1,600 square feet, with forced-air heating and one parking space. That is family-sized space, more than you get in a typical condo apartment suite.

Condos.ca records the complex as one floor, which reflects how it files townhouses rather than the number of levels in each home. With only 14 units there may be just one or two plan types, but confirm the floor plan, the number of bathrooms and whether there is a lower level for the specific home you are viewing.

Forced-air heating suggests each home has its own furnace, which means you control your heating and pay for it directly. Ask how old the furnace and air conditioning are, and whether the water heater is owned or rented, because those are your costs, not the corporation’s.

Small corporation, big responsibility

At 48 years old, the complex has been through at least one round of replacing roofs, windows, exterior doors and paving. The parking garage is the item I would look at first. Garage waterproofing and concrete repairs are expensive, and with 14 owners, each one carries a large share of the cost.

Read the reserve fund study and compare the balance with the work planned for the next ten years. Ask whether a special assessment has been discussed, and read two years of board minutes. In a corporation this small, one large project can change the monthly fee noticeably.

The declaration decides who repairs what. Some townhouse corporations take care of every exterior element; others leave windows, doors, decks and fences to the owners. Find out which applies here, because it shapes both your fee and what you may pay out of pocket over time.

A professional manager is a real advantage at this size. Confirm that City Sites is still the manager, and ask how long the firm has been in place and how often the board changes.

Ask for the corporation’s insurance certificate too, and the deductible for water damage. In many corporations the owner whose home caused the damage pays that deductible, so your own policy needs to cover it. In a townhouse complex, the declaration also sets out whether improvements such as a finished basement are insured by the corporation or by you.

Lake Shore and Woodbine, and what is nearby

This corner of the Beach sits close to Woodbine Park, Kew Gardens and Woodbine Beach, with Queen Street East’s shops and restaurants to the north. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, parks and food in detail.

There are a few other older condominiums nearby to compare. 123 Woodbine Avenue is a three-storey, 84-suite building from 1975 with small apartment suites, and Woodbine Mews at 155 Woodbine Avenue is a 10-home townhouse condominium from 1980. Between them, they show the range: from compact flats to townhouses like these, all from the same era.

Pricing: what to compare against

Condos.ca does not publish an average price per square foot for 10 Buller Avenue, and there were no active listings when I checked. With 14 homes, sales are rare, so I will not put a figure on it. The data panel on this page shows recent MLS sales and rents.

When a home here comes up, I compare it with other condo townhouses in the Beach and with small freehold houses nearby. A three-bedroom townhouse with parking near the lake is a scarce product, and the discount against a freehold house is what you are buying. The monthly fee and the condition of the corporation decide whether that discount is real.

Because the fee inclusions are not published, get the current fee, the budget and the list of what is covered before you compare this complex with any other. For a proper read of what has sold here and nearby, ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 10 Buller Avenue Townhouses

There are no indoor facilities on record. Garage parking, visitor spaces and permission to barbecue are what matter in a Beach townhouse, and the lake and parks nearby do the rest. Your fee is paying for upkeep and reserves, not amenities, which is exactly why the reserve fund study deserves more of your attention than any feature list.

Jatin’s honest take on 10 Buller Avenue Townhouses

10 Buller Avenue Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.