320-340 Dixon Rd: 897-Suite 1971 Complex With Big Suites, Low Prices

320 to 340 Dixon Road is about as far from a boutique building as Toronto gets: 897 suites under three street addresses, in a 26-storey complex registered in 1971. What that scale buys you is choice. There are always several suites for sale, the suites are large, and the prices are among the lowest for an owned two-bedroom in the city. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One corporation, three addresses, almost 900 suites

Listings in this complex appear under three street numbers, 320, 330 and 340 Dixon Road, but they all belong to a single condominium corporation, YCC-42. With 897 suites, it is a very large corporation by any Toronto standard.

Scale cuts both ways. A large owner base spreads the cost of big repairs across many suites, which helps keep the fee per square foot moderate. But a large complex also has more of everything to maintain: more elevators, more garage, more roof, more windows. The reserve fund study for a corporation this size is a substantial document, and it deserves a careful read.

Governance matters more, too. In a complex of nearly 900 suites, the board and the management firm are running something closer to a small town than a building. Read the last year of board minutes to see how decisions are made and communicated.

Large suites, and choosing the right one in a big complex

The suites currently on the market sit mainly in the 800 to 999 square foot bands, for both one-bedroom and two-bedroom plans. A one-bedroom of more than 800 square feet is roughly the size of a new two-bedroom-plus-den, and that space is the main reason people buy here.

As with any building from 1971, condition varies widely. Some suites are original and some have been fully redone. Check the age of the electrical panel, the plumbing, the windows and any heating and cooling units in the suite, and ask the management office about the rules for renovations before you plan one.

With three addresses and almost 900 suites, the choice inside the complex is as important as the choice of complex. Floor, exposure and view vary a great deal across towers of this height, and so does the distance to the elevators, the garbage room and the parking entrance.

Visit at a busy time of day, such as a weekday morning, to see how the elevators handle the load at the address you are considering. Ask the management office how move-ins are booked and whether the elevators at each address have had recent modernization work. The panel on this page shows the city’s elevator records.

Condition varies just as much. Two suites with the same floor plan can differ by tens of thousands of dollars in renovation needs, so compare kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows and in-suite cooling carefully rather than pricing by square footage alone.

Heat in, hydro and cooling out

The fee here covers heat, water, building insurance and parking, which is a strong set of inclusions for a fee near $0.70 per square foot. What it does not cover is hydro, and air conditioning is not listed either.

That makes summer cooling the cost to ask about. Find out whether the suite has its own air conditioning unit, how old it is, and whether the corporation has rules on window or through-wall units. A year of the seller’s hydro bills will tell you more than any estimate.

Parking in the fee is also worth noting. In many newer buildings a space costs extra, either as a separate purchase or a monthly charge, so it is part of the value here.

Life on Dixon Road

Dixon Road takes its name from the Dixon family, who built sawmills along it in the early 1800s. Today this stretch between Kipling and Islington is lined with apartment towers, with houses from the 1950s and 1960s on the streets behind them.

Daily errands are straightforward. The Westway Centre at Dixon and Kipling has a large supermarket, a pharmacy and other everyday shops, and there is a Loblaws at Dixon and Islington. For drivers, the 401 and 427 are a few minutes away, and Pearson airport is close, which is useful if you work in the airport area.

Transit is bus-based, with Dixon Road routes connecting to the subway. The panel on this page shows the nearest stations and walking times.

Pricing, the fee and the rental case

Eight suites with prices on file were listed for sale when I checked, asking from $259,900 to $359,000. For suites in the 800 to 999 square foot range, that is some of the lowest pricing for an owned home in Toronto.

Fees on those listings ranged from $535 to $700 a month, about $0.70 per square foot. That covers heat, water, building insurance and parking, but not hydro. Unlike some older buildings where hydro is bundled in, you pay your own electricity here, so ask a seller for a year of hydro bills.

With this many suites changing hands, there are real comparables here, which helps both with pricing an offer and with getting a mortgage appraisal to line up. My building sold report shows what has actually traded.

A low purchase price and large suites make this complex attractive to investors. Before you buy to rent, model the rent against the full fee, property tax and hydro, and confirm the corporation’s leasing rules in the declaration and rules.

For an owner-occupier, a complex with many tenants can feel busier, so check the owner and renter mix in the panel and read the board minutes for any recurring issues with move-ins, noise or shared facilities.

Building specifications

Amenities at 320 Dixon Condos

A staffed security desk is the amenity that matters most in a complex of this size, along with a gym and a rec room. Condos.ca lists more facilities than it shows by default, so ask management for the current amenity list and hours before you buy.

Jatin’s honest take on 320 Dixon Condos

320 Dixon 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.