574 Wellington St W: Red-Brick Townhomes in the Summit Complex

574 Wellington Street West is the low-rise side of the Summit complex: 44 red-brick townhomes along Wellington between Bathurst and Tecumseth. You get a front door on a quiet street a block from King West, and the amenities of a much bigger building. The catch is that you are buying a 40-year-old home with condo rules. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Townhomes, not a tower

This corporation is a row of red-brick townhomes, not an apartment building. Condos.ca lists 44 homes on two floors, set along the north side of Wellington from Bathurst to Tecumseth. Listing sites describe the townhomes as running along part of Tecumseth Street as well.

It was registered in October 1984, a month after the Summit at 701 King West, by the same developers, Toddglen Construction and Creson Investments, and it has the same property manager. In practice, it reads as the townhouse phase of the Summit complex.

For buyers, the key difference from a tower is that you have your own entrance at street level. No elevator wait, no long corridor, and a dog walk that starts at your door.

Townhomes inside a larger complex are a hybrid. You get the privacy of a house at the front door, but the roof, the brick and the garage below are common elements run by the corporation. Read the declaration so you know which repairs fall to you and which fall to the corporation.

Small sizes for a townhouse

Size is the surprise. Condos.ca lists homes from about 461 to 1,100 sq ft, which is small for a townhouse. Some of these are compact, closer to a one-bedroom apartment in floor area, laid out over more than one level.

That means you need to look at each floor plan closely. Measure the bedrooms, check where the bathrooms are, and ask whether a suite is a full two-level townhouse or a smaller unit within the row. Two homes in the same row can live very differently. Bring the floor plan to the showing and walk it room by room.

Small townhomes also have their own resale profile. They appeal to first-time buyers and downsizers more than to families, so think about who will buy from you in five or ten years.

These are 1980s builds, so expect older windows and doors, and finishes that depend on what each owner has renovated. Ask the seller what has been replaced and when.

Access to the Summit amenities

Condos.ca lists an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a sauna for this corporation, the same facilities as the Summit buildings on King. That is unusual for a townhouse: most townhouse corporations have no amenities at all.

I could not confirm the exact sharing arrangement. Ask the manager for the shared-facilities agreement, find out how costs are split between the corporations, and read the reserve fund plan for the shared pools. Shared amenities are a benefit only if you understand what your corporation pays for them. The upside of sharing is scale: pool costs spread across hundreds of suites, not 44 homes, which is the only way a townhouse row can carry facilities like these.

Condos.ca lists pets as permitted. Confirm the rules in the declaration and the status certificate before you buy.

Living on Wellington, a block from King

Wellington Street West is calmer than King. You are a block south of the King West restaurant strip, Queen West is a walk north, and Fort York and the waterfront are south across the rail corridor.

Bathurst Street is busy, so homes near that end of the row will hear more traffic than those towards Tecumseth. Visit at different times of day. For transit times, schools and Walk Score, see the data panel on this page.

The streets around the complex have changed a lot since 1984. Many low industrial buildings nearby have given way to mid-rise condos, and more are proposed. Ask what is planned on nearby lots, because a new building across the street can change your light and your view.

What these townhomes cost

Condos.ca puts the average at about $818 per square foot. That is higher than the Summit tower next door, at about $678, which tells you buyers pay a premium for a front door and a townhouse layout.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask for recent utility bills. In an older brick townhouse, heating and cooling costs depend a lot on windows and insulation.

Do the fee maths properly. A townhouse fee that leaves out heat and hydro can look lower than an all-inclusive apartment fee nearby, but once you add your own utilities, the gap may close. Ask the seller for 12 months of bills.

There were no active listings when I checked, and with only 44 homes, sales are not frequent. One renovated home can lift the average, so look at the range of past sales, not just one number. Price a home here against both the Summit suites and nearby freehold row houses, and adjust for size, parking and outdoor space. My building sold report can pull recent sales.

Building specifications

Amenities at 574 Wellington Street West Condos

Pools and a sauna are rare for a townhouse. Here they appear to come through the wider Summit complex, so ask how access and costs are shared. If you would use them, they replace a gym membership; if you would not, you are still paying your share.

Jatin’s honest take on 574 Wellington Street West Condos

574 Wellington Street West 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.