70 Guildwood Parkway Townhouses: Eight Homes on the Road to Guild Park

70 Guildwood Parkway is one of the smallest condominiums in Scarborough: eight townhouses, registered in 2003, at the Kingston Road end of the parkway that runs into Guildwood. It is a way into one of the east end’s most settled neighbourhoods without buying a detached house. With eight owners sharing everything, the questions you ask before you buy decide whether it is a bargain or a burden. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Eight homes, and what that means

Eight units is the size of a single row of townhouses. The corporation still has to do everything a large condominium does: keep a reserve fund, commission reserve fund studies, insure the buildings, hold annual meetings and elect a board. The difference is that the cost and the work are shared by eight owners.

That cuts both ways. Fees in a small complex can be modest because there is no staff, no amenities and little common area. But a roof replacement, a paving job or a large insurance deductible is divided eight ways, and a reserve fund that has been kept too low will show up as a special assessment.

Condos.ca does not name a property manager. Many corporations this size are run by the owners themselves, sometimes with a part-time bookkeeper. Ask who keeps the records and who you would call about a leak or a snow-clearing problem, and make sure the answer is a person, not a guess.

Governance is personal at this scale. With eight owners, the board may be three neighbours, and a single disagreement can stall a decision on repairs. Read the minutes for how decisions get made, ask how many owners live in their homes rather than renting them out, and get a sense of whether you would want to sit on that board yourself, because in a complex this size you may be asked.

A 2003 complex at the 20-year mark

At 23 years old, this complex is entering the period when the original roofs, windows, exterior doors, decks and paving begin to need replacement. Those are the big items in any townhouse corporation, and they tend to arrive within a few years of each other.

The reserve fund study is the document that tells you whether the corporation has planned for them. Read when each item is expected to be replaced and how much the study says it will cost, then compare that with the money in the fund today. If the gap is large, expect fee increases or a special contribution.

Inside the home, the furnace, air conditioner and water heater are likely to be original or on their second replacement. Ask the seller for the dates and any rental contracts, since water heaters and furnaces are often rented in Ontario and the contract transfers to you.

On the road to Guild Park

Guildwood Parkway leads east from Kingston Road into the heart of Guildwood, and along it, at 201 Guildwood Parkway, is Guild Park and Gardens. The 50-acre park sits on top of the Scarborough Bluffs, owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and run by the City as a park since 1978.

The park has an unusual history. In 1932 Rosa and Spencer Clark bought the estate and turned it into the Guild of All Arts, an artists’ colony and inn. From the 1950s they saved architectural fragments from Toronto buildings being demolished, and pieces from more than 60 of them now stand in the gardens, including the stage of the Greek Theatre built from the old Bank of Toronto. The restored Guild Inn now hosts weddings and events.

For an owner here, that means a large, historic, bluff-top park as your neighbourhood walk. The bluff edges are roped off because the sandy soil is unstable, so stay on the trails. The panel on this page lists the nearest transit, schools and shops.

Guildwood as a neighbourhood

Guildwood is a settled, largely residential neighbourhood on the bluffs. Small complexes like this one give buyers a lower entry point than a freehold house, with the same streets and the same park.

This address is at the Kingston Road end of the parkway, near Scarborough Golf Club Road, so expect more traffic than on the interior streets. Check which side of the home faces the road and listen at rush hour before you buy. The trade-off is that Kingston Road itself is right at the corner rather than a drive away.

The other practical question is parking. Condos.ca does not list a garage or visitor parking for this complex, so confirm what comes with the home, whether that is a driveway, a garage or a shared lot, and what the rules allow for guests.

What 70 Guildwood Parkway costs

With eight homes, sales here are rare. When I checked, there were no homes for sale or for lease, so there is no current asking range I can fairly quote.

Condos.ca does not publish a fee inclusion list for this corporation. In most townhouse condominiums, the fee covers the common elements, exterior maintenance, building insurance and snow clearing, while owners pay their own heat, hydro and water, but confirm the actual split in the status certificate rather than assuming.

Insurance is part of the cost. The corporation insures the buildings and owners insure their contents, improvements and liability, but ask about the deductible the corporation carries, since owners are often charged it when a claim starts in their home.

The fair comparisons are freehold townhouses and semi-detached houses in Guildwood on one side and larger condominium townhouse complexes along Kingston Road on the other. Condition will move the price more than anything else in a complex this small. Use the panel for the recent sales record, or ask me for a building sold report before you offer.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 70 Guildwood Parkway Townhouses

70 Guildwood Parkway Townhouses — 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.