95 Summerhill Ave Townhouses: 17 Homes From 1983 Steps From Summerhill

95 Summerhill Avenue is one of a handful of townhouse condominiums that let you live in Summerhill without paying for a detached house. Seventeen homes, built in 1983, with parking underground and a professional manager. The location is the easy part. The hard part is judging a 40-year-old corporation, and that is what most of this review is about. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Summerhill without the house price

Summerhill Avenue runs east from Yonge into the northwest corner of Rosedale, a neighbourhood of brick houses and mature trees. A detached house on these streets is out of reach for most buyers. A townhouse in a small condominium is the practical alternative.

95 Summerhill was built in 1983 as a complex of 17 townhouses and registered as MTCC-608 the same year. It sits close to the Summerhill shops on Yonge and to the former North Toronto railway station, the 1916 Beaux Arts landmark with its tall clock tower that now houses a large LCBO.

What you get is the neighbourhood: quiet streets, Rosedale’s parks and ravines to the east, and Yonge Street’s shops a short walk away. What you give up is land and full control over your home’s exterior, which the corporation manages.

The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and parks. Day to day, the draw is that you can do most errands on foot: the grocers, bakeries and restaurants of the Summerhill strip are close, Yorkville is a short trip south, and St. Clair is a walk north. If you live here, you may find the car in the garage is mostly for weekends and trips out of the city, which is exactly the lifestyle that draws buyers to this part of midtown.

Parking underground, and what that means

The complex has an underground parking garage and visitor parking. In this part of the city, where many older houses have tight driveways or none at all, a space underneath your home is a real advantage, especially in winter.

It is also the corporation’s biggest long-term cost. The garage is now more than 40 years old, with a waterproofing membrane, drainage and a ramp that all need periodic repair and eventual replacement. With 17 owners sharing the bill, a major garage project is significant for each household.

Read the reserve fund study for the garage line first. Then look at the board minutes for any history of leaks, repairs or deferred work. A garage that was properly restored in the last decade is a strong positive; one that is overdue is the most likely source of a special assessment.

Professional management in a small complex

Unlike several very small midtown townhouse condominiums, 95 Summerhill is professionally managed. Condos.ca lists General Property Management as the manager, and a firm with a similar name, GPM Property Management, appears in its records for the nearby 66 Shaftesbury Townhouses. If you are comparing the two complexes, ask whether they share a manager; it is a useful way to compare budgets and service.

A manager brings proper budgets, records and contractor relationships, which matters a lot in a building of this age. It also adds cost, so compare the fee with what the corporation actually gets: is the manager on site, how often do they visit, and who handles emergencies after hours?

Ask for the last few years of financial statements, the current budget and the fee history. I did not find a published list of what the fee includes, so confirm whether water, insurance or any utilities are covered.

What to expect inside

I did not find a reliable size range for the complex. One three-bedroom home was listed for sale when I checked, which suggests family-sized plans, but layouts in a 1983 complex are likely to vary, and many homes will have been renovated to different standards.

Expect a multi-level home with stairs, and a more traditional plan than a new-build townhouse. Ask for the floor area and how it was measured, which outdoor space comes with the home, and whether the parking space is owned or assigned. Renovations should have board approval and, where needed, permits; ask to see both.

Check sound and light, too. In a townhouse complex, shared walls are the main source of noise complaints, and homes in the middle of a row get less natural light than end units. End units with three exposures usually sell faster and for more, so be clear about which you are buying and price it accordingly.

Finally, look at the windows and heating. A 1983 home may still have original windows or an older furnace or heat pump, depending on what each owner has done. Find out whether those items belong to the owner or the corporation under the declaration, because that decides who pays when they fail.

Pricing: compare with Summerhill semis and townhouses

One home was listed for sale and none were for rent when I checked. I will not quote a single listing, and with 17 homes, sales come up too rarely to support a reliable building average price per square foot.

To value a home here, I would compare it with recent sales of Summerhill and North Rosedale semis and row houses of similar size, and with other townhouse condominiums nearby such as 66 Shaftesbury and 36 Birch. The underground parking and shared exterior maintenance should be weighed against the monthly fee and the age of the corporation.

Older townhouse complexes in this area often trade at a discount to freehold houses, and the size of that discount depends heavily on the reserve fund, the garage and the condition of the home. Expect your offer to be shaped as much by the status certificate as by the finishes. My building sold report can show what has actually traded here.

Building specifications

Amenities at 95 Summerhill Avenue Townhouses

The amenities are practical: underground parking, visitor parking and permission to barbecue. There is no gym or party room, and in a 17-home complex, you would not want to pay for one.

Jatin’s honest take on 95 Summerhill Avenue Townhouses

95 Summerhill Avenue Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.