Bayview Mills Townhomes: A 345-Home 1986 Complex Near Bayview and York Mills

Bayview Mills is how a lot of families get into the Bayview and York Mills area without paying detached-house prices. It is a 1986 condominium townhouse community of 345 homes on a network of streets with mill-themed names, in one of the most expensive pockets of North York. It is also nearly 40 years old, and that is the part you need to price in. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A townhouse village with a mill-town name

The street names are not random. York Mills takes its name from the sawmills and grist mills that once lined the Don River through this part of North York, and the street names here, Scenic Mill Way, Sugar Mill Way, Proudbank Millway and Cartwheel Millway, echo that history. The complex is set back on its own internal streets, so it feels separate from the busy arterial roads around it.

At 345 homes, MTCC-702 is a big corporation for a townhouse community. That scale is useful: the fixed costs of grounds, snow clearing, landscaping and insurance are spread over many owners, and a large reserve fund can absorb surprises better than a 30-home complex can. The downside is that decisions take longer and a board has a lot of roofs, windows and driveways to plan for.

Condos.ca credits the build to Bayview Mills Limited and Stonor Constructions. I found very little published about either company today, so judge the construction on the homes themselves and on the corporation’s records, not on the builder’s name. Nearly four decades of maintenance decisions matter more than who poured the foundations.

One practical warning about the name. Some listing sites use the Bayview Mills label loosely for nearby townhouse addresses on the same street network. Make sure the home you are looking at is in MTCC-702 and not a neighbouring corporation with different fees and rules.

What the homes are like

Condos.ca classes this as a low-rise townhouse community. The two homes for sale when I checked show how wide the mix is: one was listed in the 900 to 999 square foot band, and the other was a four-bedroom plan. Expect anything from compact units to full family townhouses with several levels.

For a 1986 complex, the floor plans tend to be conventional: separate living and dining rooms, kitchens that may or may not have been opened up, and basements that range from unfinished to fully renovated. Condition varies enormously from home to home after almost four decades, so two homes of the same model can be worth very different amounts.

Bring a good home inspector. In an older townhouse you are buying the interior, but the corporation usually looks after much of the exterior, so you also need to know what the corporation has replaced and what it has not.

The fee, and what it buys

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water as included. In a townhouse community, common elements usually mean the grounds, any internal roads and walkways, snow removal and some or all exterior components. Exactly which parts of the home the corporation maintains, such as roofs, windows, doors or decks, is set out in the declaration, and that is worth reading closely.

Heat and hydro are not on the inclusion list, so you will carry your own utility bills as you would in a freehold house. Factor that in when comparing the fee with an apartment condo where heat is included.

Fees on the two current listings were very different from each other, which is normal in a complex with a wide range of home sizes. Ask for the fee on the exact home, not an average.

A large corporation also tends to have a professional, well-documented approach to budgeting. Ask for the last two years of audited financial statements along with the budget, and compare actual spending with what was planned. A corporation that consistently overspends its repair budget is telling you something.

Living near Bayview and York Mills

This is one of the more established parts of North York: large lots, mature trees and many of the city’s highest-priced detached homes. Living in Bayview Mills gives you that address and that streetscape at a much lower entry point than a house on the surrounding streets.

Day to day, you are close to the shops and services along Bayview Avenue and within a short drive of Highway 401. Families tend to look at this area for its schools, and you can check the zoned schools in the data panel on this page, along with transit details.

The streets inside the complex carry little through traffic, which makes it a quieter place for children and dog walkers than a house on a busy road. Ask whether the internal roads are common elements the corporation maintains, because that is a large future cost.

Townhouse space at a fraction of local detached prices

Condos.ca does not publish a reliable price per square foot for this complex, which is common for townhouse communities where the square footage on each listing is approximate. Comparing homes here is better done model by model.

The two homes for sale when I checked were asking between $649,000 and $1,028,000. That spread reflects the range of sizes, from smaller units to four-bedroom family homes, more than any difference in the building itself.

For the real picture, look at what has actually sold in MTCC-702 over the past year, ideally matched to the same model and similar condition. You can ask me for that on the building sold report page.

Building specifications

Amenities at Bayview Mills

There is no clubhouse or pool listed, so the amenity here is the setting itself: quiet internal streets, landscaped grounds and visitor parking. Barbecues are permitted, which matters in a townhouse community where you will likely have a patio or deck.

Jatin’s honest take on Bayview Mills

Bayview Mills — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.