Birchmount Gardens, 1483-1485 Birchmount Rd: 2018 Towns in Dorset Park

Birchmount Gardens is one of the newer condo options in Dorset Park: 35 townhouse-style units in a three-storey complex that Time Development Group completed in 2018. Parking and building insurance are in the fee, and current listings ask well under what most newer townhouses in Toronto do. That makes it a realistic entry point for first-time buyers, as long as you understand the trade-offs of a small, young corporation. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small, newer townhouse complex on Birchmount Road

Much of the condo housing in this part of Scarborough is decades old, so a 2018 registration stands out. Time Development Group built Birchmount Gardens as a three-storey, 35-unit complex across two addresses, 1483 and 1485 Birchmount Road, and it is marketed online as townhomes.

Because it is only about seven years old, the building should still be well inside the service life of its roofs, windows and mechanical systems. That is the main practical difference between this complex and the older townhouse corporations nearby, where owners are often paying for a second round of major repairs.

I could not find much published about Time Development Group or this project beyond the basic facts. That is common for infill townhouse projects of this size. It makes the documents in the status certificate package, and a home inspection, more important than the brand.

A young corporation has a shorter track record, though. You have fewer years of budgets, minutes and reserve fund history to judge how well it is run, so read everything that does exist carefully.

Layouts and what to ask about them

Current listings describe three-bedroom homes in a three-storey building, which points to efficient, vertical layouts. Expect compact bedrooms, multiple flights of stairs and less floor area per bedroom than you would find in an older Scarborough townhouse.

Condos.ca does not publish a full size range, and I could not find the original floor plans. Ask for the builder’s plan and measurements for any unit you view, and check how many levels it has, whether there is private outdoor space, and how storage works. In stacked and back-to-back townhouse designs, storage is often the first thing owners say they miss.

Also confirm how the unit is heated and cooled and where the equipment sits. Newer townhouse condos often have individual furnaces or heat pumps and owner-paid utilities, which affects both your monthly costs and what you are responsible for replacing.

Fees, parking and management

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance and parking in the fee. The two current listings showed fees between about $459 and $551 a month. Heat, hydro and water are not on the inclusions list, so assume you pay them directly unless the status certificate says otherwise.

Parking in the fee is useful. Confirm how many spaces come with the unit you are considering, whether they are owned or exclusive-use, and how visitor parking is managed, since it is listed as an amenity.

Compare the fee with what older townhouse corporations nearby charge, but compare the whole picture. An older complex may have a similar fee and a bigger repair bill coming; a newer one like this may have a lower fee today that has to rise as the reserve catches up with the real cost of future work. The reserve fund study tells you which way it is likely to go.

Condos.ca lists Nadlan-Harris Property Management as the manager. For a corporation registered in 2018, ask when the first reserve fund study was completed and whether it has been updated since, because the early years are when a new corporation sets the contribution levels it will live with.

Daily life in Dorset Park

Dorset Park is in central Scarborough, south of Highway 401, with the Scarborough Town Centre area a short drive east. It is a practical, car-friendly neighbourhood with plazas and big-box shopping along the main roads. The automatic panel on this page shows the nearest transit stops, schools and Walk Score.

Most residents here drive for errands and commuting. If you are relying on the TTC, check the nearest stops in the panel and try the commute at the time of day you would actually travel.

Birchmount Road is a busy arterial, so traffic noise is worth checking. Ask which units face the road and which face the interior of the site, and visit at rush hour. Barbecues are listed as permitted, which matters if you want to use a terrace or patio; read the current rules on where they can be used.

What units here are asking

When I checked, there were two units for sale, asking between $399,000 and $595,000, and none for lease. That is a wide spread for a building this young, and it usually reflects differences in size, level, outdoor space and condition, so look closely at what each listing includes before comparing them.

Two listings is also too small a sample to call a trend. I would want to see at least several recent sales before deciding whether a given asking price is fair, and in a 35-unit building that may mean looking back further than you would in a large tower.

Condos.ca does not publish a building average per square foot for this complex. With only 35 units, sales are infrequent, so I would price a unit here against sales in the building over the last two or three years and against other newer townhouse condos in central Scarborough.

The panel on this page shows the aggregate sales and lease figures we have. For a detailed list of sold comparables, ask me for my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Birchmount Gardens

There is no gym or party room, which helps keep the fee moderate. Visitor parking and the right to barbecue are the practical extras that matter most in a townhouse setting.

Jatin’s honest take on Birchmount Gardens

Birchmount Gardens — frequently asked questions

Looking at Agincourt, L’Amoreaux, Milliken, Dorset Park and Wexford in Scarborough more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.