Guildwood Terrace, 3231 Eglinton Ave E: Twin Towers, Choice of Suites

Guildwood Terrace is the building I send buyers to when they want choice. With two towers and 349 suites, there are usually several units for sale at once, from one-bedroom-plus-den plans to large two-bedroom-plus-dens, which is rare among older east Scarborough condos. The fees are not low, but they cover more than most. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two towers, one corporation

Guildwood Terrace is two towers sharing one condominium corporation. Listing portals refer to 3231 Eglinton Avenue East as the west tower and 3233 as the east tower, and both draw on the same budget, reserve fund and amenities.

That shared structure matters when you read the documents. A major repair in one tower, such as a roof, elevator or balcony project, is normally paid for by owners in both. When you review the reserve fund study and board minutes, look at the work planned for each tower, not just the one you are buying into.

Sources disagree on height. Condos.ca records 20 storeys, while another listing portal gives 18 floors. The difference may come down to how the mechanical or penthouse levels are counted, so check the floor plans if the top floors matter to you.

I could not find a developer on record for the complex. That is not unusual for buildings of this era, and with more than 30 years of operating history, the corporation’s own documents are a better guide to the building’s quality than the original builder’s name would be.

A real range of suites

Recorded suites run from about 690 to 1,463 square feet. In practice that means one-bedroom and one-plus-den plans in the 700s and two-bedroom and two-plus-den suites well above 1,000 square feet. Even the smallest suites here are generous by the standard of new Toronto condos.

The scale of the complex is a practical advantage. When I checked, seven suites were listed for sale and three for rent at the same time. Buyers can compare floors, exposures and renovation levels within one building instead of settling for the only listing available, and sellers have plenty of comparable sales to anchor on.

With two towers and many exposures, views and noise levels vary widely. Suites on the Eglinton side take in a busy arterial road and its bus traffic, while suites facing away from it are generally quieter. Visit at different times of day, including rush hour, before you choose a side.

Fees near a dollar a foot, with hydro included

Current listings show fees from about $700 to $1,257 a month, and the average across active listings is about 98 cents a square foot. That is high on its face for an older building in east Scarborough.

The inclusions explain much of it. The fee covers common elements, heat, hydro, water, air conditioning, building insurance and parking. On a 1,200-square-foot suite, hydro, heating and cooling alone would be a meaningful monthly bill in a building that meters them separately. A pool, sauna, gym, concierge and security add to the shared cost.

Still, a fee near a dollar a foot in a 1992 building deserves a close look. Ask how fees have moved over the last five years, read the reserve fund study, and find out whether major projects such as window replacement, garage repairs or elevator modernization are scheduled or already done.

Living at Eglinton and Markham Road

Scarborough Village is one of the oldest settlements in the former township: it was the site of Scarborough’s first post office, centred on Markham Road between Kingston Road and Eglinton. Today it is a mix of apartment towers, schools, plazas and a few condominiums along the Bluffs escarpment.

Guildwood Park, the Guild Inn grounds and the top of the Bluffs are to the south-east, which gives residents real green space within reach. The Guild Inn estate, which became an art colony and later a hotel, is now a public park with gardens and the cliff-top views that make this part of Scarborough distinctive. Grocery stores and everyday services are along Eglinton, Markham Road and Kingston Road.

Transit along this stretch of Eglinton is set up for change. The City has installed RapidTO bus lanes from Kennedy station along Eglinton, Kingston Road and Morningside, roughly following the route of the proposed Eglinton East LRT. Eglinton and Guildwood GO stations on the Lakeshore East line serve commuters; the walking times are in the data panel.

Guildwood Terrace pricing in context

The building average sits around $434 per square foot, low for Toronto and typical of early-1990s towers in this part of Scarborough. High fees hold the per-foot number down, because buyers price in the monthly cost.

When I checked, seven suites were for sale with asking prices from $349,000 to $569,000, and three were for rent. That range covers both the smaller one-bedroom-plus-den plans and the large two-bedroom suites, so the building offers an entry point for first-time buyers and room for families.

With this many listings, buyers have negotiating room. Compare the asking prices against recent sold data for similar suites in both towers, and factor in the fee difference between suite sizes before you decide which plan gives you the best total monthly cost.

Building specifications

Amenities at Guildwood Terrace

A pool, sauna, gym and concierge across two towers give residents a full amenity package without the per-owner cost burden a small building would carry. If you will use the pool, it offsets part of the fee; if not, it is a cost you share regardless.

Jatin’s honest take on Guildwood Terrace

Guildwood Terrace — 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.