Heather Court, 40 Chichester Pl: 52 Large Suites Near Sheppard and Vic Park

Heather Court at 40 Chichester Place is a building most buyers have never heard of, and that is part of its appeal. It has only 52 suites over 10 storeys, the suites run from about 1,250 to more than 1,900 square feet, and the fee covers your utilities. It also rarely has anything for sale, so if it suits you, you need to be ready when a suite comes up. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A boutique building from 1977

Fifty-two suites over ten floors works out to about five suites per floor. That is a very different living experience from the 20-plus-storey towers that dominate this part of Scarborough. Corridors are short, you get to know your neighbours, and elevator traffic is light.

The developer was Sherwood Properties Corporation, according to condos.ca, and the corporation was registered in January 1977, which makes it one of the older condominiums in the former City of Scarborough. YCC-308 is a low corporation number, from the first decade of condominium ownership in Ontario.

Small, older buildings like this tend to have a high share of long-term owners. That usually shows in how the common areas are kept, and it is one reason suites come up for sale so rarely here.

A low-rise-scale building also tends to feel more like a residence than a tower. Ten storeys puts the top floors high enough for open views over the surrounding houses, while the lobby and grounds stay small enough that staff and owners notice who comes and goes. Ask the manager how security and visitor access are handled in practice.

Suite sizes that compete with houses

Condos.ca records suite sizes of roughly 1,247 to 1,928 square feet. At the top of that range, you are looking at more space than many bungalows in the surrounding streets. Even the smallest suites here are bigger than most new two-bedroom-plus-den plans.

In buildings of this period, larger suites usually mean a separate dining room, a proper entry hall, more closets and bedrooms that fit real furniture. Expect a more closed plan than a new build. Many owners in buildings like this have opened kitchens up over the years, so ask for the corporation’s renovation rules before you plan your own.

For a downsizer, this is the key point. You can move from a house to Heather Court without selling half your furniture, and you trade the lawn, the roof and the driveway for a fee.

An all-in fee, shared among few owners

According to condos.ca, the fee at Heather Court covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, hydro, water, parking, building insurance and cable TV. In other words, most of your household utility bills are paid by the corporation.

That is convenient, but it comes with two exposures. First, when energy prices rise, the corporation’s costs rise and the fee follows. Second, with only 52 owners, every capital project is split among fewer people. A new roof, elevator modernisation or garage repair costs about the same in a small building as in a large one, but it lands on fewer suites.

None of that is a reason to walk away. It is a reason to read the reserve fund study carefully and to ask how utility costs and fees have moved over the past few years. I could not find current fee figures because nothing was listed for sale when I looked, so get them from the status certificate.

Chichester Place and the Sheppard and Victoria Park corner

Chichester Place is a short street near the northeast corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue, on the border between Scarborough and North York. Heather Court shares the street with a townhouse complex at 30 Chichester Place and a pair of rental towers at 8 Chichester Place.

Those rental towers are worth knowing about. The original 16-storey, 220-unit building dates from the 1960s, and a 20-storey tower with 210 affordable rental units was added beside it under Ontario’s Affordable Housing Program, developed by The Remington Group and The Brown Group of Companies with Quadrangle Architects. Construction started in December 2009, with completion expected around 2012.

The surrounding area is the classic postwar Scarborough mix of houses, apartment towers and commercial plazas along the arterials. Transit, school and walkability details are in the data panel on this page. Most residents will drive or use the Sheppard and Victoria Park bus routes, and Highway 401 and the Don Valley Parkway are a short drive away.

Pricing context

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $362 per square foot. That is low for Toronto and well below what new towers in Scarborough and North York ask, and it reflects both the building’s age and the fact that the fee carries your utilities.

At $362 per square foot, the size range here points to purchase prices from the mid-$400,000s for the smallest suites to around $700,000 for the largest, before adjusting for condition. Treat that as a rough guide only. With so few sales in a 52-suite building, a single renovated suite can shift the averages.

There were no active listings when I looked. If you want to buy here, set up an alert and be ready to move, because good suites in small buildings often sell to people who were waiting for them. For recent aggregate sales, request my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Heather Court

An outdoor pool is a rare thing in a 52-suite building, and in summer it gives the place a resort feel that big towers can’t match. It is also a cost carried by very few owners, so check the pool’s condition and what the reserve fund study plans for it.

Jatin’s honest take on Heather Court

Heather Court — 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.