Markland Woods, 121-129 Mill Rd: 12 Big Condo Townhomes at Bloor West’s End

Markland Woods is not a condo building in the usual sense. It is 12 three-storey townhouses of roughly 2,240 sq ft each, registered as a condominium in 2009, at the corner of Mill Road and Bloor Street West in one of Etobicoke’s quietest neighbourhoods. You get house-sized space with a small shared corporation, and that cuts both ways. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Twelve houses, one corporation

With only 12 homes, this is about as small as a Toronto condominium gets. The units are townhouses fronting Mill Road and Bloor Street West, not apartments, and listing records describe them as three-storey homes with garage parking and forced-air heating.

Condos.ca’s entry shows a single floor, which does not match the listing records, so treat the three-storey description as the better guide and confirm it on the floor plans. Each unit has its own stairs, its own front door and its own mechanical system. The corporation looks after the shared elements and insures the buildings; most of what you live with day to day is yours.

The builder was a numbered company, 2070645 Ontario, which is common for small infill projects. That means there is no well-known developer brand or long track record to research. The quality of the build is something you judge from an inspection and the corporation’s records, not from a name.

House-sized floor plans

Condos.ca puts every unit at about 2,240 sq ft, and listing records show roughly 186 to 209 square metres, or about 2,000 to 2,250 sq ft. That is the size of a good detached house, and it is two to three times what most buyers get in a condo apartment in this part of the city.

Listings describe three- and four-bedroom layouts with four bathrooms. On three storeys, that usually means living space on the main floor, bedrooms above, and a top floor that works as a primary suite or a family room. If anyone in the household struggles with stairs, walk every level before you decide.

Because the homes are all close in size, comparing them is easy. What separates one from another is condition, exposure, whether it fronts Bloor or Mill, and what the previous owners have upgraded. A home facing Bloor will be busier than one on the Mill Road side, so visit at rush hour.

What the fee does and does not cover

This is the most important thing to understand about Markland Woods. Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements and building insurance only. Heat, hydro, water and air conditioning are not listed, so you should expect to pay them yourself, as you would in a house.

That keeps the monthly fee lower than in an apartment building with utilities bundled in, but it does not make the home cheaper to run. Ask the seller for a year of utility bills. A three-storey townhouse of 2,200 sq ft heats like a house, not like a condo suite.

Also ask exactly what the corporation maintains. In townhouse condominiums, roofs, windows, doors, decks and driveways are sometimes common elements and sometimes the owner’s responsibility. The declaration decides, and with 12 owners sharing costs, it makes a real difference to your budget.

The corporation’s policy insures the buildings, but you still need your own condo unit-owner policy for contents, improvements and your share of any deductible. With so few units, the corporation’s deductible can be passed to a single owner after a leak or a fire, so ask your insurer how much loss-assessment cover to carry and check the deductible amount in the status certificate.

Life at the west end of Bloor

Markland Wood is the last residential neighbourhood on Bloor Street before Mississauga. It was built out in the 1960s on land wrapped by the Markland Wood Golf Club, with Etobicoke Creek forming the western edge, and it is still mostly detached houses with an active homeowners association.

For a townhouse buyer, that means a settled, green street with very little through traffic beyond Bloor itself. A path from Bloordale Park links to Centennial Park for walking and cycling, and there is a local shopping centre and medical centre in the neighbourhood. This is a car-first area, and the data panel covers transit, schools and walkability.

This stretch of Bloor has been adding townhouses. Markland Wood Towns at 4345-4357 Bloor Street West sits a few doors along, and UrbanToronto tracks a project at 4340 Bloor West. Check the City’s development applications map for anything proposed on the surrounding blocks before you buy.

Price per square foot in a 12-unit complex

Condos.ca puts the average at about $568 per square foot. Across a 2,240 sq ft home, that is a very different number from a condo apartment, and it compares more naturally with nearby freehold townhouses and semis than with towers on Bloor or Burnhamthorpe.

There are no active listings right now, and with only 12 homes, sales are rare. That makes any single average fragile. Before you offer, I would compare the last few sales here with freehold townhouses and condo townhouses in Markland Wood and nearby Eringate, adjusting for condition and for the fee. My building sold report can pull what has closed here.

Remember to add utilities when you compare monthly costs. A low fee here and a higher, all-inclusive fee in an apartment building can end up closer than they look.

Building specifications

Amenities at Markland Woods

There are no shared amenities beyond visitor parking, and that is the point. You are buying a house-sized home with a small shared corporation, not a building with a gym and concierge, so the fee pays for upkeep and insurance rather than staff.

Jatin’s honest take on Markland Woods

Markland Woods — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.