Scarlett Gables, 546–548 Scarlett Rd: 10 Townhouses, Garage Parking

Scarlett Gables is ten townhouses on Scarlett Road, finished in 2004, sitting right next to an older eleven-home complex at 540 to 544 Scarlett. Two tiny corporations side by side, one manager listed for both, and very few sales between them. If you are looking at one, you should be looking at the other, and I will tell you why. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Ten homes, and a twin next door

By street numbering and map position, Scarlett Gables sits immediately north of 540 Scarlett Road Townhouses, an 11-home complex completed in 2000. Condos.ca lists Maple Ridge Community Management for both, and both include a parking garage. From the sidewalk they read as one small row of infill on the west side of Scarlett Road, north of La Rose Avenue.

They are separate corporations, though. Scarlett Gables is TSCC-1578, with its own declaration, budget, reserve fund and board. Do not assume a repair, rule or fee at one tells you anything certain about the other.

The useful thing about the neighbour is evidence. The City’s 1998 planning reports for 542 Scarlett Road describe that site rising steeply from the street, with retaining walls at the rear and parking underground. I could not find equivalent public reports for Scarlett Gables, so treat that as a hint about what to inspect here, not a description of this complex.

What ten owners share, and what the fee covers

With ten homes, each owner carries a tenth of every common cost. A $100,000 garage or paving job is $10,000 a door before reserves. That arithmetic is the first thing I explain to buyers in micro-corporations like this, because it is the risk that does not show up in photos.

The parking garage is the item to focus on. Garages need membrane, drainage and concrete work over their life, and in a 2004 complex the first round of significant work is usually on the horizon. Ask what the reserve fund study schedules, when, and how the fund balance compares.

Small boards matter too. In a ten-home corporation, two or three active owners often carry the governance. Ask whether the board is full, how often it meets, and whether the annual meeting reaches quorum easily.

Condos.ca does not list what the maintenance fee at Scarlett Gables includes, so I will not guess. In most townhouse corporations of this type, owners pay their own heat, hydro and water, and the fee covers insurance for the common elements, the garage, grounds, snow removal and the reserve fund contribution. Confirm that from the budget in the status certificate.

Ask also who is responsible for roofs, windows, doors and furnaces under the declaration. In some townhouse corporations these belong to the owner; in others, to the corporation. The answer changes both your monthly cost and your exposure when something fails.

When you compare fees with a larger complex, compare the reserve contribution, not just the total. A low fee in a ten-home corporation with a garage is not a bargain if it is low because the reserve is underfunded.

The homes and the BBQ question

Condos.ca does not publish a suite size range for Scarlett Gables, and there were no listings at the time of writing, so I cannot describe the plans with confidence. Measure the home you are considering and get the room sizes from the listing, not from assumptions based on the neighbour.

Condos.ca lists BBQs as permitted. That matters more than it sounds: many condominium apartments ban them, and for a lot of townhouse buyers a grill on the back deck is part of the point. Confirm the rule in the declaration and rules, including whether gas or electric is required.

Visitor parking is also listed. In a small complex with a single driveway off an arterial road, that is a genuine convenience for family visits and trades.

Humber Heights, day to day

Scarlett Road is an arterial road with bus service, and it takes its name from the Scarlett family, who farmed both banks of the Humber in the 1800s. The streets around the complex are mostly detached houses, with a 13-storey apartment building at the La Rose corner and newer condominium towers along Eglinton Avenue to the south.

For daily errands, La Rose Plaza and Royal York Plaza are the local shopping. Scarlett Heights Park and the Humber valley trails are close, and the Weston Golf and Country Club sits in the northern part of the neighbourhood. Transit details, schools and walkability are in the panel on this page.

The trade is the usual one for Scarlett Road: a quieter residential pocket behind you, and traffic in front. Homes closest to the road will hear it.

Pricing with almost no sales

Condos.ca does not publish an average price per square foot for Scarlett Gables, and there were no active listings at the time of writing. With ten homes, a year can pass with no sale at all.

So value has to be built from nearby evidence. Start with 540 Scarlett Road Townhouses next door, then other condominium townhouses in Humber Heights and Weston, then semi-detached houses on the surrounding streets. Adjust for size, the garage parking and the fee, and be wary of any single comparable.

If you own here and are thinking of selling, ask me for the building sold report. In a complex this small, pricing against the right alternatives matters more than a building average.

Building specifications

Amenities at Scarlett Gables

There are no shared recreation facilities. The amenity package is practical: covered parking, room for visitors, and permission to grill, which is what most townhouse buyers actually use.

Jatin’s honest take on Scarlett Gables

Scarlett Gables — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.