Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue, 10 Plymouth Ave: 13 Homes Near Dundas

Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue is about as small as a condominium gets: 13 homes on a quiet side street just north of Dundas West, finished in 2007 by Cityspace Urban Developments. For a buyer who wants Trinity-Bellwoods without the full responsibility of a Victorian house, it can be a smart fit. The fee is lean because it covers very little, and that is the first thing to understand. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Thirteen homes from a small infill builder

Cityspace Urban Developments is a small Toronto builder known for infill projects on west-end streets. When The Globe and Mail looked at its work around 2009, it described builder Andrew DelZotto’s projects, including one that borrowed bay-and-gable styling from the older houses and small factory buildings around it rather than standing out from them.

Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue is that kind of project: 13 homes slotted onto a residential side street north of Dundas. Condos.ca describes it as a small community, and with 13 owners it is closer to a shared driveway than a condominium building.

The scale cuts both ways. You know every neighbour, decisions can be made quickly and there are no common rooms to pay for. But each owner carries roughly one-thirteenth of any repair to the shared parts, and the board is likely to be a handful of owners doing the work themselves with a part-time manager.

The 2007 completion places the complex in a wave of small condominium townhouse projects that filled gaps on west-end streets in the 2000s. Many of them have aged well, but because they are so small, their reserve funds can be modest in dollar terms even when they are adequate on paper. Look at the dollar balance, not just the percentage.

A fee that covers very little, on purpose

The fee includes common elements and building insurance, and nothing else. Heat, hydro and water are each owner’s responsibility. That keeps the monthly number low and gives you control of your own utility costs, much like a freehold.

Condos.ca lists an underground parking garage, but parking is not among the fee inclusions, so confirm whether the home you are considering has a space, whether it is owned or exclusive-use, and who pays to maintain the garage. In a 13-home complex, a garage membrane repair is a large bill split few ways.

A low fee is only a good sign if the reserve fund is properly funded. Ask for the reserve fund study and compare the planned contributions with the actual ones over the last few years.

Layouts and what to confirm

No floor plans or square footages were published for the complex when I checked, and condos.ca records the building as a single storey, which is unusual for townhomes. Treat that as a data quirk to verify rather than a fact: get the floor plan and confirm the number of levels and the room sizes for the home you are looking at.

Check the stairs, the location of the laundry and how natural light reaches the middle of the home. Narrow infill townhouses often stack rooms vertically, which works well for some buyers and poorly for anyone who would rather not climb stairs every day.

Ask too about the garage access. In a small complex the entrance ramp and door are shared, and their condition and snow clearing are often handled by the owners or a contractor hired by the board. Find out who does it and what it costs, because it is part of your real monthly budget.

North of Dundas, in Trinity-Bellwoods

Plymouth Avenue sits on the residential side of Dundas Street West, in the blocks between Bathurst and Ossington. The cafés, bakeries and restaurants of Dundas West are at the end of the street, Trinity Bellwoods Park is a short walk south, and Queen West and Little Italy are close by. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, walkability and nearby parks.

Day to day, this is a neighbourhood of old houses, families and small shops. Being on a side street rather than Dundas itself matters: the street is quieter, and the Dundas streetcar is still close. If you have looked at freehold houses here and balked at the price or the repairs, a townhouse on Plymouth is the obvious middle ground.

How to think about price on Plymouth Avenue

There were no homes listed for sale when I checked, and in a 13-home complex a year can pass without a sale. That makes recent sales within the complex scarce, so a fair price has to be built from comparisons.

The comparisons I would use are other condominium townhouses in Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy, and freehold semis and row houses on the nearby side streets. A home here usually costs less than a freehold of similar size, with lower exterior upkeep, a modest fee and the possibility of underground parking.

Because buyers in this neighbourhood compete hard for houses, a well-kept townhome here can draw several offers when it does come up. Be ready with your financing and your review of the status certificate. My building sold report can show you what comparable homes have actually sold for.

Building specifications

Amenities at Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue

There are no shared amenity rooms, which is right for 13 homes and keeps the fee low. The practical features are the garage, a security system and permission to barbecue, and the neighbourhood itself does the rest.

Jatin’s honest take on Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue

Townhomes of Plymouth Avenue — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.