Ryan Berard and Joni Cheung in their new home. The couple was looking for more space, but didn't want their purchase to leave them house-poor.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
In 2017, Joni Cheung bought a one-bedroom-plus-den preconstruction condo in Richmond Hill, Ont., for $348,000. By the time it was completed, in December, 2021, she was in a relationship with Ryan Berard, now a 33-year-old technical sales lead, and the couple moved into the 565-square-foot condo together.
“It was on the squishier side,” Ms. Cheung says of their condo. Mr. Berard works from home while Ms. Cheung is on a hybrid work schedule, so they set up two workspaces, one of which had to be moved when they had guests over. Mr. Berard’s hobbies, including collecting Magic: The Gathering cards and playing with them, also required space that was limited in the couple’s home.
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Ms. Cheung, a 33-year-old lead business analyst, says she started thinking of upgrading their property from “Day 1.” They envisioned purchasing a place with more space for the couple’s offices and hobbies, plus room to hold gatherings. But the pair, who are financially conservative, wanted to ensure that their purchase wouldn’t leave them house poor.
By early 2025, the couple began to take their home hunt more seriously. They realized that they could get preapproved for a mortgage that would afford them a new place worth up to $1,000,000, given that Ms. Cheung could sell her condo for at least $500,000.
The couple envisioned a place with more space for home offices and hobbies, plus room to hold gatherings.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
At first, the couple considered upgrading to a larger condo in Richmond Hill. But they discovered that they could afford a house slightly further north if they didn’t have to pay the monthly fees associated with condo ownership. So they pivoted to look for a townhouse in Newmarket or East Gwillimbury instead, about 30 minutes north of Richmond Hill, where many of their family and friends lived.
“Their budget could get them a little bit more house, or more bang for their buck, if they were willing to move a little bit outside of where they were comfortable with,” explains real estate agent Cynthia Hu.
The couple hoped for at least three bedrooms, so that Mr. Berard and Ms. Cheung could each have their own personal spaces, and three bathrooms. They wanted a more modern home that wouldn’t need much renovation work, with a high-ceiling basement to accommodate Mr. Berard’s 6-foot-6 height. “You’d be surprised at how many basements I couldn’t stand up in,” he explains.
Here’s how their search went.
Smaller townhouse with a finished basement in Newmarket
The couple passed on a smaller townhouse in Newmarket, Ont.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
Ms. Cheung and Mr. Berard liked that this three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse, listed for $898,000, showed well in its listing. “The owner definitely took care of the spot,” Mr. Berard says. He liked that it was in a quieter part of the city, tucked away on a crescent off the main road. It had a finished basement that Mr. Berard could stand up in, which would save them from future renovations. But the house was on the smaller end, about 1,700 square feet, so the rooms felt cramped.
Upgraded townhouse in East Gwillimbury
Ms. Cheung and Mr. Berard liked the upgrades in this home in East Gwilllimbury, Ont., but didn't like the second-floor carpeting.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
Townhouses in this development in East Gwillimbury, five minutes north of Newmarket, had already popped up on Ms. Cheung’s radar. “It gave me the feeling of being in a warm neighbourhood,” she explains.
They liked that this unit, a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home listed for $888,000, had several upgrades, such as pot lights and a kitchen backsplash. The couple also appreciated the open-concept layout and that it was a ravine property without any other homes behind it. But they didn’t like the second-floor carpeting, which they’d have to rip up and replace with hardwood flooring. Spanning just 1,500 square feet, it was even smaller than the previous townhouse they viewed.
Spacious end-unit townhouse in East Gwillimbury
This 2,000-square-foot home in East Gwilllimbury, Ont., had three bedrooms and an extra den.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
At 2,000 square feet, this East Gwillimbury end unit had three bedrooms and an extra den, which would allow Mr. Berard to have his desk in a separate space from his personal room. The home also had some upgrades, such as pot lights, a gas stove and a stand-alone tub in the primary bathroom. Plus, there was no carpeting to replace.
However, the unfinished basement had lower ductwork that Mr. Berard would have to duck under. And there were quite a few scuff marks around the home, especially on the staircases. This townhouse, listed at $1,048,000, was above their $1,000,000 budget, which would require the couple to dip into their personal investment accounts.
Their home: Spacious end-unit townhouse in East Gwillimbury
The couple had put offers in on all three of their shortlisted properties, but lost out to higher bids on the smaller townhouse and upgraded townhouse. When it came to the spacious end-unit, the couple figured the larger space was worth going above their budget. Their realtor, Ms. Hu, thought they could negotiate down the listing price. Both parties eventually settled on a final amount of $1,025,000.
Joni Cheung and Ryan Berard in their new home in East Gwilllimbury.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
Next, the couple had to prepare their condo for the market. “We stayed with my parents in Barrie to allow for viewings,” Mr. Berard explains. The unit eventually sold for $525,000, 12 days after it was listed. Then Ms. Cheung and Mr. Berard moved into their new home in June, 2025. “We love it,” Mr. Berard says. “We’ve met a bunch of our neighbours. They’re really sweet.”
For now, the home has more than enough space for them (the couple was able to play host to eight people comfortably for a recent Magic: The Gathering event in their living and dining room). So they’ll put off finishing the basement for a couple of years. Regarding the lower ductwork in the basement, it’s confined to a small part of the space, so they figured it wasn’t a deal-breaker for the home.
When Mr. Berard and Ms. Cheung first went house-hunting, they thought they’d be buying a starter home together, then upgrading after that. But now they say they’ll stay in their new townhouse for the long run. “I don’t think we expected to purchase our forever home this quickly,” Ms. Cheung explains. “Were both really grateful for having the opportunity as well as the ability to achieve this so early in our lives. We can see our whole lives unfold here.”
Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear your house-hunting story
Did you recently buy a home? The Globe wants to hear about your house hunting journey. What were you looking for, what was your budget and what concessions did you make along the way? How many other listings did you look at, and why did you choose the home that you did? We’ll be profiling house hunters across the country in a new series.
Share your experiences in the form below or email audience@globeandmail.com.
