16089 Shaws Creek Rd., Caledon, Ont.
Asking price: $895,000
Selling price: $800,000
Previous selling price: $477,500 (2002)
Taxes: $1,393 (2008)
Lot size: 380 by 2,000 feet
Days on the market: 330
Listing agent: Jamie Gairdner, Gairdner and Associates Real Estate Ltd.
When Jamie Gairdner's clients purchased this two-storey Victorian five years ago, it looked like a "disgusting wreck" with fire damage in the kitchen and an absence of modern updates, such as running water and electricity.
However, the underlying structure was still in solid shape, so the agent's clients, who are cabinetmakers, not only worked hard to restore the late 19th-century home to its former glory, but also added all the mechanical systems expected of a modern dwelling.
"[The previous owner]did a beautiful job of rehabilitating the whole house," says Mr. Gairdner. "The inspector said they had done a fabulous job as well, so I knew the quality was excellent."
The historic house retained its red-brick façade with decorative quoins, wide verandah and gingerbread trims, but repaired with replica windows, new shingles and roofing.
An oversized septic tank, indoor plumbing and electricity were installed, along with radiant heating beneath the main and second floors.
"In an old house, that's a really hard job because you have to tear everything apart," says Mr. Gairdner. "It's very special for a 160-year-old house."
A new heatilator provides additional warmth in the living room or the entire house if necessary. "It's just a backup basically," adds Mr. Gairdner. "And it looked nice."
As for cosmetic updates, travertine marble floors were laid in the dining room, kitchen and three bathrooms, including a six-piece master ensuite with quartz countertops.
Plaster ceiling medallions, crown mouldings and a winding staircase are just some of the original details left intact, as well as pine floors in areas like the main-floor office and three bedrooms upstairs.
The partially finished basement houses a workshop and water-treatment equipment, plus a laundry room.
A gravel driveway, an original barn and stone milk house can be found on the property, which encompasses more than 57 acres of land with "a small stream and mature forest with trails for riding, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling," notes Mr. Gairdner.
"There is a den of foxes with four kits, lots of deer and wild turkeys."