34 Claremont St., No. 102, Toronto
Asking price: $399,000
Selling price: $416,000
Previous selling prices: $227,000 (2004); $143,750 (1997)
Taxes: $2,079 (2009)
Days on the market: two
Listing agent: Paul Johnston, Right at Home Realty Inc.
This authentic loft has a great design that is rivalled only by its location in a church conversion project just west of Trinity Bellwoods Park, agent Paul Johnston says.
"When you have something that's this unique … you know that the demand for it is going to be high," says Mr. Johnston, who received a couple of offers within days.
"It is an economical floor plan somewhere around 500-square-feet inside, but beautifully proportioned, laid out and … stylish."
This brick structure was built as an extension of an adjacent church in 1950 and converted into a boutique residence with more than a dozen lofts in 1995. "It has an intimacy of scale that is really hard to find," the agent says.
There are also few opportunities in the building to acquire a ground-floor loft like this one, which has two sets of French doors to a multitiered deck and garden in a secluded south-facing yard, "which is almost the same size of the loft," Mr. Johnston says.
Stylish finishes include granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, as well as an original fireplace in the combined living and dining area.
"A wood-burning fireplace is something in new construction condominiums and lofts you basically don't find," Mr. Johnston says.
The seller - armed with a home retail background - also spent eight months restoring the terrazzo concrete floors the builder covered with hardwood floors.
Last of all, the unit comes with a four-piece bathroom, ensuite laundry facilities, a locker and parking. The monthly fee is $289, plus heating and hydro.