Homes news from Metronews.ca

Under construction: 183 high-rise buildings

Paul Golini Jr., for Metro Toronto — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:15:09 -0400

There are 183 high-rise buildings under construction across the city right now.

That’s pretty specific and they’re not all residential, according to the City of Toronto’s latest economic dashboard report, but the majority are, and we’re building more than most major metropolitan cities across North America by leaps and bounds.

The encouraging part is that the latest tally may be a sign that our neighbour to the south is recovering and starting to build again.

Major U.S. cities like Chicago, Houston and Miami are building at a better pace than this time last year.

For example, last year Houston only had four high-rise buildings under construction and this month, they’ve got 23.

Not to brag, but Toronto is beating New York and Chicago, which have 75 and 25 high-rise buildings under construction right now, respectively. If you can believe it, New York’s construction activity is actually down from last year, when the city had 95 highrise buildings under construction.

Back at home, the City of Mississauga is on the map with 13 high-rise buildings under construction this month. That’s up from seven this time last year.

In the City of Toronto, the value of residential building permits was more than $1.1 billion by the end of last year. What that amounts to this year are jobs, jobs, jobs and not only that, but economic spin-off from wages spent and income taxes collected.

And let’s not forget that what it all really amounts to is new homes and communities for people like you.

I have tremendous respect for athletes who dedicate their entire lives toward putting themselves through physical and mental endurance tests.

On Sunday, September 25, I witnessed a group of athletes who gained not only my respect, but my admiration. There were more than 120 of them and they conquered the 50- and 100-kilometre routes set out to challenge them that morning.

These were BILD members who bonded together in support of our community partner, Habitat for Humanity Toronto, and in memory of a dear friend and colleague who could not be with us that day.

This inaugural event, which was the brainchild of the late BILD President and CEO Stephen Dupuis and I, raised over $25,000 to help low-income families achieve the dream of homeownership.

It was called the Ride for Humanity and despite the tragic loss of Stephen just days before the Ride, it was carried out in his honour as a tribute to the legacy he has built throughout his years at BILD.

Stephen’s enthusiasm for and dedication to the Ride for Humanity was what made this event such a tremendous success and will be carried out on an annual basis in his memory. To quote Neil Hetherington, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Toronto, “For months, as BILD planned the first annual Ride for Humanity, it was clear that this event was going to be quintessential Stephen – full of fun, energy and, most importantly, purpose.”

I’d like to thank everyone involved in this event, starting with the riders themselves, the BILD staff members that volunteered their time early on Sunday morning, and the steering committee that helped make it all possible — Darren Steedman of Metrus Development, Frank Ciccolini of Masters Insurance, Peter Di Biasio of H & R Developments, Mike Laskis of Dearie Contractors and Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes. Thank you!

Paul Golini Jr. is Chair of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and BILD’s online blog.

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

“Not to brag, but Toronto is beating New York and Chicago, which have 75 and 25 high-rise buildings under construction right now, respectively. If you can believe it, New York’s construction activity is actually down from last year, when the city had 95 high-rise buildings under construction.”
Paul Golini Jr.

Condo trends. Just how far will your hard-earned money go?

Duncan McAllister, Metro News Canada — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:03:41 -0400

By now, everyone has heard of the most expensive condo sold in Canadian history. That would be the 55th floor, 9,038-square foot condominium penthouse at the Four Seasons hotel and private residences that sold for $28 million last year to a mystery foreign buyer.

Average Joe: But what if you’re not an oil baron or jet-setting industrialist? Can you still get a condo in Toronto for $140,000? The answer is yes. Kind of.

There are many affordable units available from resale inventory. These are apartments and condos outside the core that may be 10 to 40 years old. They are quite roomy, but buyer beware; your costs will be high.

According to Shana Bahrami, a realtor affiliated with Right at Home Realty Inc., “I tell my clients you can find them really, really cheap but guess what? The maintenance fee is extremely high so you might as well put that money into a new condo.”

Take, for example, a 1,200-square-foot condo-apartment unit listed this week in Etobicoke with an asking price of $135,000. “What a bargain!” you say. But you’ll pay $1,230 yearly taxes and $613 in monthly maintenance fees. The building is over 20 years old. At that age, expensive things like elevators, plumbing and masonry wear out long after the building reserve fund has dried up. Maybe it’s not such a good deal after all.

This week, Metro looks at four of the hottest GTA condo locations. A little shopping around shows that you need only get out of the downtown core a bit to find affordable new condo living.

Market data provided courtesy of TheRedPin.com based upon latest inquiries and available inventory. Renderings provided courtesy of Buzzbuzzhomes.com.

Downtown Toronto

•   At the high end. Aura at College Park, Yonge and Gerrard streets. $18,375,500 for 11,370 square feet. Canderel’s Aura is to be one of the tallest condos in Toronto at 78 storeys.

•   At the low end. UpsideDown condos at 1420 Dupont St. $220,000 for 630 square feet. This Channington Developments unit isn’t right downtown, but it’s still in the zone.

Richmond Hill

•   At the high end. Renaissance at Yonge Street and Lorne Avenue. $945,000 for 1,975 square feet. This beautiful new development by Tridel will have only 104 units.

•   At the low end. Royal Gardens condos at 382 Highway 7, $229,000 for 555 square feet. Scheduled for completion in 2013, this unit is good value for suburban living.

Scarborough

•   At the high end. Solaris at Metrogate at Kennedy Road and Highway 401 $571,000 for 1,366 square feet. Even at the high end, Scarborough is good value, especially if it’s size you’re looking for.

•   At the low end. The Westhill at 4151 Kingston rd. $139,000 for 430 square feet. May not have the sights and sounds of the downtown core, but is still the best deal for new condos in the GTA.

Mississauga

•   At the high end. The Park Residences at Parkside Village, 465 Burnhamthorpe rd. W. $400,000 for 884 square feet.

•   At the low end. FirstHome Destination Drive Phase 2 at 3030 Erin Centre blvd. $150,000 for 480 square feet. A new condo and townhouse project by The Daniels Corporation, the FirstHome program helps buyers get into the market at a fair price.

How to survive small space condos and homes

Karl Lohnes, for Metro Canada — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:59:07 -0400

I am moving into a spacious walk-up apartment. I am concerned that the narrow hallways and stairwells might impede me from getting larger furniture pieces into my space. Any ideas or design tricks?
Tina Daenz, via email.

As a former walk-up apartment renter myself, I know your anxiety around getting furniture up.
Here’s a few things you should be cautious of when ordering furnishings, and a few moving solutions I learned.

Bed
If a king-size bed is your choice then opt for the split-box spring. Each piece is the size of a single box spring, which makes it easy to move around in tight spaces. You can also choose two smaller mattresses (called twin plus), which is great for customizing your comfort level from one side to the other, and still enjoy the size of a king bed. Co-ordinate the split bed with one king-size headboard and bedskirt to give a finished king-size look to the bed.

Couch
If a comfy sofa is just too large to be brought up a skinny staircase, consider a grouping of lightweight, small-scaled club chairs. You’ll create a lounge feel with the chairs around a cocktail table or large round ottoman and you’ll be seating as many people as if you had the traditional sofa and chair set. Plus, you’ll have more flexibility for re-arranging the furniture during holidays and parties (see the Tess Chair, above).

Forget about a sleeper sofa altogether; not only are they heavy, they are usually much deeper in size than a regular sofa (the extra depth helps contain the mattress mechanism).

Cabinets
Armoires and china cabinets too large? Find furnishings that disassemble or can be placed together once inside the desired room. If choosing a china cabinet, make sure it comes in the form of a credenza and hutch; each piece will be easier to move up and down stairs.
You can also purchase three or four smaller cabinets or bookshelves and line them up along a long wall for the look of one large piece of furniture (see the Stockholm Glass Cabinet, left).

Like a ‘ship in a bottle’

Here’s a list of easily-moved items that can offer big impact and still move easily up the stairs:

•   Area rugs. Look for colourful, large patterned rugs to fill a room with style.
•   Draperies. Make small windows look larger by hanging draperies on the dead wall space beside windows.
•   Artwork. A big mirror or a piece of art helps create a focal point in a room and offers something large-scale without taking up precious floor space.
•   Paint. If you’ve got a naturally dark room in your place paint it a dark colour for unexpected drama.
•   Lighting. Whether you are renting or own your home, new lighting is a great way to make a place feel sexy at night. A single spotlight on a piece of art or a dramatically painted wall washed with light will help create a special mood in your new place.

Make your own fabric coaster with the English paper-piercing method

Andrea Sadgrove, Liligo — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:30:57 -0400

As a child, artisan Andrea Sadgrove made tiny quilts from felt scraps for her toys. Her love of sewing developed into Liligo — a business making children’s clothes from recycled and
organic cottons.

For this week’s DIY, Sadgrove shows Metro readers how to do the English paper-piercing method. She enjoys the portability of this quilting technique as it is done by hand.

Step 1: Cut out seven one-inch hexagon templates from paper (you can buy pre-made templates, or find some on the Internet). Using a ruler and pencil/chalk, cut seven fabric squares, each measuring 2.5 inches (you can make a template from cardboard, or buy these read-made from a quilting supply store or online).

Step 2: Pin a paper hexagon to the centre of each fabric square. Fold down the fabric as shown and baste around the entire hexagon, taking care to stitch through the fabric only, not the paper.

Step 3: Repeat with the remaining six hexagons and fabric. Stitch the hexagons together using a whipstitch or ladder stitch, again taking care to just sew through the fabric layers, not the paper.

Step 4: Press well. This is your coaster top. Using the coaster top as a guide, draw around it onto a piece of felt (this will become your backing). Remove the papers from inside the hexagons; you can reuse these for more coasters. Sew the backing to the quilt top, wrong sides together, using a coordinating thread so that stitches do not show.

Need a hand? Come make this craft with Andrea Sadgrove at The One of a Kind Spring Show and sale, Saturday, 9-11 a.m. at The Direct Energy centre, Exhibition place

Making ceilings soar

Karl Lohnes, Metro Canada — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:00:00 -0400

There was a time when eight-foot ceilings were considered the norm in apartments, condos and townhouses.

Over the last 10 years, many newer homes include soaring ceilings to make up for the smaller footprints of space being offered. But if you’re dealing with eight-foot ceilings don’t despair; there are some designer tips to help make those daunting lower ceilings rise up to the occasion, in a stylish, modern way.

Paint

I have always subscribed to the old rule that ceilings should be white, and this idea holds even truer when ceilings are lower. A light ceiling will reflect light and draw the eye upward rather than bring the ceiling down in to the room. A slight sheen to your paint will make small spaces with low ceilings look larger by reflecting and bouncing light around.

When choosing colours for the entire room, it’s always best to create a monochromatic scheme, keeping ceilings lighter.

Window treatments

A vertical blind or drapery panels create tall lines in a room and stretch your view upwards. Tall, vertical patterns on draperies will help make the ceilings look higher. Draperies should be within the same colour as the colour of the walls to create a monochromatic colour scheme while still drawing the eye upward.

Furnishings

Keep chairs and sofa heights to a maximum of 36 inches in height in order to create a low-slung, lounge effect; the lower we sit to the ground the higher the ceilings will appear. This rule holds even more true when choosing a bed and night tables. Keep area rugs colourful and dramatic in order to draw the eye down and away from the ceiling. Tall, floor standing mirrors are a great accessory and can help guide the eye upward (plus the mirror visually enlarges a room).

Mouldings and trims

Paint baseboards, door frames, interior doors and crown moulding the same colour and tone as the walls to create a contemporary and simple vibe; plus you add a few extra inches of visual wall height to the room with just the one colour.

Artwork

Lowering all your artwork a few inches from the norm (the middle of the artwork should be 68 to 70 inches off the floor). This will create a greater distance from the top of the art to the ceiling, therefore suggesting the ceilings are a bit taller. This is a great trick in lower levels and basements, too.

Light fixtures

The bottom of a chandelier or swagged lamp should be hung three to four inches higher than average over an eating table. The bottom should normally be 30 inches from table to bottom of fixture, so raise it to about 34 inches and it will visually help to push your ceilings up. Considering the height restrictions, consider a semi-flush light fixture rather than a hanging fixture; they can be just as decorative and yet are not made to hang low into a room (see top left).

Got a design dilemma? Email your question and a photo to: home@metronews.ca. For daily design advice, follow @KarlLohnes on Twitter.

Deconstructing the new nursery

Kenya Hunt, Metro — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:08:27 -0400

In a not so small corner of the Internet universe, the topic of babies — specifically how to have one without losing every last ounce of cool, indie, progressive or whatever “edge” — is a thing. I mean, a really, really big thing. I know from personal experience because I’m expecting one.

And in preparing, I’ve found websites dedicated to baby street style and online magazines solely devoted to retro design-y things for kids. And featured on them all: people like you who are trying to figure the parenting thing out without completely sacrificing their current way of living. Case in point: The New Nursery, which doesn’t look like much of a nursery at all, but rather another coolly decorated room in your place that just happens to have a crib and toys.

“I think city dwellers who live in smaller spaces want their home to feel as one. They want the baby’s room to reflect their taste and the look they chose for the rest of the house,” says Kiliaen Murphy, a London-based former fashion advertising director and mother to a 16-month-old son.

She’s part of a generational trend in which new parents are moving away from the Crayola colours, plastic Fisher Price toys and other clichés that characterized child-raising in the ’80s and ’90s.

“We didn’t want all of the bears and boats that adorn everything for baby boys. We just wanted a relaxed space that invites the child into our lives as an equal rather than a ‘baby’,” she says of her son’s room, which is done in brown and beige and has photographs from their travels and art collection on the walls.

Asher Hoffman, the New York-based jeweller behind the line Black & Blue, built a room for the baby girl he’s expecting to arrive this spring from scratch, decorating it with steel and reclaimed wood fixtures — and not a single circus animal in sight.

“We live in an old factory building in downtown Manhattan so we didn’t want to ignore those roots. And yet we wanted to create something warm. So reclaimed wood seemed like a good way to do that,” he says of the space.

“We all live in this space together as a family. So we wanted something that provides balance and harmony for us as a whole,” he adds.

In my case, we converted my husband’s studio into a space for baby, leaving the collages from our art collection on the walls and adding a few pieces of mid-century furniture that would match the rest of our house. What we didn’t do was go overboard on buying too many of the 0-12 month things that marketers push down our throats, but would look silly or obsolete once the kid is out of diapers.

“Really, the child only needs you, the parent and love,” Murphy says. Hoffman adds one important thing: “That and an endless supply of cookies.”

Cultural genesis on the John Street corridor

Duncan McAllister, Metro Toronto — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:33:47 -0400

An area that’s always been hip with artists, Toronto’s entertainment district is experiencing a condo renaissance with a multitude of highly-walkable new developments that aim to reshape the look and feel of this cultural village.

“It’s Manhattan,” says Adam Vaughan, Toronto city councillor for ward 20. He says the entertainment district was born of the industrial heritage of the King and Spadina area to become “home to one of the largest clusters of high-tech media and arts and digital economic centres in the country.”

Vaughan attributes the growth in part due to young entrepreneurs and employees of the high-tech sector creating a synergy between the financial and tech areas. “Everyone wants to be where the action is and the action is in the entertainment district, not because of nightclubs,” he says.

The councillor says its a chicken and egg scenario: “You’ve always had a strong arts community and there’s always been a telecommunications and a television base to the operations in the King and Spadina areas, but what’s happening is that more and more digital media outfits are starting up in the warehouses and secondary office space in proximity to the financial district. That’s attracted more creative types to live in the neighbourhood.”

Tarik Gidamy is co-founder and broker of record at TheRedPin.com realty. He says developers like the Daniels Corporation were able to sell to an audience that had a connection to the film festival. “Daniels are building those type of products that have a purpose. So you get into all the film festival entertainment events and you’re really connected through your own condominium as to the art and cultural palatability of each of those buildings.”

Gidamy believes there are still deals to be had. “From a numbers standpoint, compared to the downtown core at an average of $870 a square foot or the eastern downtown core at $961 a square foot, the average of all those 10 major projects in the John street corridor are averaging $702 a square foot, so it’s cheaper to actually be in that area.”

Where have all the parties gone? The land has become too valuable for clubland. Gone are the heady days with clubs named remarkably like condos; Circa, Moon, Traffik and Embassy. Gidamy says nightlife seems to have moved down the road a bit, to the burgeoning King West and Ossington ’hood.

Condos in the heart of the core

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:59:30 -0400

Meet the condo

•   What. INDX condominiums by Lifetime Developments and CentreCourt Developments
•   Check it. 70 Temperance St., indxcondos.com, 416-987-4639, from 356 to 821 sq. ft.
•   Pricing. From the mid-$200,000s to $550,000

In the ’hood

It doesn’t get more downtown than this and there’s plenty to choose from: Fine dining and entertainment along King St. and nearby St. Lawrence Market. Great shopping can be found at the Eaton Centre and the underground PATH system, all within walking distance.

The project overview

INDX, a sleek 54-storey glass tower, is designed by the award-winning architectural firm Page + Steele / IBI Group, located in Toronto’s financial district, with 1,500 sq. ft. of retail at the ground level. Occupancy is planned for December of 2015.

Building amenities

Enjoy a 3,000 sq. ft. fitness area complete with free weights, cardio machines, spinning and yoga rooms. There’s a party area with full-length bar and cocktail lounges. A terrace, movie theatre, golf room, poker room and sports room.

Location and transit

You can walk from the office to your suite within minutes. Union Station is only steps away, with access to TTC subways and GO transit. Close to the Gardiner Expressway, and cyclists will enjoy Toronto’s Waterfront Trail.

HST on land

Jeffrey Cowan, Metro Canada — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:30:08 -0400

I have a question regarding HST. I recently severed a piece a land off my property. I am now selling the new vacant land as a residential building lot. And the question is: Is HST payable on the transaction?

Your question is a good one and not as straightforward as you may think. HST is generally applicable when you are building and purchasing new homes and condos. It can sometimes lead to extremely complicated calculations because the federal government offers a GST/HST rebate to qualified purchasers of new homes.

In your case, if you have never personally severed your parcel of land and you are making it into a single residential lot then the sale of that lot is exempt from HST. This is also the case if you sell it to a family member.

The overriding determining factor is if the property is not capital property used primarily in a business and is being sold in the course of that business.

I would consult your lawyer to make sure your land falls under these exemptions.

Stable new home market to start the year

Paul Golini Jr., for Metro Toronto — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:13:00 -0400

It sure feels like spring out there — even summer some days — but I have to keep reminding myself it is only March.

The new housing market in the GTA is easing back into stability with two months of the year under its belt and 4,451 units sold.

More than half of those units were sold in February.

According to RealNet Canada Inc., BILD’s official source of new home market intelligence, February low-rise sales increased by 16 per cent over February 2011.

Looking at the historic trend, the recent February sales figures fall very much in line when compared to 2010, which saw 1,610 sales.

With 1,666 singles, semis and townhomes sold last month, the low-rise market captured the majority of the market share for the second time this year.

Meanwhile, the highrise sector saw a 59 per cent decline, mostly caused by a transitional pause in the Toronto market as builders continue to sell existing inventory before launching a new series of projects.

The good news for new condominium purchasers is that the price per square foot has only increased by two per cent over February 2011, reflecting the design innovation and construction controls builders have in place to provide affordable units and stabilizing consumer prices.

What all of this really means is that we are seeing steady activity, particularly in the 905 markets and on the high-rise side.

While it may appear that sales are down from last year, it actually reflects the typical February lag as existing units are purchased and new condominium projects prepare to launch later this year.