House of the week: 375 Shaw Street

375 Shaw St is nothing if not unique. Sure, it maintains some traditional Victorian elements in its stained glass windows, wainscoting, and high ceilings, but it's not exactly your average turn of the century home. To start, there are the bright blue painted banisters and the golden wallpaper and carpeting. Oh yeah, and then there's also the sizeable pool/solarium at the back of the house that you might describe as "baffling." Like there is a pool in the living room. A POOL in the living room. And you thought waterbeds were outlandish... Start putting together the guest list for your bathing parties... soaking parties... spa parties? You can use your imagination.

The biggest selling feature, though, is that this house has got plenty of space. With 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and approximately 4,000 square feet of living space, there is nothing but opportunity here. With some imagination (and renovation), this could be an ideal home for a growing family.

SPECS

• Address: 375 Shaw St


• Price: $1,200,000


• Lot Size: 23.5 x 127 ft


• Bedrooms: 4


• Bathrooms: 3


• Parking: 2


• Taxes: $4,890


• Walk Score: 95


• Notable Features


• Large home (4000 sq ft) with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms


• Located in the desirable Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood


• Indoor Pool/Solarium


• Detached Garage (coach house)

GOOD FOOR

Lovers of the unique. Lovers of Victorian architecture. People with a vision. This home has maintained some of its original features, keeping a historic feel. But it's ready for someone with a creative mind to take hold of the house and make it their own. It will take some time and money (OK, maybe a lot of time and money), but in the end, you could have the house of your dreams.

MOVE ON IF

You're not the handy type and you want something "move in ready." A lot of the unique parts of this house also make it scream "WORK!" Aside from all the maintenance and renovations that it may take to get this 1890 house up to your modern standards, there's the subject of that pool. Up-keeping pools takes time and money, and with the odd setup of this one....well...it might just not be worth it.

Thanks to The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) for sponsoring our obsession with Toronto's real estate market.

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Writing by Isabel Ritchie

by Staff via blogTO