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Separate But Equal
A midtown couple seeks out his and hers pads that are just close enough
THE BUYERS
Jim Kirby, a 48-year-old managing partner of the ad agency Publicis FFWD and a member of Canada’s 1984 Olympic ski team, and 40‑year-old Susan Young, the owner of Newmarket’s Uptop, a ski and snowboard clothing shop.
The story: Last June, the couple bought a house in Bedford Park but soon decided they wanted a second property and a less conventional domestic relationship. The plan was for him to live mainly in one home and her in the other, with their teenager and six-year-old having full bedroom set-ups in both. “We don’t need
to be together all the time just to prove that we’re committed,” Kirby says.
The price range: $550,000 to $700,000.
The criteria: Detached, with parking, three bedrooms, two baths, a recently upgraded kitchen and living room, plus an open-concept design or the potential to be easily opened up.
The agent: Wanda Lalonde, Johnston & Daniel.
The search: Four places over six months.
Option 1: Melrose Avenue (Yonge and Lawrence), listed at $789,000, later sold for $762,000
It hit all the criteria, but the price was high. “We thought we would be able to negotiate a price within our threshold,” says Kirby. But it was September, and the chill hadn’t quite made it to the bone. They offered $729,000, which the seller turned down flat.
Option 2: St. Germain Avenue (Yonge and Lawrence), listed at $639,000, later reduced to $599,000
This one needed an addition to make it large enough. They considered a serious lowball
but decided to walk away.
Option 3: Roslin Avenue
(Mount Pleasant and Lawrence), listed at $740,000, later sold for $806,000
The master bedroom, both bathrooms and the kitchen needed serious renovations, so the couple bid almost $100,000 below the asking price. The owners turned their offer down, and the place sold about a week later for $66,000 over asking.
The buy: Old Orchard Grove (Avenue and Lawrence), listed at $639,000, bought for $629,510
This recently upgraded place just down the street from their current house had been on the market for 90 days, with little response. “We spent a couple of days contemplating what a fair offer would be, without disrespecting,” Kirby says. After another offer fell through, the couple went with $629,510, and the seller accepted.
Photographs: Top, Kurby and Young by Ryan Szulc; Houses by Jessica Darmanin
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