Toronto couple finds a midtown detached house after a tight $1‑million search
Peter and Jennifer McGillivray wanted a transit-friendly, two-bedroom home with room to host. They negotiated to buy a detached house in midtown for $1,025,000.
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By Torontoer Staff
Peter and Jennifer McGillivray moved back to Toronto in 2023 and spent the next year renting while weighing whether to buy. With a target budget of $1,000,000 and priorities that included transit access, at least two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and space to host guests, they began a focused house hunt in early 2025.
They closed on a detached house near Oakwood and St. Clair for $1,025,000 after a negotiated offer and a three-week closing. The purchase came after a brief window in the market, which Peter said made buying suddenly attractive.
We caught a little bit of lightning with the Trump uncertainties and a mini dip in pricing. People were feeling more desperate to sell than they might have otherwise been, and there was a huge drop in interest rates, which made things suddenly a lot more attractive.
Peter McGillivray
Their brief
The couple set a clear list of priorities. They wanted at least two bedrooms and two bathrooms, room to host dinner parties and overnight guests, and a layout that could accommodate Peter’s upright piano. Jennifer favoured a detached house, and both needed reliable transit access to reach concert venues downtown and manageable commutes to work in North York.
How they searched
Peter and Jennifer enlisted agent Michael Wacholtz in spring 2025 and concentrated their search south of Cedarvale Park, where many friends live and transit links are stronger. The brief was narrow and the tolerances were small, so their agent warned that good fits would be uncommon.
We were looking for a bit of a unicorn. If people are willing to be a little bit flexible, you can find them. It’s like needles in a haystack.
Michael Wacholtz, real estate agent
The contenders
Narrow semi near Davenport and Bathurst
Listed at $1,099,900, this three-bedroom semi offered a 10-minute walk to Dupont subway station, a renovated kitchen with walnut cabinetry and Caesarstone counters, a backyard and a fireplace. The couple liked the bones and the location, but the property’s narrow layout raised concerns about fitting the upright piano. The front steps also needed structural work, which would add unexpected costs.
Dated detached near St. Clair and Eglinton
This detached house was listed at $899,000 and delivered on space with two large bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sizeable basement kitchen. The price left room in the couple’s budget for renovations, but the home required extensive updating, including old tiling and parquet floors. They concluded that true renovation costs would likely exceed the apparent savings.
Renovated detached near Oakwood and St. Clair
This fully renovated house came with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a detached garage on a private laneway and a porch for barbecues. It was listed at $1,100,000, above the couple’s $1,000,000 target, and transit times to work and the Rogers Centre were about 45 minutes. The location and condition appealed to them, but the price presented a dilemma.
Closing and quick updates
Their agent opened negotiations on the renovated Oakwood and St. Clair house with an offer of $1,000,000. After back and forth with the seller, both parties agreed on $1,025,000. The McGillivrays accepted a brief three-week closing and took possession in May 2025.
Post-purchase work has been modest. They painted the main floor, replaced an electric stove with a stainless-steel model and removed a decaying front-yard tree. To get the piano to the third floor they arranged for a stair and railing company to temporarily modify the bannister.
It’s a musical neighbourhood. Our neighbour two doors down, her grandson visits a lot and in the summer, you can hear the sound of him practising the saxophone wafting through the windows.
Jennifer McGillivray
What they traded off
- Price versus condition: cheaper houses needed heavy renovations, while turn-key properties pushed the budget higher.
- Commute time versus neighbourhood amenities: the couple prioritised transit access and proximity to arts venues over a shorter drive.
- Space versus layout: narrow or oddly configured homes required compromises for the piano and hosting plans.
For Peter and Jennifer, the final decision balanced location, condition and the ability to move in quickly. They traded a strict $1,000,000 cap for a property that met most of their lifestyle needs and required only modest immediate work.
If you had asked them 20 years ago when they were starting out in the arts whether they would buy a midtown Toronto house, they would not have expected this outcome. Now they are settling into the city where they met, with space for rehearsals, guests and neighbourhood music nearby.
If you’d asked those two starving-artist kids 20 years ago, if they ever thought that they were going to buy a house in midtown Toronto, they definitely would have told you, ‘no.’ It feels great for the phase in our lives that we’re in.
Jennifer McGillivray
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