It happened again this summer: a client called me and said, “Danielle, I really want to find a Victorian to restore.” A Victorian, of course, describing a home built during the Victorian era, encapsulating a particular style, size and stature. I said, “Ellen, are you sure you want to undertake this size of a project all by yourself and with no experience? Are you crazy?” Ellen, a top-of-her-industry breast pathologist, had no doubts about her desires or abilities to restore a larger-than-life Victorian-era home.
When was the Victorian Era, and what is a Victorian Home?
When was the Victorian Era, you ask? Built from the 1850s to the early 1900s, Victorian architecture swept the city by builders fascinated with ornate details, durable materials and unique facades. Different Victorian styles shot up in neighbourhoods that corresponded to their socio-economic demographic. The Bay and Gable Victorian style house dominates in Cabbagetown, Parkdale, and Trinity Bellwoods, whereas the more affluent Rosedale and Annex neighbourhoods tend to have more of the Queen Anne Victorian and the Gothic Revival styles.
Modern Victorian homes are most desired by affluent people in positions of power with a hankering for history and prestige (basically, Ellen in a nutshell). These homes can be pricey if restored, large and have parking (which was rare to be originally built with).
Although sitting quite slim, due to their historic style of taxation based on front foot, a Victorian-style home tends to have a deeper structure, larger ceiling height, and an additional top floor. What is lost in width is found in height and length.
My concerns for Ellen sprang from my knowledge about what type of interior renovations she would need to do to match the current level of comfort she gets in her more modern home.
Do you have more questions about buying a home in Toronto? Here are a few more posts you might find helpful:
- What is Co-Ownership in Real Estate?
- How to Prepare for Moving Day
- What to Look For When Hiring a Toronto Real Estate Agent
Pros and cons of owning a Victorian-era home:
First, the Cons
Now here’s the thing about Victorian Home Interiors; unless they’ve been recently updated, their systems can be uninsurable, environmentally inefficient and historic designations limit your renovation freedoms.
A classic Victorian home interior includes a type of wiring called Knob-and-Tube (k&t), which is an ungrounded wire (two prong) which passes through joists and is supported on ceramic knobs. Aside from many of our modern-day electronics not being compatible, insurance companies most often do not insure homes with k&t or demand its replacement immediately. Luckily for Ellen, the home she bought had updated electrical, phew!
Among other things, a Victorian home interior is characterized by high ceilings & tall and ornate doors; lovely for the feeling of grandeur, but can cost 2-3 times more in utilities due to heat loss. While solid double or triple brick masonry was the norm, Victorian era homes were not built with an insulation cavity, making sound/heat/cool transfer easy as pressing send. The neighbours on the other side of the semi-detached wall seem to be quiet & so far, soundproofing doesn’t seem to be needed.
An unrenovated Victorian-style house usually has a hot water radiator system and corresponding radiators placed around the home. Ellen didn’t know much about boiler maintenance, but she did know she wanted AC. We decided to enlist my HVAC supplier to change over the heating/cooling system to provide her with modern comfort. Unfortunately, the thing about upgrading this system is that the windows too had to be replaced to retain the heat.
Single paned windows, often stained glass, while beautiful to look at, are terrible insulators and virtually useless in -20 degree weather. Because climate change is bringing us more extreme weather, I suggested we replace many of the windows along with any frames that had gaps and were letting in a draft.
Are you planning your own renovation? From planning the to-do list to learning all about Toronto’s renovation rebate, there’s a lot to know. Working with a real estate agent with renovation experience is a valuable asset.
Are there any pros?
Ellen, luckily, purchased a home that had no limitations on what type of renovation she could perform inside and out. If Ellen wants to add addition, change the facade or shape of the roof (who would) she isn’t limited to a heritage home designation’s standard. Many Victorian homes in Toronto fall under part IV or V of the Ontario heritage Act limiting the changes that can be made to a dwelling based on individually designated or neighbourhood-wide designations.
Now, after the renovations on the Victorian home were decided on we could marvel in the pros of buying such a special property.
The sheer scarcity of the Victorian era home is what attracts elites like Ellen to such a home. Today’s building landscape simply doesn’t have the means or experienced contractors to create such intricate plaster moulding detail, hand-crafted fireplaces, and fancy-cut gingerbread trim; living in a Victorian style home is like living inside a piece of artwork.
Like those who appreciate art, established neighbourhoods with Victorian era homes have residents that respect and who like to preserve their homes integrity.
Other than Parkdale, where family homes have been repurposed to provide shelter for those seeking help with mental health, addiction, and economic adversity, most neighbourhoods with Victorian homes appreciate in value at par or better than the city average.
If Ellen’s story has inspired you and you’d like to undertake a home renovation, read our home renovation blog series:
- Renovation Guide Part 1: Home Renovation Overview
- Renovation Guide Part 2: Planning the Renovation
- Renovation Guide Part 3: How to Create a Floor Plan
- Renovation Guide Part 4: How to Create Your Reno To-Do List
- Renovation Guide Part 5: What’s Your Budget?
- Renovation Guide Part 6: How to Get a Building Permit
Urban sophistication existed before Urban sophistication was a thing.
Now, Ellen wasn’t fussed about what colour the brick of her modern Victorian house had to be but I had always been attracted to red. It turns out I would have been the unsophisticated type of buyer in the later 1800s. While most of the yellow or ‘bluff brick’ was manufactured at the Don Valley Brickward (modern day Brickworks) the red brick was made in more rural areas. The iconic yellow brick is what made a home a “Toronto Victorian” while the red brick was used later on and more with larger Queen Anne and Gothic styles and was considered “too country” for some.
Today Ellen is living in her Victorian dream home full of character and history, sitting near a popular street in a neighbourhood that resonates with who she is and what she stands for.
For many reasons, not everyone should own a Victorian era home, but those who have a thirst for history and stomach for renovations should definitely consider it.
Do you have more questions about buying or renovating a Victorian home? I’m happy to help! Give me a call or text me at 416-728-5401 or email me at ddemerino@royallepage.ca today!
