If you’ve been scouring real estate listings looking for the perfect combination of views, location, style, and the big one — affordability — you might be overlooking one of Toronto’s most unique and sought after housing options: the floating home.
Floating homes are stationary floating structures typically located on shoreline marinas that provide alternative housing for city dwellers looking for something new and different.
According to Floating Homes Toronto, the City’s 25 floating properties, currently located at Bluffer’s Park in Scarborough, were originally constructed as a part of the 1999 bid to host the Olympics, but when the City lost the bid they were privately purchased. Since then, regulations have been passed that prohibit the construction of new floating homes, making the watery residences of Brimley Road South truly one of a kind opportunities.
And in a housing market that seldom sees chic and well-located homes with a view priced at, or below, $1M, floating homes provide an affordable yet elevated — not to mention extremely cool — living experience. In many cases, the great compromise of a home on the water is the sacrifice on square-footage, but what you lose in space you gain in savings, and swagger.
Without further ado, let’s cruise through four floating homes in Toronto currently on the market for less than $1M.
7 Brimley Road South d78
Specs:
- Bedroom: 1
- Bathroom: 2
- Price: $535,000
This shipping-container-esque home was custom built in 2022 with oodles of style and convenience packed into 650 sq. ft, plus a 65 sq. ft cedar deck out back perfect for catching the sunset.
The nautically-inspired kitchen shares a space with the living room and boasts a breakfast bar, oak countertops, and a retro-looking Galanz fridge.
In the living room, a built-in desk and floating shelves add function and style to the compact space, while natural light floods through the home’s large sliding doors and plentiful windows.
White oak plank flooring throughout gives the home a solid, elevated feel.
Plus, further built in shelving under the TV and in the bedroom provide bespoke finishes that are both practical and handsome.
7 Brimley Road South #2
Specs:
- Bedroom: 1
- Bathroom: 1
- Price: $649,000
Stroll across that charming drawbridge to arrive at #2 Brimley Rd: a lengthy 55 feet of super chic nautical living.
Inside, an open concept kitchen and living room are defined by high-end commercial-grade flooring, wood cabinetry, and marble countertops.
Off the living room, residents have access to a cedar deck, which includes a kayak step down for easy access to the marina’s serene waters.
But it’s not just a pretty face. The home has been engineered for maximum efficiency and convenience with a split system air conditioning with an HRV heat recovery ventilator, a hybrid hot water on-demand system, energy-efficient LED lighting throughout, and waterproof mould-proof tile.
And the cherry on top? A quaint yet manicured terrace in the trees.
Specs:
- Bedroom: 2
- Bathroom: 2
- Price: $789,900
All aboard #8 7 Brimley Rd, our first two-storey floating home listed for only $789,900.
Open concept seems to be the style with these compact homes, and here, floor-to-ceiling wood cabinetry further opens the space vertically.
This angle shows just how much storage the owners have snuck in, plus, notice the radiant bamboo flooring throughout.
Upstairs, the light-filled primary bedroom provides the ultimate escape, with access to its own balcony (champagne, sadly, not included).
Plus, check out the view of the marina from the spacious rooftop deck.
7 Brimley Road South #12
Specs:
- Bedroom: 3
- Bathroom: 2
- Price: $995,000
Last but not least, we have another two-storey stunner for just shy of $1M.
This gem is full of sophisticated touches that elevate the interior, from the wide plank hardwood flooring to the spacious kitchen with a unique tile backsplash.
Sharing the space with the kitchen is a cosy living room that features built-in shelving and a gas fireplace on a stone accent wall.
Then, in the light-flooded main floor bedroom gaze out at the lake through large sliding glass doors that walk out onto a private deck.
Just look at those views.
