When considering residential housing options in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you will usually find a lot of information about the more traditional or conventional housing choices, such as condominium apartments, townhouses, and semi-detached or detached homes, among others. If you are an avid urban dweller and prefer to live close to the hustle and bustle of the city centre, you could consider buying or renting a loft.

You would have a narrower pool to pick your choices from of course—loft inventory in Toronto is highly sought-after and very limited—given that there are very few buildings left to accommodate this housing style, as they were not constructed for residential purposes to begin with.

Loft sizes can range from anywhere between 500 square feet to 1200 square feet and above depending on the layout and type of loft. Sales prices usually begin at $500,000, with prices for bigger lofts trending over $1 million. 

A brief history of lofts in Toronto

Residential lofts are distinctive because of their layout. They have an open floor plan, towering 11-12 foot or in some cases even higher ceilings, a suffusion of natural light from large windows, and distinctive style and architectural elements, such as exposed wood beams, brick or concrete walls, utility pipes, ductwork, and in some cases—still-in-use freight elevators.

The limited but varied stock of lofts available in Toronto can be primarily found in the downtown core, often in trendy neighborhoods, such as Liberty Village and Queen West. Residential loft buildings were originally built to serve as warehouses, factories, other business hubs or industrial structures during the last couple of centuries but were later repurposed and converted into residential housing units or lofts. For this reason, each residential loft building has its own unique history and storied heritage. 

Historically, because of their layout and general architectural style, loft living is usually preferred by artists, entrepreneurs, or small business owners with a preference for a more bohemian or unconventional living or workspace. 

Loft types 

The current stock of residential lofts available in Toronto can be broadly characterized as hard or soft lofts. Prospective buyers or renters can also opt for two-storey lofts for a slightly more conventional and family-friendly take on loft living, or the other end of the spectrum—industrial lofts that offer a more bare-bones and minimalist style of loft living.

In today's blog, we will focus on hard lofts—their unique characteristics and drawbacks.

Hard lofts-The good and the bad

Also known as authentic or heritage lofts, these terms are often used interchangeably for hard lofts because they have been created by repurposing industrial buildings or warehouses into residential units that still retain the unique architectural elements of the original structure, such as a lack of outdoor space or balconies, which are commonly found in conventional apartment or condominium buildings.

When businesses housed in these industrial structures relocated elsewhere, developers promptly converted what was considered prime real estate, given its location in the downtown core or near the city centre, for mixed-use housing development—residential units on the upper floors and shops or retail outlets on the ground level—or for solely residential use.

An enticing and cool housing option, below are some key considerations to keep in mind before you decide to buy or rent a hard loft.

  • Layout: The open floor layout of a hard loft is great if you prefer lots of room and open space, but keep in mind this means there will be no walls separating the living area, your bedroom, study or workspace, kitchen, or other parts of the unit, except perhaps the bathroom.  
  • Noise Level: Since these units were created by carving out space in what used to be a commercial or industrial building, you should not expect your loft to have the noise insulation that is usually a given in housing built solely for residential use.   
  • Privacy: If you are someone who socializes a lot or would like to do so in your loft on a regular basis, be prepared for the lack of privacy.
  • Energy Efficiency: Given their lofty windows and ceilings, and general building layout, hard lofts are difficult to cool or heat, depending on the weather. Nonetheless, be prepared to shell out considerably more for heating or cooling. 
  • Remodeling Potential: With no interior walls or built-in storage space, many loft owners have to either remodel the loft space by erecting artificial walls or storage space or making other interior design modifications to introduce space demarcations.
  • Building Amenities: Residential loft buildings usually do not have an array of building amenities found commonly in most residential apartment or condominium buildings.

If you need more information about how and where to buy a hard loft in the GTA, do get in touch with RE/MAX Royal Team Sachdeva Realty for more information.

Have a good weekend!