Last week, we shared information that we hope you found useful, on some of the basic aspects of loft living in Toronto, with a particular focus on hard lofts. As mentioned earlier, loft living is not for everyone, especially if you have a growing family with a need to regularly access an array of recreational and other building amenities found in a conventional apartment or condominium building. Or would prefer to live in a space with a more conventional layout.
Nonetheless, newly built or more recently converted loft buildings have found a convenient solution to this in the form of soft lofts, including two-storey lofts that resemble the open-concept floor plan and some design elements of a hard loft, but without the harsher or more minimalist aspects of hard loft design and architecture.
Soft lofts-The good and the bad
Cozier yet modern, but much less stark, soft lofts offer the trendiness and coolness of loft living, but without the more extreme architectural flourishes, such as exposed utility pipes, ductwork, etc., and with usually better noise insulation—a perennial concern if you live in a hard loft unit carved out of an old factory or industrial building.
A soft loft emulates a hard loft’s positives, such as an open floor plan, towering ceilings, sun-lit rooms with large windows, and other unique elements, such as exposed wood beams, and brick or concrete walls, but since they are usually found in newer buildings, the living space, including the kitchen and other areas, will have more modern finishes, with the building offering many amenities similar to those found in a typical condominium building.
Given the very limited stock of authentic hard lofts in Toronto (there are only so many old factories or commercial buildings that could be repurposed for hard loft residences), there are more soft loft units available in Toronto. These are also more affordable to rent or buy, compared with hard lofts.
Loft sizes can range from anywhere between 500 square feet to 1500 square feet and above depending on the layout and type of loft. Sales prices usually begin at about $500,000, with prices for bigger lofts trending over $1-1.5 million.
Since they are housed in newer buildings, most soft loft residences are located in the downtown core of Toronto, usually near a subway line, and in trendy neighborhoods, such as Queen West, Roncesvalles, Ronci Village, King West Village, The Beaches, etc.
Considered an enticing and cooler housing option over the more conventional condo living, below are some key considerations to keep in mind before you decide to buy or rent a soft loft.
Layout: The open floor layout of a soft loft is great if you prefer lots of room and open space. Since soft lofts are newly constructed, they do have walls separating the living area, bedroom, study or workspace, kitchen, or other parts of the unit. However, these may vary from unit to unit.
Noise Level: As they are built from scratch, unlike hard loft buildings, soft loft units have much better noise insulation. This is usually missing in hard loft residences that were built by converting a former industrial space and expectedly lack the typical noise insulation incorporated into conventional housing units.
Privacy: Again, many soft loft units mimic the layout of a hard loft but forgo the drawbacks, such as a lack of walls or partitions that hamper privacy. Most soft loft units are constructed to circumvent this design aspect.
Energy Efficiency: Soft loft units are usually housed in newer buildings and therefore offer far better energy efficiency, compared with hard loft buildings. It is easier and less expensive to heat or cool your soft loft.
Remodeling Potential: Most soft loft units available in Toronto have been built recently, incorporating modern and chic interior design. However, if you still prefer to remodel the space, you can very much do so, unlike in a hard loft.
Building Amenities: Given their recent build, most soft loft residences offer an array of building amenities found commonly in conventional apartment or condominium buildings.
If you need more information about how and where to buy a soft loft in the GTA, do get in touch with RE/MAX Royal Team Sachdeva Realty for more information.
Have a good weekend!