Over the past couple of months, there have been so few homes for sale in Toronto that finding the perfect place has felt nearly impossible. But the spring real estate market is shaping up to be a busy one, which is great news for all you GTA house-hunters. Finally, more homes to choose from!

Still, if you want to buy a property this season, you need to be on the ball when it comes to browsing homes because — as we all know — houses here sell seriously fast.

So if you’re dreaming of moving soon, now’s the time to make your list of must-haves, start searching, and set alerts so you can learn about new listings you might love as soon as they go live. And if you need some help defining that list of must-haves, we’ve got you covered.

We surveyed GTA real estate agents from Properly to find out what features top their buyers’ wish lists.

These are Torontonians’ 5 favourite home features, from big backyards to finished basements

A Modern, Tricked-Out Kitchen

For major foodies — and those of us who’ve more recently gotten into cooking thanks to dining out being limited during the pandemic — finding a house with a modern kitchen is a must. And this property in Caledon definitely ticks that box. The space is a chef’s dream, featuring an industrial fridge, farmhouse sink, Wolf Gourmet stove, and massive island with a built-in dining area.

You know the saying “the kitchen is the heart of the home”? That’s definitely true here.

A Spa-Like Ensuite Bathroom

Imagine being able to take just a few steps to draw a bath in your cozy ensuite sanctuary and decompress at the end of a long day. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

Clearly tons of fellow GTA house-hunters think so since finding a space with an ensuite bathroom — like this serenity-inspiring detached home in Oshawa — is another item on so many of their wishlists.

A Fully Finished Basement

In Toronto, it’s not uncommon for houses (especially the older ones) to have unfinished basements, so when you find a place with a fully finished bottom level, you know you’ve found a gem.

If you can’t find a home with a big backyard, a finished basement is the next best thing — especially if you set it up like this recently sold Richmond Hill house. This basement is the ultimate “fun floor,” complete with a games section, gym, lounge area, and bar.

An Open-Concept Floor Plan

When you spend almost every waking moment in your home, it can start to feel cramped pretty quickly — which explains why finding a place with an open-concept floor plan is top of mind for Toronto buyers. Because regardless of the size of your house, having a fluid layout with fewer walls (like this newly renovated property near Christie Pits) makes it feel more spacious.

An Outdoor Oasis

We’ve been living in on-again, off-again isolation for almost two years now. And for a lot of us, that’s made the importance of having personal outdoor space abundantly clear.

When the inside of your home does triple duty as the office, gym, and living area, sometimes your yard is the only place you can totally unwind. That’s why tons of home buyers are looking for the kind of expansive, picturesque outdoor space that comes with this gorgeous home in The Beaches.

Kristen Young

Kristen Young is a Real Estate Manager at Properly, a new kind of real estate brokerage that uses innovative technology, tools and services to simplify and de-stress the real estate experience. She is based in Toronto and is a coach and mentor to fellow agents.