HOME RENOVATIONS – LEASIDE
Home Renovations in Leaside, Toronto
Leaside is a neighbourhood that was built for family life — 1930s and 1940s two-storey detached homes on narrow lots, solid construction, and floor plans that functioned well for a different era. Most of what we renovate here is a kitchen that needs to breathe, or a ground floor that needs to flow. Sandra draws the plan, Johanna runs the build, and the same team stays on site throughout.
Our approach
Renovating a Leaside home isn’t a cosmetic project.
Most Leaside renovations go off-budget for the same reason — surprises. The tight kitchen at the back of the house could extend into the rear yard — but only if the addition permit goes through, and only if the lot coverage allows it. The post-war wood frame has been patched in ways that don’t show up until demo. The existing layout worked for the 1940s family that built it, not for how you cook and live today.
You signed a contract before anyone drew the existing conditions.
Now you have to choose: pay for the change orders, or scale back the dream.
LEASIDE – WHAT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ADDS
Home renovations in Leaside — what the neighbourhood adds
Two-storey detached, narrow lots
Most Leaside homes were built between the 1930s and the 1950s. Walk along McRae Drive or Hanna Road and you’ll see the pattern: two-storey brick detached homes on lots that are typically 25 to 30 feet wide, rear yards that back onto lanes, and a consistent streetscape that the neighbourhood association works to protect.
The area is bounded roughly by Bayview Avenue to the east, Eglinton to the south, and Sunnybrook Park to the north — a self-contained pocket that has attracted young families and professional couples who want the school catchment and the quiet streets, and are willing to renovate an older home to get it.
What we plan for is rarely just cosmetic
The most common renovation in Leaside is the rear kitchen extension — opening up the back of the house to bring light in and connect to the garden. It sounds straightforward. It usually isn’t. The existing rear wall may be load-bearing. The lot coverage may already be close to the limit. The lane access may complicate where mechanicals can go.
Before we quote, Sandra draws the existing conditions — the actual rear wall structure, the lot coverage calculation, where the existing kitchen services run. That’s what tells you whether the extension is feasible before you commit.
Permits go through Toronto Building
Leaside is part of the City of Toronto. Rear additions, structural wall removals, and basement underpinning all require permits through Toronto Building. Additions that push lot coverage or height may need a Committee of Adjustment variance — a process that adds 8-12 weeks to the front end.
We manage all permits and Committee applications as part of the design-build scope.
If you’re earlier in the planning phase, our Toronto home renovation guide covers scope and cost decisions. Looking at homes in Moore Park or Lawrence Park? See our Moore Park renovation page or Lawrence Park renovation page.
WHY HABITUAL HOMES
Why Leaside homeowners work with us
1
Architecturally trained
Sandra trained as an architect in Venezuela. Drawings are not an afterthought — they’re how the renovation gets made.
2
Same team, end to end
Sandra designs. Johanna runs the site. The same two people stay on your project from first sketch to final walkthrough.
3
Existing conditions first
We measure and draw what’s actually there before we quote. That’s how we avoid the change orders in week three.
4
Permits handled in scope
Toronto Building, Committee of Adjustment if needed — we pull and manage permits as part of the design-build, not extra.
THE PROCESS
How a Habitual Homes renovation works
1
Feasibility & Design
(3–6 weeks) We visit the home, draw the existing conditions, develop design options, and agree on scope before anyone signs anything.
2
Documentation & Permits
(4–8 weeks) Construction drawings, full material spec, structural review if needed. We pull permits with Toronto Building and Committee of Adjustment.
3
Build & Handover
(10–16 weeks for a full reno) Johanna runs the site. Trades coordinated by the HH team. Weekly updates, walkthrough + defects list, one year of follow-up.
A RECENT PROJECT
A bedroom we just finished in Downtown Toronto
Custom walnut night tables and a vertical slat feature wall in a Downtown Toronto bedroom. The night tables were designed as built-in millwork — not furniture pushed against a wall — with planned electrical for sconces and integrated storage. Sandra drew every section before fabrication. The same approach scales to renovations across Toronto and the GTA.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Real reviews from real Toronto homeowners.
SERVICE AREA
We renovate across Toronto and the GTA
Habitual Homes works on residential renovations across Toronto and the inner GTA. If you’re in any of these neighbourhoods, we likely know the building stock and the permit office.
Not in this list? Contact us → We cover most of the GTA.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Leaside Renovation FAQ
Q1 – How long does a Leaside home renovation take?
It depends on scope. A kitchen-only renovation in a Leaside home typically runs 10-14 weeks from design sign-off. If you are extending the rear of the house to expand the kitchen, add 4-8 weeks for a Committee of Adjustment application if the lot coverage requires a variance, plus 4-6 weeks of construction for the extension itself. A full ground-floor gut-reno including rear extension runs 18-24 weeks. We give you a confirmed timeline at the end of the design phase, once the permit situation is clear.
Q2 – Do you handle the permits in Leaside?
Yes. Leaside is under Toronto Building, the same permit authority as the rest of the city. For a rear addition or any structural change, we assess during the design phase whether a standard building permit or a Committee of Adjustment application is needed. We file and manage both as part of our scope. You do not deal with the permit office directly.
Q3 – Can we live in the home during a Leaside renovation?
For a single-room renovation with contained demo, most Leaside clients manage with the disruption. For a rear extension that opens the back of the house, where the kitchen goes offline for weeks and there is an open structure to the exterior, it is not comfortable to stay in. Most clients doing a full ground-floor Leaside renovation plan to stay elsewhere for the core of the build. We will give you a practical read before you commit.
Planning a renovation? Let’s start with a conversation.
No commitment, no pressure. We’ll listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit.