• 115 Helendale Avenue
• Asking price: $599,000
• Selling price: $592,500
• Taxes: $3,600 (2008)
• Lot size: 18 by 127 feet
• Days on the market: nine
• Listing agent: Julie Kinnear, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.

This two-storey, semi-detached residence had a wide appeal because of its convenient midtown location, various upgrades, user-friendly backyard and availability of parking.

"It was a cool house," says agent Julie Kinnear. The property is situated on a quiet street near desirable schools, parks and recreational amenities. It's also close to the subway, shops, restaurants and night life along Yonge Street.

The professionally landscaped backyard - featured in Gardening Life magazine last year - includes a flagstone patio, open lawn and perennial gardens, a shed and a children's playhouse.

An old-fashioned porch gives the 80-year-old house a classic charm. But the dwelling was in move-in condition. A new roof had been put on, the wiring upgraded, and an alarm system installed.

Both bathrooms - a four-piece on the top floor and a three-piece on the lower level - were renovated. "They had done an excellent job on [them], the agent adds.

Glass tile backsplashes were installed in the kitchen, halogen lights were added in the principal room and Berber carpeting was laid in the lower-level recreation room.

The open living and dining area has a wood-burning fireplace, a pass-through to the kitchen and, like the three bedrooms upstairs, hardwood flooring. The cooking area also has a rear walkout.

Unlike many homes in the area, there is parking under a carport and in the rear lane.