Toronto Living: Toronto Lofts

There are many choices when it comes to finding a home in Toronto and finding the perfect place is a very rewarding experience. When considering a Toronto Loft one of the most common questions is:  What exactly is a Loft?

Toronto Lofts have become very popular over recent years and are scattered throughout the central downtown Toronto area. The concept of a loft came about because artists who worked in industrial spaces would illegally incorporate their living space within their work space in order to save on living expenses.   This is how the Live/Work concept eventually took off as well.  So although you will find that many condos and lofts are strictly residential, there are lofts within Toronto that are zoned Live/Work in certain areas.

These unique industrial spaces provided a large open concept with exposed industrial details such as ductwork, mushroom columns, exposed brick, large windows and very high ceilings.  So, not only was it practical to live and work in the same location, but these lofts also looked impressive. Well this hard loft concept took off and became very popular, the only problem was that there are only so many old warehouses and industrial buildings available to convert into lofts at any given time.

So builders, who were trying to capitalize on this concept and fulfill the demand, decided to tweak the condo apartment to look like a loft.  The soft loft was born.  It offered some exposed ductwork, high ceilings, an open concept and large windows which successfully catered to the loft demand.  Builders also came up with the creative concept of combining the 2 concepts of hard and soft lofts by building extensions onto an existing building to add units, so in effect there are also hard loft conversions with soft loft extensions.

Soft and Hard Lofts

So what is the  difference between a hard loft conversion and a soft loft conversion.  Hard lofts are unique to each warehouse or industrial building that is converted which cannot be easily replicated.   There are many discerning loft buyers who will only consider a hard loft because of the exclusive and unique nature of a hard loft. On the other hand some buyers like the large open concept with the high ceilings, but like a newly constructed building; this would be a soft loft. So soft lofts are built from new materials and are made to resemble the hard loft. Another major difference is that hard loft conversions are not covered under the Tarion New Builder Warranty but a newly built soft loft will be covered under the Tarion Warranty.

The loft market is a specialized niche market that has become very popular amongst young professionals, artists, empty nesters and more.  When it comes time to choosing a loft, the only way you will know what suits your needs is to actually preview them.  So if you are thinking about buying a loft, feel free to ask me for a loft tour to help you in your search for the perfect home.