Townhouses For Sale in South East, Ajax

Pickering Beach cottages and the lanes that followed

Part of the South East's lakeshore started as Pickering Beach, a cottage community begun in 1926 that later became year-round. It joined Ajax in 1974. In the early 1970s, the conservation authority bought much of the shoreline, and some Pickering Beach homes were demolished to create the parkland that lines the lake today.

Inland, the South East filled with subdivisions and townhouse complexes as Ajax grew. Many of those complexes sit on private lanes, such as Jenkins, Crabtree, Tompkins, Jacques and Deeprose lanes, with rows of two-storey units around shared internal roads.

Older lane complexes versus newer Salem Road towns

South East buyers are usually choosing between two kinds of townhouse.

The older lane complexes are condominium corporations. The fee typically covers exteriors, the internal road, landscaping, snow clearing and the reserve fund. The units are often roomier than newer stacked towns and come with small fenced yards, but they're at the age where roofs, windows and paving come up on a cycle.

Newer projects closer to Salem Road South, including stacked and back-to-back condo towns, offer modern layouts and recent construction, usually without a yard, sometimes with a rooftop terrace. Some newer streets, such as Coppini Lane, are recent builds as well.

Neither is automatically better. Compare the full monthly cost and the condition of the corporation, not just the age of the unit.

Status certificate questions for a South East lane complex

Before you firm up on an older South East townhouse, have your lawyer review the status certificate and ask these specific questions:

• When were the roofs last replaced, and is the next round in the reserve fund plan?
• Has the complex done a window and patio door replacement, and did owners or the corporation pay?
• Are the internal lanes due for resurfacing, and is the work funded?
• Are there any special assessments approved or under discussion?
• What does the corporation's insurance deductible look like, and which damage falls to the owner?
• How many parking spaces come with the unit, and how is visitor parking enforced?

A strong reserve fund and clear answers are good signs. Vague answers or fast-rising fees deserve a closer look.

Salem Road, Ajax GO and the eastern waterfront

The South East sits close to the Salem Road interchange on the 401, which is convenient but is also the bottleneck where the highway narrows. Ajax GO is a short drive west on the south side of the 401, off Westney Road.

The waterfront is the area's biggest everyday asset. The William Parish Waterfront Trail runs along the shore, and Carruthers Creek reaches the lake at the east end of town. For a townhouse with a small yard, a walk or bike ride to the lake is a strong reason to choose this side of Ajax.

Who the South East tends to suit

The South East suits first-time buyers looking at the larger lane complexes, where the fee covers the exterior and the units often have more room than newer stacked towns. It also suits GO commuters who want to stay south of the 401, and downsizers who want the waterfront trail close by.

Families looking for brand-new freeholds usually head north to Central East instead. The trade is age and fees here against newer construction and a longer trip to the train there.