Townhouses For Sale in Aurora Grove, Aurora

Hilly 1970s to 1990s streets with towns tucked in

The southern part of this area was among the earliest land settled in Aurora, back in the 1790s, while the northern half belonged to Whitchurch Township until it joined Aurora around 1970. Building took off in the 1970s and continued through the 1990s, with some larger homes added in the 2000s.

The typical house is brick with a gable facing the street and a garage at the front. Townhouses fit into that same palette and era. If you are looking at a town in Aurora Grove, expect a unit that is 25 to 45 years old, with all the maintenance questions that brings.

Townhouses here range from small condominium groupings with a shared lane to freehold units on a public street. The condo complexes usually have a modest number of units, which keeps them quiet but means each owner's share of a large repair is bigger. Freehold towns put the full cost of exterior work on the owner but give more say over timing and materials.

Industrial Parkway on the western side carries some commercial and light industrial traffic, so units close to it can feel busier than those on the inner crescents toward Bayview.

Sheppard's Bush in the middle of the neighbourhood

Sheppard's Bush Conservation Area runs through the centre, and many homes back onto that corridor. It gives the area trails and tree cover that most of the newer subdivisions east of Bayview lack. There are also several parks with sports fields, ball diamonds and courts.

The conservation corridor brings rules with it. Units backing onto regulated land can need a permit for decks, fences or grading, so check before planning yard work.

Between the downtown and Bayview

Aurora Grove's position is handy. Yonge Street shopping, including the Aurora Shopping Centre and the SmartCentres plaza, is to the west. Bayview's retail strip is to the east. Aurora GO is a short drive or bike ride north on Wellington Street East, and the 404 is reachable via Wellington.

Who looks at an Aurora Grove town

Buyers here are often families who want an established street with mature trees and are prepared to update a unit over time. Prices for older stock tend to reflect the work needed, so a town that has already had a new roof, windows and kitchen can stand apart from one that still has its original finishes.

First-time buyers sometimes find Aurora Grove a good middle ground. It is closer to the downtown than the newest subdivisions, quieter than the units right on Yonge, and greener than many parts of town thanks to the conservation corridor. The trade-off is age: budget for maintenance from the first year.

If you are comparing a unit here with a newer town east of Bayview, weigh the backyard and the trees against the newer building envelope and the lower near-term repair bill.

Age-related checks for Aurora Grove towns

• Roof shingles and windows: original materials from the 1980s and 1990s are past their usual life.
• Furnace, air conditioning and water heater age, and whether the water heater is owned or rented.
• In condo complexes, the reserve fund's plan for paving, roofs and exterior walls, and any recent special assessments.
• Basement moisture on units at the bottom of a slope, given the hilly ground.