Townhouses For Sale in Appleby, Burlington

Appleby GO and the gateway plan

The biggest change coming to Appleby is around its GO station. The city's draft plan for the Appleby GO Major Transit Station Area, endorsed in principle in 2022, makes the station's central precinct the densest of the area's zones, with tall and mid-rise residential buildings, shops and offices. Further from the station, the plan steps down to mid-rise and then low-rise residential, with heights capped next to existing neighbourhoods.

For townhouse buyers, that matters in two ways. New stacked and street townhouses are part of the transition zones, so this is where some of Burlington's next new townhouses will be. And existing townhouses near the station will see their surroundings change as plazas and industrial sites redevelop.

Appleby GO is on the Lakeshore West line and also serves as an east-end hub for Burlington Transit, so the train is a real option here.

From an 1857 post office to postwar split-levels

Appleby was settled in the early 1800s and had its own post office by 1857, but most of today's neighbourhood took shape in the 1950s and 1960s. South of Lakeshore Road, large estate homes sit on lake-view lots. North of it, the streets fill with split-levels and ranch bungalows with brick fronts and single or double garages.

Townhouses arrived later, mostly in condo complexes built along the larger roads and near the station area. They're the main way into Appleby for buyers who don't want or can't afford a detached house on a large lot.

Appleby Village, at Appleby Line and New Street, is the local shopping and dining strip.

Older complexes: the fee is buying you a roof

Many of Appleby's condo townhouses are in complexes that have been around for decades. That means the corporation is likely in its second or third round of major repairs. Before you buy, look at:

• When the roofs, windows and paving were last done, and what's scheduled next
• The reserve fund study and whether the fund is on track
• Any special assessments in recent years
• Whether the unit's windows and doors are owner or corporation responsibility

A complex that has kept up with this work is often a sound buy. One that has deferred it may pass those costs on soon.

Burloak waterfront and Sherwood Park

Appleby has good access to the lake. Burloak Waterfront Park, on the Oakville border, has more than 800 metres of shoreline, a waterfront trail, a pavilion and picnic areas. Smaller parks include Bromley, Pineland, Skyway, Frontenac and Sheldon. Sherwood Park, at the north end, has four baseball diamonds, sports fields, a playground and an indoor gym.

Highway 403 and the QEW are about five minutes away, and Lakeshore Road runs east to Oakville and west to downtown Burlington.

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre and the Art Gallery of Burlington are a short drive west, and the Burlington Centennial Indoor Pool is nearby. For a townhouse owner who has traded a big yard for less maintenance, having the lake and these public spaces close by makes the trade easier.

Appleby buyers and their trade-offs

Appleby suits first-time buyers and commuters who want the train without paying downtown prices, and downsizers who want to stay near the lake. The trade-off is age: most townhouses here are older, and a few may sit near the industrial lands around the QEW. Visiting at different times of day will tell you how much traffic and noise reach a given complex.

Investors also look at Appleby, because the GO station and the east-end employment lands create steady demand from renters who commute. If that's your plan, read the condo declaration for any leasing restrictions before you make an offer.