The buyers: Sarah Grant, a 40-year-old home-organization entrepreneur; John Grant, a 38-year-old software engineer; and sons Jack, who’s seven, and Charlie, who’s nine.
The budget: $2.3 million
The backstory: The Grants’ former home in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood had lots of character. The semi-detached century home—purchased for $750,000 in 2015—had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, stained-glass windows and original wood floors. What it didn’t have was space: the kitchen was small, and brothers Jack and Charlie dutifully shared a single bedroom.
Things got even tighter when John began working from home during the pandemic. He took over Sarah’s office, which only deepened his long-held desire for larger living quarters. “Each of us needed more quiet space,” John says. He got in the habit of sending real estate listings to Sarah, who—despite her…
