Home Renovation in Dufferin Grove
Home Renovation in Dufferin Grove's Early 1900s Houses
Dufferin Grove’s houses are a little larger than most downtown stock, and that changes what a renovation here can do. Most were built between 1890 and 1930 in late Victorian, Edwardian and English Cottage styles, as two and three storey semis and detached homes on lots carved from the old Denison family farm by 1894. With that much room, owners can often keep the shell and rework every floor into a family layout, then add space at the top or back.
The catch is under the streets. Denison Creek, a branch of Garrison Creek, once ran down Brock Avenue and through what is now Dufferin Grove Park, then along Sylvan Avenue and Havelock Street toward College. We check your lot against that route before any basement underpinning, and plan the whole-house renovation and any third-storey addition around what we find.
Neighbourhood file
Dufferin Grove Housing Notes
Dufferin Grove sits between Bloor Street, Ossington Avenue, College Street and Dufferin Street. The Denison family farmed it from 1834, the land was subdivided by 1894, and the park was set aside in 1913. The last vacant lots filled in around 1960, when Dufferin Mall opened on the old race track land.
Nearby neighbourhoods we renovate
- Main building era
- Mostly 1890 to 1930
- Typical houses
- Two and three storey semis and detached houses
- Styles
- Late Victorian, Edwardian and English Cottage
- City ward
- Ward 9, Davenport (west of Ossington)
- Under the ground
- Buried Denison Creek, a Garrison Creek branch
- Our work nearby
- Basement rental suite in Junction Triangle
Dufferin Grove Houses: What We Watch For
These houses are more than a century old, some sit on low ground near a buried creek valley, and most have been changed by several owners. Here is what tends to come up when we open them, and our plan for each.
Common Dufferin Grove Issues
- Damp basements on streets along the old Denison Creek
- Basement ceilings too low for a legal suite
- Closed-up rooms that no longer suit family life
- Tired rear additions and porches from past decades
- No driveway on most lots, so site access needs planning
How Ashford Handles Them
- Drainage review, backwater valves and sump pumps planned first
- Underpinning to the ceiling height a suite requires
- Open family layouts that keep the house's original character
- Rebuilt rear additions on proper new footings
- Delivery and bin plans agreed with neighbours early
Dufferin Grove Services
Where Our Services Fit in Dufferin Grove
With larger houses to start from, full renovations and third-storey additions lead here. Basement work comes close behind, with drainage planned first on streets near the buried creek.
01
Whole-Home Renovation
Gut-and-rebuild renovations of 1890 to 1930 semis and detached houses, laid out for families who plan to stay for many years.
02
Basement Underpinning
Lowering Dufferin Grove basements for family space or a legal suite, with a drainage and soil check first on streets near Denison Creek.
03
Home Additions
Third-storey and rear second-floor additions that add bedrooms and a primary suite above the existing roofline.
04
Home Extensions
Rear extensions that open the kitchen to the garden, built on new footings instead of patched onto an old porch or addition.
05
Interior Redesign
Reworking Edwardian and English Cottage floor plans so the main floor flows, while keeping stairs, trim and windows that still have life in them.
06
Architectural Design & Permits
Survey-based drawings, permit sets and variance support for Ward 9 lots, prepared by our BCIN-qualified in-house team.
Ward 9 Rules and Permits for Dufferin Grove Lots
Dufferin Grove lies west of Ossington Avenue in Ward 9, Davenport, which is part of the Toronto and East York district. That means variance requests go to that district’s Committee of Adjustment panel, and detached houses can hold up to six legal units. Underpinning, new basement entrances and second suites all need a building permit, and underpinning plans need a Tree Declaration. A private tree 30 cm or more across needs its own City permit, and since September 2026, healthy trees over 61 cm count as distinctive trees with extra protection. Before design we also check the City’s Heritage Register for your address.
Budgeting for a Dufferin Grove Renovation
Bigger houses mean more to rework, and low ground near the old creek can add drainage work. We price the job once we have walked the house and basement with you.
Why Choose Us
Why Dufferin Grove Families Choose Ashford
Built for Families Who Stay
Dufferin Grove leans owner-occupied, and we design for that: storage, bedrooms and a kitchen that will work for the next twenty years, not a quick resale.
Creek Streets, Checked First
On Sylvan, Havelock, Rusholme and nearby streets, we look at drainage and ground conditions before we design the basement.
One Team, Drawing to Handover
Design, permits and construction stay with us, backed by about 25 years and more than 100 homes renovated in West Toronto.
Five-Year Warranty, Clear Tracking
Labour and materials are covered for five years, and you can follow schedule, budget and photos in JobTread throughout.
Your Dufferin Grove Project, Step by Step
Our Nearest Projects to Dufferin Grove
We have not completed a project in Dufferin Grove yet. A short way west in Roncesvalles, our Fern Avenue project in Roncesvalles opened a main floor by moving the staircase to the centre of the house. North-west in Junction Triangle, the Junction Triangle basement suite was underpinned to create an independent rental unit. For the smaller worker houses just north, see our Wallace Emerson page; for tall Victorian rows to the east, see Trinity-Bellwoods.
Dufferin Grove Homeowner Questions
Does Denison Creek run under my Dufferin Grove street?
It might. The buried creek ran from near Bloor and Lansdowne down Brock Avenue and Croatia Street, crossed Dufferin Street into the park, then followed Sylvan Avenue and Havelock Street toward College and Rusholme Road. Smaller branches followed Rusholme Road and Moutray Street. We check your address against these routes before planning any basement work.
Can I add a third storey to my Dufferin Grove house?
Often, if the zoning allows the height. Many houses here are two storeys on lots with room to build up, and a third floor is a practical way to add a primary suite. We check height and setback limits for your lot first, and if the plan needs a minor variance, we prepare and file it.
Is my Dufferin Grove basement tall enough for an apartment?
It depends on your house. A legal secondary suite needs a ceiling of at least 1.95 m, dropping to 1.85 m under beams and ducts. If yours falls short, underpinning lowers the floor, and near the old creek we confirm soil and drainage first. Our guide to underpinning permits in Toronto explains the paperwork.
What does living near Dufferin Grove Park mean for my basement?
The park’s lower western side is a remnant of the Denison Creek ravine, and there is a distinct valley south of Sylvan Avenue and east of Havelock Street. Houses on low ground near the old valley deserve a closer look at drainage, backwater valves and sump pumps before you finish a basement or add a suite.
Can my Dufferin Grove house become a multiplex?
Possibly. Ward 9 is in the Toronto and East York district, where the City allows up to six units in a detached house, and four-unit multiplexes are allowed across Toronto. Semis face tighter limits. Each unit needs its own exits and fire separation, so we test your lot and layout against the zoning before drawing anything.
Is there help with the cost of flood protection?
Yes. The City of Toronto runs a basement flooding protection subsidy that covers part of the cost of a backwater valve, sump pump and related work on single-family homes up to fourplexes. A backwater valve needs a City permit and an inspection before it is covered. We can fold that work into your renovation and keep the paperwork in order.
Does Denison Creek run under my Dufferin Grove street?
It might. The buried creek ran from near Bloor and Lansdowne down Brock Avenue and Croatia Street, crossed Dufferin Street into the park, then followed Sylvan Avenue and Havelock Street toward College and Rusholme Road. Smaller branches followed Rusholme Road and Moutray Street. We check your address against these routes before planning any basement work.
Can I add a third storey to my Dufferin Grove house?
Often, if the zoning allows the height. Many houses here are two storeys on lots with room to build up, and a third floor is a practical way to add a primary suite. We check height and setback limits for your lot first, and if the plan needs a minor variance, we prepare and file it.
Is my Dufferin Grove basement tall enough for an apartment?
It depends on your house. A legal secondary suite needs a ceiling of at least 1.95 m, dropping to 1.85 m under beams and ducts. If yours falls short, underpinning lowers the floor, and near the old creek we confirm soil and drainage first. Our guide to underpinning permits in Toronto explains the paperwork.
What does living near Dufferin Grove Park mean for my basement?
The park’s lower western side is a remnant of the Denison Creek ravine, and there is a distinct valley south of Sylvan Avenue and east of Havelock Street. Houses on low ground near the old valley deserve a closer look at drainage, backwater valves and sump pumps before you finish a basement or add a suite.
Can my Dufferin Grove house become a multiplex?
Possibly. Ward 9 is in the Toronto and East York district, where the City allows up to six units in a detached house, and four-unit multiplexes are allowed across Toronto. Semis face tighter limits. Each unit needs its own exits and fire separation, so we test your lot and layout against the zoning before drawing anything.
Is there help with the cost of flood protection?
Yes. The City of Toronto runs a basement flooding protection subsidy that covers part of the cost of a backwater valve, sump pump and related work on single-family homes up to fourplexes. A backwater valve needs a City permit and an inspection before it is covered. We can fold that work into your renovation and keep the paperwork in order.
Will you take on a single bathroom?
We don’t. Bathrooms and kitchens are part of our work only within a larger renovation, because that is where a design-build team adds the most. If a new bathroom is one piece of a bigger plan for your house, we would be happy to walk through the whole plan with you.
