Open this photo in gallery Sutton Group, West Coast Realty

3035 Charles St., Vancouver

Asking price: $1.225 million

Selling price: $1.260 million

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Previous selling prices: $1,265,000 (2017); $147,600 (1999); $149,000 (1982)

Days on market: 56

Taxes: $4,656.69 (2019)

Listing agent: Ian Watt, Sutton Group, West Coast Realty

The action

Open this photo in gallery The listing agent says that Vancouver Specials like this home are sought-after because 'you can do anything you want with them.' Sutton Group, West Coast Realty

Listing agent Ian Watt received five offers, all conditional. The house sold five days after listing, but because it was an estate sale and had to clear probate, the deal didn’t close until much later.

The buyers are a young family. “It’s a narrow lot and the place needs work,” he says. “But the Vancouver Specials are very sought after, because you can do anything you want with them, they are kind of hip. There’s a lot of opportunity with that space.”

What they got

Open this photo in gallery The home is still in original condition, with a galley kitchen. Sutton Group, West Coast Realty

This Vancouver Special, built in 1981, sits on a 29.5-foot-by-111-foot lot on a sunny quiet street on the city’s east side.

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The 1,918-square-foot house is in original condition, with three bedrooms and 1½ bathrooms upstairs, a dated brick fireplace, galley kitchen, open dining area and north-facing deck with mountain views.

The sellers installed new carpets and painted. Downstairs is a self-contained one-bedroom suite. The house is steps to an elementary school and within walking distance to a supermarket and the Hastings Street shopping district.

The agent’s take

“Local money is on fire right now,” Mr. Watt says. “Definitely the under $1.2-million market is really busy. People want to buy because they’ve noticed that we’ve hit the bottom. Buyers know they’ve already dropped 10 per cent and they won’t go down anymore.”

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