The craftsman house at 3937 West 31st was marketed as a dream home when it went up for sale in 2012.

“You’ve admired it — now it can be yours!” read the real estate listing. “The charm and quality of the past, updated to today’s standards.”

The three-bedroom house featured an updated kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and French doors that opened onto a large terrace.

There was a fireplace in the living room, lovely tile in the bathroom and all sorts of period details, such as a balcony off the master bedroom on the second floor.

The exterior was wood shingles, and the roof was wood shakes. And the backyard was huge — the 2,634 sq. ft house was on a 50-by-130 foot lot.

The house sold in March, 2012 for $2.498 million. In the current west side real estate market, that’s lot value, and the house is being torn down.

Old houses are being demolished all over Vancouver — the city issued 974 demolition permits for single and two family homes in 2015.

But this house was supposed to have some protection. Constructed in 1915 for $2,000, it was one of the first houses built on West 31st, and the only one that was given Heritage B status by the city.

But even being on the city’s heritage register couldn’t save it, which infuriates heritage advocate Caroline Adderson.

“The tiny bit of protection that these houses have is useless,” said Adderson.

“It’s useless. Basically everything is a building lot, and it’s all going to go. It’s all going to go if something doesn’t change.”

Adderson wonders how the destruction of a house in “perfect” shape like this fits into the city’s “green” goals.

“Every purported city goal is flouted every time one of these houses come down,” she said.

“It’s not green. It does not increase affordability. It doesn’t even increase density. We lose nine mature trees a day because of this. Everything is a farce when this happens.”

Neighbour Wood Bennett was walking down the street when a Sun team showed up to photograph the house Monday. The windows have already been taken out and the walls have largely been stripped, leaving it an empty shell.

“It’s a crime to pull it down,” said Bennett.

“The layout on the main floor is difficult to live in, for the current way that people live. But as for culture and heritage and conservation, it clearly meets the standard that it should be conserved.”

Bennett has been through several open houses at the home over the years, watching it zoom in price from $430,000 in 1990 to $800,000 in 2002 to $2.498 million in 2012.

“It’s been updated five times, by people who have done some very good work, all trying to preserve it,” he said.

“But it’s the land (that makes it valuable) … the land alone is selling for $3 million, $3.4 million, depending on whether it’s a sunny day. It’s out of reach of any person who works for a living.”