In a city where affordable housing is an oxymoron, a two-storey East Vancouver character home is bound to catch some attention with its price tag.

The 1,951-square-foot home at 2622 Clark Dr. is set to go on the market Monday with a listed price of $599,000 — expected to be the lowest-priced, detached, freehold house in Vancouver.

“I expect it to be noticed,” said listing agent Mary Cleaver. “It’s a beautiful renovated Craftsman-style house in a lovely neighbourhood at a great price.”

The low price is because the three-bedroom, two-bath Grandview-Woodland property faces busy Clark Drive and is on a small 30.5-X-58-foot lot, about half the depth of typical lots in the neighbourhood.

Contrary to what some people might expect from the — relatively — bargain-basement price, the house is well-kept and lovingly maintained.

Built in 1911, its plumbing, electrical and windows were updated before the current owners bought the place in 2005 for $333,000. They have since replaced the roof, refinished the floors, installed a new kitchen and repainted the exterior, said Cleaver.

Homeowner Simon Yu, who owns a deck-renovation company, also added a wraparound deck to the home, adding an extra 600 sq. ft to the property.

The low price is rare in the city, said Cleaver, although it isn’t the only one. In January, a house in the Fraserview-Killarney neighbourhood sold for $592,000. A house off of Commercial Drive sold for $471,000 in April 2012.

Currently, the cheapest freehold, detached house listed in Vancouver is $628,000 in Hastings-Sunrise.

The Clark Drive house may be a deal in comparison with million-dollar fixer-uppers that have become the norm in the city, but statistics show Vancouver’s housing market still remains out of reach for average wage earners. An RBC report last year shows detached homes in Metro Vancouver require more than 80 per cent of median household income. A recent international survey also placed Vancouver second after Hong Kong in having the least-affordable housing.

And there are no signs Vancouver’s sky-high market is heading for a downturn. The region’s housing market is maintaining its steady pace from last year, said the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, with residential sales in February jumping 40 per cent compared with February 2013.

Cleaver said the homeowners, who have two young children, were very happy in the house, but are selling it because they need more space. She’s holding an open house April 5 and 6 from 2 to 4 p.m.

“It’s a very nice, livable house, and (at that price), it is competing with apartments and townhouses,” she said.

chchan@theprovince.com

twitter.com/cherylchan

What $599,000 will get you:

If you want even more bang for your buck, you have to look farther afield. Here is what $599,000 will get you in:

Langley: 20465-67B Ave.

A 3,248-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom house in Willoughby with gourmet kitchen and finished basement.

Maple Ridge: 10070-246B St.

Built in 2013, this four-bedroom home on a quiet street has a great room, vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom and a rec room.

Sechelt: 6220 Mika Rd.

There are panoramic sea views, oversized decks and 14-foot ceilings in this five-bedoom West Sechelt home on a 11,412-sq.-ft lot.