Home services in York (Toronto)

The old City of York — Weston, Mount Dennis, Oakwood Village, Humewood — has some of Toronto's most honest housing: sturdy brick semis and detached homes from the early 1900s onward, built close together on streets that climb real hills. Century homes here need century-home skills: masonry, plaster, drainage and roofs that get looked after properly.

York is also where a repair budget goes furthest, and where staying on top of maintenance protects a home's value most. Brick repointing, porch rebuilds, basement leaks, or a full renovation of a house that's been rented out for years — describe the work and get a free quote.

• Much of the housing stock predates 1950, so brick repointing, parging and porch repairs are constant work.
• Sloped lots in neighbourhoods like Humewood and Weston make drainage and water management a recurring theme.
• Older basements are often low-ceilinged; underpinning and lowering come up in bigger renovations.