Renovations & Permits
What has changed over the life of the home? Were additions or significant renovations completed? Is there anything we should verify?
GIANCARLO TARIReal EstateStart a ConversationRichmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill Grew Up With Me.
Richmond Hill is not simply another community I work in.
It is where my story started.
I was born at York Central Hospital and spent the first ten years of my life growing up in the older part of Richmond Hill.
Back then, Richmond Hill felt like a much smaller place.
Some of my earliest memories are still tied to places that are here today. Family outings. Shopping. Parks. Neighbourhood streets. Places that seemed enormous when I was a kid and somehow still bring you back the moment you see them again.
I have watched Richmond Hill change from the town I remember as a child into what, to me, feels like a major city today.
And having known both versions gives me a very different connection to this place.
Where Some of My First Memories Live
I Caught My First Fish at Mill Pond.
There are certain memories you never really forget.
One of mine is catching my first fish at Mill Pond.
As a kid, it was simply this beautiful place where we could go outside, walk around the water, and spend time as a family.
Today, Mill Pond remains one of Richmond Hill’s best known outdoor spaces.
But when I think about it, I do not think about a list of amenities.
I remember catching that fish.
That is what places like Mill Pond mean to a community.
They become part of people’s stories.
A Familiar Part of Growing Up
Hillcrest Mall is another place that has been part of Richmond Hill for as long as I can remember.
For us, going there meant family outings, shopping, eating, walking around, and spending time together.
Today, Hillcrest is a much different shopping destination than the one I remember from childhood.
But I think places like Hillcrest say something about the evolution of Richmond Hill itself.
The town changed.
The shopping changed.
The neighbourhoods changed.
The population changed.
And Richmond Hill grew around all of it.
From a Town to a City
Richmond Hill officially became a city in 2019.
To me, though, that transformation happened gradually over decades.
The Richmond Hill I remember as a child was smaller and quieter.
Today there are major commercial areas, high density communities, established neighbourhoods, newer subdivisions, condominiums, townhomes, large detached homes, and multimillion dollar properties.
There is more traffic.
More development.
More choice.
More people.
And much more variation from one part of the city to another.
But some of the older pieces are still there.
That is what I find interesting.
Richmond Hill did not simply replace what it was. It grew around it.
Then We Moved North
Oak Ridges Was a Different World.
When my family moved from Richmond Hill up to Oak Ridges, it felt like we had moved somewhere completely different.
Oak Ridges was much smaller then.
It felt rural.
There was more open space, less development, and a very different pace than what existed farther south.
I loved it.
And again, I have had the opportunity to watch that community transform.
What was once a small place at the northern edge of Richmond Hill has grown into a substantial community of its own.
But the thing I remember most is still the lake.
Lake Wilcox
I Remember It Before It Became a Destination.
Lake Wilcox has always been special to me.
It was part of growing up in Oak Ridges.
Today, when I go back and see what has been created along the shoreline, it is incredible.
The waterfront has been transformed with places to walk, sit, play, and spend time beside the water.
It has become a destination in its own right.
And yet for me, there is still another layer to it.
I remember what it was before all of that was there.
There is something pretty remarkable about watching a place from your childhood become something an entirely new generation of families now gets to experience.
Local Knowledge
One of the biggest mistakes someone can make when looking at Richmond Hill is treating it like one single real estate market.
It is not.
The older neighbourhoods around central Richmond Hill offer something completely different from newer communities.
Mature streets and older homes can come with larger lots, established trees, renovation histories, and properties that have changed significantly over decades.
Newer communities can offer more contemporary layouts and construction, but bring their own questions around density, lot size, surrounding development, and comparable inventory.
Condominiums and townhomes create another market entirely.
Then you move north into Oak Ridges and the character changes again.
And at the upper end of the market, Richmond Hill has substantial luxury homes and estate style properties where expectations around land, construction, finishes, privacy, and value become completely different.
One Richmond Hill address can have very little in common with another.
Selling in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill’s range of properties also means there is no single way to market a home here.
An older home on a mature street may derive much of its appeal from the lot, location, character, renovation potential, or neighbourhood.
A beautifully renovated property needs buyers to understand what was actually improved and why it matters.
A newer home may be competing directly against similar models nearby.
A condominium is competing in an entirely different buyer pool.
And at the luxury end of the market, buyers may be evaluating construction quality, land, architecture, finishes, privacy, and overall experience at a much higher level.
That is why the first question is not simply:
What should we list it for?
The better question is:
What makes this particular property worth choosing?
Once we understand that, we can build the strategy around it.
Property Intelligence
Depending on the Richmond Hill property, some of the things I may want to understand include:
Age & Construction
What does the era of construction tell us about the original home, its systems, and the work that may have happened since?
Lot & Neighbourhood
Is the value partly in the land? How does the lot compare with surrounding properties? What does the immediate street contribute to the value?
Future Development
What is around the property today, and what could potentially change?
Condition & Future Cost
What may require attention after purchase? Which items are cosmetic, and which deserve a closer look?
Value
Are we really comparing like with like?
An older renovated home, a newer detached property, an Oak Ridges house, a townhouse, and a luxury estate can all carry a Richmond Hill address.
That does not make them comparable.
The address tells me where the property is. It does not tell me what the property is worth.
A More Personal Perspective
I Remember Richmond Hill Before It Looked Like This.
That may be what makes this particular community different for me.
I do not only know Richmond Hill as a place where I sell real estate.
I remember being a kid here.
I remember Mill Pond.
I remember family outings to Hillcrest.
I remember when Richmond Hill felt like a small town.
I remember moving north to Oak Ridges when it still felt rural.
I remember Lake Wilcox before the shoreline looked the way it does today.
And now I get to drive through those same communities and see what they have become.
There is something meaningful about that.
I have watched Richmond Hill grow because, in a way, I grew up with it.
Thinking About Richmond Hill?
Maybe you want the character of an established neighbourhood.
Maybe you want a newer family home.
Maybe Oak Ridges is what draws you north.
Maybe you are entering the market through a condominium or townhome.
Maybe you are looking for a larger detached property.
Maybe you are considering one of Richmond Hill’s higher end homes.
Or maybe you already own here and are trying to understand what your property is worth in a city that has changed dramatically around it.
There is no single version of Richmond Hill.
And that is exactly why the conversation should start with you.
Tell me what you are trying to accomplish, and we will figure out which part of Richmond Hill makes sense for your next move.