A self-confessed real estate website junkie, Chris Van Dyke's interest was piqued when he saw a house listed for $100,000 less than he saw it listed for the year before. Coincidentally, he and his wife, Bridget Flynn, wanted to upsize from their semi-detached home so they decided to take a look at the detached brick house. 

However it wasn't a single-family home, it was a triplex, with the owner living in one unit and the other units rented out. Luckily the owner realized the original price was too high - a stretch for a house that needed updating, Van Dyke says.

"We never planned on buying a triplex, but liked the large house," he says. It had curb appeal, but inside it was a mix of original features and some 80's and 90's renovations.

They moved into the second and third floor suites of the Edwardian home in Toronto's west end. Three years later, with a second child on the way, they either had to move or commit to a renovation.

"A renovation would be pretty big," he says. "We had four floors and 4,200 square feet to play with." 

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