356 LOGAN AVE., TORONTO

ASKING PRICE $599,900

SELLING PRICE $701,000

PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $372,000 (2007); $252,000 (2005)

TAXES $2,989 (2011)

DAYS ON THE MARKET Seven

LISTING AGENT Linda Ing-Gilbert, Re/Max Hallmark Realty Ltd.

The Action: Just a block east of Jimmie Simpson Park in Leslieville, this semi-detached house was listed for sale late last year, but a deal was never signed.

So this year, another agent – Linda Ing-Gilbert – not only relisted it under $600,000, but also staged it with contemporary furniture, removed personal mementos and promoted a page-long list of renovations. The extra preparation paid off with four rival bids, including one adding $102,000 to the asking price.

What They Got: Since 2007, this 1930s residence was stripped and rebuilt with everything from the roofing, heating and cooling systems to hardwood floors, crown mouldings and pot lights nine-feet above the living room, open dining area and galley kitchen, which also featured granite counters, marble backsplashes and a back door.

Four-piece bathrooms are situated amidst three carpeted bedrooms on the second level and a den with laminate flooring on the lower level.

The 15-by-115-foot lot was landscaped with Japanese maples and perennial shrubs throughout, and the private backyard given a new pergola-covered deck, patio and gate to parking spot off a rear laneway.

The Agent’s Take: “It was fully gutted when [the sellers] bought it, so I highlighted that it had new insulation and new drywall that was all there but is not apparent when someone’s walking through,” says Ms. Ing-Gilbert, who used different strategies to showcase cosmetic upgrades buyers could see inside.

“It was mostly about reorganizing, declutting and depersonalizing because [generally] when people come in, they need to be able to envision themselves living there and they can’t if there are pictures of your family.”