Love it Or List it USA

When newlyweds Jessica and Steve moved into their Toronto home in 1999, the drama teacher and musician couldn’t be happier in the Victorian home. But now, the two of them have grown into a family of four with a dog, and they’re out of space. Because of Steve’s love for all things musical, musical instruments are found in nearly every room, creating total disharmony throughout the house. Add to this that the kids don’t have their own rec-room, and you have a main living space overrun with clutter. The challenge for Hilary is to reinvent the main floor into an adult space by turning the unfinished basement into a place for Steve to store and play his instruments, and space for the kids to claim. If Hilary can’t improve the house to do this David might find a home with the adult space they crave that may just motivate the Lederman’s to pack up and leave.

Kira and Andrew Thomson bought their cozy three bedroom Toronto home as newlyweds three years ago. Although cosmetically it needed help, the couple felt the home had great bones and was in the perfect area to start a family. The couple spent the last two years trying to personalize the home to their needs, but the birth of their daughter Olivia in March 2007 left the Thomson’s feeling cramped and overwhelmed. Their galley kitchen needs to be opened up to their dining room to create a family friendly space that serves as the heart of the home. Another issue is the uninsulated room off their kitchen, which houses their fridge. Stifling in the summer and cold in the winter, this room makes accessing their fridge a major headache—that’s if there is any food left in the fridge unspoiled by the elements! With plans to add another little one to their family, Hilary needs to make the Thomson’s home a more family functional space or David just may be able to persuade this frustrated couple to go.

Teenage sweethearts Jay and Shari Doudelet moved to Toronto with their two sons nine years ago. After moving a few times, two years ago, the Doudelet’s finally settled in their Beaches home. With a son in university the family was sold on the fact that despite its appearance as a single-family home, the house offered two self contained living spaces. This enabled Jay and Shari to live on the top two floors with their younger son while their elder son and a roommate could have the bottom floor to themselves. While the couple felt initially this was the perfect scenario, after moving in they quickly realized their living situation was far from ideal. With an apartment sized kitchen and one person being able to fit in the space at a time the idea of family dinners doesn’t exist. The chopped up rooms in the rest of the home also cause proximity issues. Jay and Shari’s master bedroom is directly above Ashton’s living space and beside their son Duston’s bedroom leaving no one with privacy. Hilary needs to create spacious kitchen for entertaining and a private bedroom for these lovebirds or else they may choose to leave their less that perfect pad behind.