For 70 years, Joyce lived in the same home on Jane Street in Toronto, Canada. However, the 96-year-old couldn’t take care of the home on her own anymore, so she called sisters/realtor-duo Gladys and Carla to put her home on the market. They didn’t know what to expect because Joyce said the home hadn’t been renovated since she moved in.
When the Spizzirri sisters finally got to do their first walkthrough of Joyce’s home, they were astonished to see what she had been hiding. It looked like every other home on the block from the outside, but the interior shocked them. They couldn’t wait to unveil the hidden treasure to the world.
Just Another Regular Home
You would probably think all Jane Street houses were the same if you were new to the area. However, there was something unique about house 148. Jane Street itself was as plain and straightforward as any other regular street in Toronto, Ontario.
Very few people had seen the insides of the house at 148 Jane Street. The only information gossip had was that the same family lived in the building for as long as anyone could remember. That was about to change as the sister-realtors got the call to put it up for sale.
The Spizzirri Realtors
It was just another regular day at the agency where the Spizzirri sisters, Gladys and Carla, worked. The office halls echoed as phones and landlines kept ringing after each other. The buzz was like usual as the room full of employees attended to clients and tried to close properties and house listings.
The realtor sisters co-owned the agency. They had initially worked separately back in 2009 before they discovered they made a great team working together. One of the sisters would research listings available for sale while the other closed the deals. Just like that, they became partners.
And Then the Call Came In
Often in the real estate business, you come across some surprises as you grow in the field. However, no amount of experience prepares you for what could pop up at any minute. This was the case for these sisters.
Although both sisters had grown extensively in the real estate business, nothing could have prepared either of them for the phone call that would change their lives forever.
Hi, I’m Joyce
A ringing cell or landline is no new thing in a real estate office as that was a constant factor. It looked just like any other call they would get on a very ordinary office day in the first instance—however, the caller changed the whole atmosphere.
Over the phone was Joyce, the owner of the house on 148 Jane Street. She was unsure about putting her home on the market. She even told Gladys and Carla that she wasn’t entirely sure yet. She also let them in on a secret she had been keeping for years—the game-changing information.
The Sixth Sense
When people decide to sell their homes, it is usually for the better. Either they’re looking to relocate or simply start anew somewhere else. Either way, it is usually a symbolic move towards greater heights. Hence, the tone of the initial conversation is generally ecstatic.
For Joyce, however, this wasn’t the case. She sounded very hesitant about the idea of letting her home go to another family. With years of expertise, realtors tend to develop a sixth sense, like a gut feeling or an intuition that something fishy might be going on.
The Ground-Breaking Challenge
Gladys and Carla could tell Joyce was hiding something from them. They decided to figure out what the secret could be. However, Joyce wasn’t trying to cover any broken water heater or black mold, and her secret was way bigger than anyone would have expected.
Since they could trust themselves to sell any kind of property, they needed to know what was hidden away in Joyce’s home to put it up for sale. They would soon uncover decades-old secrets and something entirely new to the real estate world as they took up this challenge.
Getting on With It
Before they encountered the house on 148 Jane Street, Gladys and Carla were pretty confident they could overcome any possibilities faced in the line of their work. The sisters had conquered several types of difficulties that have made many realtors give up on their careers.
After spending hours guessing what might be tucked away in the building, the sisters decided to have a walkthrough to inspect Joyce’s home with their own very eyes. However, they needed to get into the house first, which proved more difficult than it should be.
Expertise Vs. 148 Jane Street
The sisters are well-known to be trailblazers in the real estate business. Having closed countless deals working together for over three years, the duo knew the city well, better than anyone. They were famous for buying and selling homes in the most popular neighborhoods in Toronto.
Apart from spending a good number of years in the industry, they had the expertise too. Sometimes, the sisters would find that a home sells itself, requiring little to no legwork. Could this be the case with 148 Jane Street? They were going to have to find out on their own.
Meeting the Agile Joyce
When Joyce had initially spoken to the sisters over the phone, she had let them in on the information that changed how they saw the property. It impacted their thinking about sales and customers, but not the surprise they were about to unveil as they walked in the door.
Joyce was a 96-year-old woman who was still agile. This impressed Carla as she could recall not having to raise her voice anytime. Joyce’s physical health was quite impressive, but something better was about to come as they walked through her doors.
In Joyce’s Home
Joyce’s home looked like every other building on Jane Street and held nothing exceptionally striking to it. As the Spizzirri sisters approached the house, they still had no clue what was to come. But as soon as they opened the door, they would meet the shock of their lives.
Joyce revealed to the realtor sisters that she had lived in her home for 70 years now, and in those seven decades, the building had never had any work done, apart from a kitchen remodel. Having heard this news, they began dreading the several possibilities they could imagine, including the worst scenarios that might hinder the sale of Joyce’s home.
Getting in the House
As the day to inspect Joyce’s house drew closer, Gladys and Clara grew more and more anxious to see what the house’s insides might look like. Their greatest worry was about the gut of the building after Joyce had revealed to the sisters that no work had been done in seven decades.
Ever since they had learned Joyce was 96 years old, they had begun wondering how she would’ve taken proper care of it without getting any help whatsoever. They figured they were about to walk into the home of a hoarder with 96 years’ worth of junk and debris.
It’s Quite Pricey
If you are familiar with the technicalities of real estate, then you would know that the location of a listing is just as important as the house itself. The home at 148 Jane Street was in an area that has been in the rising market for a while now.
As they got off the phone with Joyce, they started punching numbers to know what the property could be worth. They then discovered they had underestimated the house, and it was payday for their agency. They decided it was time to visit the place and find out what they needed to make it market-ready.
148 Jane Street
You could find Joyce’s home in the Old Mill neighborhood of Toronto. The sisters were quite familiar with the area as they had closed many listings close by at incredibly high prices. They, of course, had no idea how much Joyce’s would cost.
After they had done the initial calculations, they arrived at an estimate of a whopping $968,000. However, this price depended on the home’s condition indoors and how much they would need to fix it up and make it into a standard.
Could It Be Nostalgia or a Secret?
When she had initially called the realtor sisters about putting her home up for sale, Joyce had sounded very hesitant about having to part ways with the house. Although she intended to sell the place, she had a little bit of nudging nostalgia, having lived in it for 72 years.
The house held many beautiful memories for 96-year-old Joyce, who had lived her best days in it. However, the woman could not help but worry if she was upset about letting go or if she had some terrible secret to hide.
The Walkthrough Day
The women were puzzled. They had to decipher if the senior citizen was genuine about her feelings about the house or just trying to mask some hideous secret about the place. If it were the latter, it could cause some serious issues for their agency.
The sisters finally set up a date and time to walk through the entire house. The walkthrough entailed seeing the house’s interior, figuring out where the necessary repairs would be, and many more.
The Stunning Surprise
The sisters had little to no information about the house. The only things they knew were the address of the house and a picture of the front yard. The issue, therefore, became that they could only base their plans on this incomplete information.
After Joyce had finally made up her mind about selling the house, all that was left was for Gladys and Carla to come in and do their inspection of the place. The day was finally here as the duo showed up on Joyce’s doorstep to find a stunning surprise.
A Secret Worth Keeping
No number of years in the real estate industry could have prepared the duo for what they saw as they opened the front door. The interior of Joyce’s house was far from all the crazy things they had both imagined. It was the perfect definition of a traditional home held in the highest of standards.
Joyce took pride in her home, and it showed. It was apparent she had taken meticulous care of the entire house. Its inside was surprisingly beautiful. The whole detailing of the house was perfect, from the decorations and knick-knacks to the furniture, which was just the beginning.
The Surprise Just Began
The Spizzirri sisters were so stunned to see how neat and well taken care of the house was. The maintenance and grooming of the house showed a particular type of dedication and passion. Above all, they were happy this was the hidden secret and not some hoarder’s palace.
This meant that the price of Joyce’s home went up a couple more thousand dollars. Gladys and Carla felt as though they had won a lottery. The entire house felt like it remained in 1940, more like a time capsule.
The Unfolding Surprises
As they inspected the house, moving from room to room, the women could now understand why Joyce was initially hesitant to leave her home behind. Each living area the real estate agents visited looked better than the last. They could have sworn it was the cleanest home they had been in all their careers.
As much as the realtor sisters enjoyed the ambiance of Joyce’s home, there was one issue that was so noteworthy that Gladys and Carla took note of immediately. This could probably be a major deal-breaker for some potential buyers, but they earnestly hoped it wouldn’t be.
A Feminine Touch of Everything
The feminine touch on everything was so striking. It was evident in the whole house’s décor as well as the color scheme. This singular factor could mean a massive turn-off for male buyers unless they intended to have a complete make-over.
Having a complete flip of the house would significantly affect several things, such as the pricing, the amount of time needed and would essentially rip the home of its beauty. Any masculine man who decides to buy the home would be affected by the color details of each room’s purples, pinks, and golds.
The Most Unusual Room In the House
Tucked away in the basement of Joyce’s home was a typical man cave. It featured a wet bar with superior wood paneling making the space perfect for any man. The women figured that since the room already looked like a man cave, it would only require a few upgrades to make it perfect.
Just as you might have guessed, the space in the basement belonged to Joyce’s husband. It was a private place away from all the florals and pastels, and girly colors and patterns filled every other upstairs room.
The Abandoned Backyard
It was evident that so much care and precision had gone into the interior of the house. The backyard, however, looked abandoned and very unkept. There was an AstroTurf present there, probably put there by someone at a point in the seven-decade Joyce had looked after her home.
Apart from that, the backyard was bare and held no other detailing, unlike the inside. After completing the walkthrough and clearing all doubts, the next step was to bring in inspectors to ensure nothing needed to be fixed before putting the home on the market.
There Could Be More!
While the realtor sisters had confidence that the building was just fine, it was still protocol for them to call professional inspectors to check any lurking issues with the house. In the case where there is, it would significantly affect their price listing.
Despite trusting that all is well with Joyce’s home, they would still check for foundation problems or mold growing inside the walls. But seeing how Joyce had carefully kept the house, the Inspectors came to find a mind-blowing surprise.
The Astonishing Surprise!
Just as protocols would have it, the inspectors came and set to work just like that. They checked and searched every inch of the house, including underneath and inside its walls, for potential threats. After doing a thorough search of each room, wall, floor, and everything else, they found nothing.
To the utmost surprise of the professional inspectors, Joyce’s home was in the best shape possible. It was probably in better shape than when she had initially moved into the space. This was, of course, thanks to her excellent housekeeping skills. This was a discovery for the team!
The Bidding War
Immediately Gladys and Carla got back into their office, and the next step was to put Joyce’s home up for sale at $699,000. As soon as the house on 148 Jane street went on the market, something miraculous happened. An instant bidding war began.
The instant boom came as a result of the pictures of the interior posted. For some, the neighborhood was a dream come through, while others were just interested in the house’s uniqueness. Even those who had not thought about purchasing a property joined in the war.
The Internet Caught It Too
As soon as the bidding war took off, the pictures and story of the fantastic house went viral. It even featured on the news and was everywhere on the internet. The fascinating part of the story was how a 96-year-old woman could maintain such a gorgeous home.
To many, viewing, sharing, and liking the posts about the house on 148 Jane street, it was almost like the house was a museum, instantly taking you back to the 1940s as it was obvious nothing had been moved or changed since when Joyce started living there.
The Minor but Significant Upgrade
As obvious as it were that the house was simply a time capsule stuck in the 1940s, Joyce admitted to the sisters that she had had a massive renovation done sometime in the 1960s. The renovation centered in the kitchen area modernize.
The original design of the kitchen was not practical enough for modern times, so Joyce explained that she had to update it to allow its owners to cook correctly. Up until now, all the appliances in the home were still in perfect condition, which was no longer a surprise.
Joyce’s Retirement Plan
As it was evident in her best work, Joyce was an interior designer. She told Daily Mail she had done a little bit of interior designing, which was, of course, evident in how well she took care of her own home. Now, she was leaving her best work behind.
Joyce was retiring by moving into a home. The media learned that this was the reason the 96-year -old was planning to sell the house. She wanted to retire in peace and be well taken care of instead of the stress that comes with managing her home, she said to HGTV.
Will It Remain a Time Capsule?
As much as everyone enjoyed the buzz the house on 148 Jane street brought, it eventually had to be sold as it is neither a heritage site nor a museum. This made everyone wonder what the new homeowners had planned for the two-level brick house.
Joyce and her husband had bought the house in 1942. Then, the rising war was on everyone’s mind as it came with a lot of long-lasting damages. The couple was set on living in the house and intent on making the space a home.
A Minor Clause
Even though Joyce had successfully sold the house at an excellent price, she had laid down a clause to sell her property. Joyce put everything in the building up for sale alongside the house except for the furniture, which was to go to her daughter as an inheritance.
Despite the perfection of the interior, if the matching furniture were missing, it would destroy the look of the entire décor of the home, which meant some bad news for the new owners of 148 Jane street. Whatever decision they make concerning the place, it will forever hold its history.
Looking Back Seven Decades
For a house that was usually seen as just another regular building on Jane street, no 148 became the talk of the town just by its astounding interior modeling skills and the meticulous nature of its keeper. Joyce’s home remained the same as the day she moved in seven decades back.
The entirety of the house, every room, furniture, appliances, color, and so on had remained as they were when she came in as a 24-year-old back in 1942. Now, as a 96-year-old woman who had borne a child and lived in the same place for years, she was leaving it all behind.
The Décor and Pattern
Every designer has a particular style and pattern peculiar to their works. This was precisely the case for Joyce as she told the reporters her design style was to have a tone-on-tone décor. It was evident that she enjoyed soft colors and designs that match.
Joyce had carefully selected everything in the house with a keen eye for details. The pastel shades of pink, purple, blue, and aqua, which might have looked incredibly ridiculous in any other home, were so well done so that everywhere looked beautiful.
The Slight but Elegant Details
Joyce’s home was a three-bedroom with a two-bathroom apartment. It features wall-to-wall carpets as well as wallpapers that touch on all the post-war decades. Its Metallic wallpaper, elaborate patterns, floral sweeps, and gold touches are a few tiny but elegant details to note.
Joyce had decorated every room in the house with maximum satisfaction. It looked like an extract from a museum, with custom-made furniture including wrought iron and fixtures. The master bedroom held a bright purple and lilac color with aqua accents and a touch of fuchsia.
Every Room Held Its Uniqueness
In Joyce’s home, every room held its uniqueness. Even the laundry room was tailored to perfection as it had careful installations such as wooden cabinets that looked just as though she placed them in there to compliment the laundry machines, which were a tad bit more modern than the rest of the house.
It was evident that Joyce enjoyed taking utmost care of the house. 148 Jane street will remain a beauty for the eyes and soul due to the high standards she put towards maintaining the space we have come to love.