Lawrence Park Basement Suite

After S.J’s parents—two seniors in their 80s—were forced to weather the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic in their own home, S.J and her husband S.P explored multiple option that would enable S.J’s parents to live with them. After considering various factors, they decided to buy a new home and renovate the basement into a secondary unit. They chose this option because they believed it has a lower negative environmental impact, as it did not affect the tree canopy or stormwater absorption, compared to expanding the footprint of their old house, or S.J’s parents’ house. Additionally this choice offered a shorter move-in time compared to other alternatives. Capitalizing on the opportunity, the couple transformed the basement of their newly purchased home into a liveable space, enabling S.J’s parents to move-in and live with them. This decision not only increased density on their lot by adding a dwelling unit within the existing building envelope but also helped ensure the comfort and safety of S.J’s aging parents.

S.J's parents needed increased support and interaction, which was logistically difficult to provide while the two families lived in separate locations. They needed more help with groceries, snow shovelling, technology, etc. This meant a lot of travel back and forth, and things were further complicated by the COVID pandemic. “My parents were very active, older seniors and in great health, and then when COVID hit, they were basically isolated in their house.” These factors encouraged the decision to create the basement suite where S.J's parents could live independently, yet get all the help they needed quickly and efficiently. 

Although no further excavation or additions to the couple’s home were needed, the newly furnished basement hardly resembles a basement at all. It is complete with a full kitchen, bathroom, dining area, and even a soundproof ceiling to help insulate any noise coming from upstairs, where the couple reside with their three teenage children. In other words, S.J’s parents have the freedom to live completely independently in their own unit while still remaining in close proximity to their grandchildren, daughter and son in-law, who live just a floor away. This proximity provides them with all the support and help they need, in addition to the social benefits of living near family members. 

The basement suite conversion didn’t require any structural changes or major modifications, and no city permits were needed. The creation of this unit required only cosmetic work, including new floors, interior design, and some space reconfiguration (e.g., reconfiguring the old laundry room into a kitchen). Other adjustments were made to increase accessibility and to make the unit more suitable for seniors, such as handrails, a new entryway, and increased space for wheelchairs or walkers.

“We wanted to make sure that they [my parents] could live contained on one level and then have the mobility with the stairway to come up and have shared meals with us. There's lots of back and forth,” S.J said. “And at their age, most of their friends have mobility issues, so our front door would not be accessible for most of their friends. So, we wanted to make sure that they have a separate entrance and people could come and go safely that way,” she added.

Although S.J and her parents enjoy the added convenience of living close to each other, building a multigenerational home didn’t come without its challenges, especially when it came to the expenses, such as utility bills and construction costs. Luckily, the couple were able to arrange legal assistance to sort through some of these details. The couple wants to enable the parents to live in the new unit for as long as they want, but everyone was careful to clarify the obligations of each party; to define how to anyone could opt out of the arrangement; and to anticipate hypothetical scenarios, like a divorce.

The couple also emphasized that the Lawrence Park area, where they live, is often considered one of the most exclusive single-family neighbourhoods in the downtown Toronto region, especially by some of their neighbours, who look upon added density with disapproval. However, over time, increasing density in the area might help shift these attitudes while making the area more affordable in the process.