An iconic residential ‘dollhouse’ in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood will soon have a new owner. The Leslieville dollhouse, nestled at 37 Bertmount Ave., near Queen Street East and Jones Avenue, will reportedly be listed on Thursday.
The house is a huge tourist attraction and is regularly featured in Insta photos due to its large array of unusual dolls, toys, tchotchkes, sentimental figurines, pop culture figures (everything from the Cat in the Hat, the Incredible Hulk, to Mr. Potato Head), stuffed animals, plaques and signs hanging from the fence and mounted on wooden stakes, “nightmarish” dolls (some with missing limbs!), and—during the Christmas holidays—giant candy canes, snowmen, and several of Santa’s elves (all illuminated by a landscape of festive lights).
The landscape is the brainchild of Shirley Sumaiser, who has owned the semi-detached, three-bedroom home for 50 years. Sumaiser decided to fill the front yard with dolls and other knick-knacks about 20 years ago after her husband passed away.
View this post on Instagram
We don’t know the price of the house as yet, but according to CP24, listing agent Nadine Comeau noted that properties on Sumaiser’s street have sold for as much as $1.5 to $2 million (depending on the house and the renovations needed).
Comeau added that the house is mechanically sound with a new roof and oil furnace, as well as an additional new washroom and laundry facilities on the main floor.
“It is in great shape and will be a wonderful opportunity for any potential homebuyers out there,” Comeau told CP24, adding that this listing is “not your typical home.”
Whether the dolls will come with the house is the million-dollar question.
“That will be all up to the potential buyers, and if they’re interested in keeping some of these items, then everything is negotiable,” Comeau said. “But I think that the family would actually really enjoy to have a couple of days where we can maybe have the community come out and people pick a treasure to keep if they want to, and hold it close to their heart or put it out on their front lawn, just to remember her by and her spirit of joy.”
