Selling a NIGHTMARE HOUSE, backing onto the 401
At first glance, this was a challenging property. It was even featured in an article, calling it “a house made of nightmares”.
A teardown lot backing directly onto the 401 is not an easy sell. Noise concerns. Limited (aka no) end-user appeal. Most buyers mentally discount it before they even run the numbers.
But this is exactly where strategy matters the most.
Background Info:
Teardown lot
Backs onto Highway 401
Oil tank heating
Target buyer: builders and land investors, not end users
List price: $999,900
The Strategy:
We didn’t try to oversell the condition of the property or pretend the highway wasn’t there. Instead, we leaned into:
Land value only. The property was not habitable.
Builder math. Clear positioning around redevelopment potential and replacement cost.
Sharp pricing. The sub-one million dollar list price was intentional. It invited action without signalling desperation.
Controlled competition. Listing it at a time when there was no comparable properties for sale.
Original Lot
Artist’s Rendering
The Result:
3 competing offers
All three buyers were brought up, not just the leader
Final sale price: $1,111,000
That’s a nice lift over asking on a property many would have written off.
Why it worked:
The right buyer pool was targeted from day one.
Pricing created urgency without sacrificing credibility.
The process rewarded serious bidders and filtered out noise.
This wasn’t luck. It was positioning, discipline, and understanding who the real buyer was.
If you own a “tough” property and assume the market won’t reward it, this is your reminder:
Execution still matters, even more so when the property isn’t perfect.