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A Restored Former Railroad Substation Outside Vancouver

The unique Canadian property has rental units, too, but could be combined into a single-family home

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Listing of the Day

Location: Abbotsford, Canada

Price: C$3.49 million (US$2.7 million)

This unique property outside Vancouver, British Columbia, features all the perks discerning, high-end buyers covet, from high-end appliances to a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, but the building itself has quite a backstory. Built in 1906 by the B.C. Electric Corporation, it was originally a substation that provided power to a railway line.  

The building is one of the oldest still-standing structures in British Columbia, but the luxury renovation has brought it into the 21st century. Owner Dan Mosher said converting it was an exciting challenge.

"I thought my wife was crazy when she bought it, but the architecture reminded her of the buildings in Europe, and she loves design and she’s quite good at it. She saw something that I didn’t see," he said. "Overall it took, on and off, about three years. It’s a great home."

Large decks with mountain and farmland views circle the nearly 13,000 square foot property. The building’s original purpose required it to be built of concrete, brick and steel, and Mr. Mosher said they had to essentially "create a building inside the building."

More:When Your Dining Room Was Once A Railroad Terminal

"It was sort of this giant, huge [space]. The whole top floor had to be built, we had to mezzanine that floor. We had to insulate the whole rest of the building," he said.

The property sits on a 2.35-acre-lot that’s surrounded by woods, and there’s a stream that runs alongside it. "With the beautiful creek beside it and views over the farms and valley, it has a very serene feel to it," Mr. Mosher said.

Stats

The beautifully converted estate comes with four units. The main residence, which spans four floors and includes an elevator, has four bedrooms, five baths and two kitchens.

East and west rental units are both on two floors and have their own entrance. The east unit has two bedrooms and one bath and the west unit has three bedrooms and two baths. The ground floor unit has two beds and one bath.

And, bonus: For the buyer who wants to live in the entire building, there are passageways—currently closed—linking all the units from the inside.

More:Modern London Home is Built Into a Railway Arch

Amenities

For buyers who love to entertain, this house has features that will allow that. Mr. Mosher said 100 people can fit into the main unit, thanks to the ample outdoor space.

There’s also a theater room, with high ceilings and the original metal beams, which can "comfortably fit" over 100 people with seating for 20. The screen is about 140 inches and there is also a full bar.

Neighborhood Notes

The location has something for both the nature lover and the creature of convenience. Abbotsford is about an hour from downtown Vancouver, and is home to about 140,000 people. Mr. Mosher, who works in real estate, also notes there is an airport about 15 minutes from the property.

A short drive from the home is the Ledgeview Golf and Country Club, and according to listing agent Sara Gillooly, the owners are members of the Vancouver Golf and Country Club, which is about 40 minutes away and the oldest on mainland British Columbia.  

Abbotsford is also home to many wineries and organic farms, Ms. Gillooly said.

From Penta:McLaren’s £2 Million Ultimate Hyper-GT Has a Name: Speedtail

Agent: Sara Gillooly, RE/MAX All Points Realty

View the original listing.

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