86 Monte Drive, Hamilton

This house was designed, sited, and finished by the only family it's ever belonged to, on a lot they chose over 40 years ago, in one of Hamilton's most connected pockets. That history is written into 86 Monte Drive, with solid oak doors, floors, and trim, marble thresholds, hand-finished plaster walls, and handmade mouldings. These choices were made when it was first built, with materials meant to last. Four decades later, the craftsmanship still holds up. With 4883 sq. ft. of total living space, there's plenty of room to move through. The kitchen likes being the centre of attention. It can draw a crowd without ever feeling crowded. Solid wood cabinets give every small appliance a proper home. There's a tucked-away homework station, plus room for an island or kitchen table. To one side of the kitchen, the formal living room opens to a dining room that fits a table for 10. On the other, the sunken family room easily takes a three-seater and an oversized sectional without feeling tight, with an oversized, wood-burning fireplace anchoring the space. Step out back and two patios offer views of what 40 years of planting and love have produced: mature gardens, a vegetable patch, a grapevine, and various fruit trees. The main-floor bedroom suits anyone avoiding stairs, and upstairs are four more: three fit queen beds, the primary with its own ensuite and large enough for a king without squeezing in the rest of your furniture. The finished basement has its own entrance and kitchen, plus a soundproofed room built for music that could be converted into a bedroom, giving the space potential as an in-law suite or rental unit. There's also a cantina, and storage space once used for wine-making and workshop. This Stoney Creek street is quiet, in a fully developed subdivision with no further expansions planned. Schools, Eastgate Square, and downtown Stoney Creek are minutes away, with easy access to the Red Hill Parkway, QEW, 403, and Linc, keeping you connected in all directions.