Vancouver’s iconic ‘painted ladies’ heritage homes still up for sale

Four of Vancouver’s most recognizable heritage homes — known as the ‘Painted Ladies’ for their vibrant colours — remain on the market more than a month after being listed as a rare multi-home package.

The four detached homes, situated side-by-side on West 10th Avenue in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, are being sold for a current asking price of $13.8 million.

The listing is unique, given that one of the homes received Vancouver’s first-ever heritage plaque in 1976, and all four homes are owned by a single family — the Davises — and have been for decades.

“A lot of people would call it a land assembly, but that usually means multiple owners,” said listing agent Christian Chiappetta of Sutton WestCoast Realty.

“In this case, it’s just one family selling four separate homes as a package.”

Owning a piece of history

The homes, which sit on nearly 17,000 square feet of land, have been maintained with remarkable care and historical integrity.

“These owners have committed much of their life to basically beautifying that entire stretch of 10th Avenue. And anybody who’s lived around there, walked the street, ridden their bike down the street, knows how beautiful the property is,” Chiappetta told 1130 NewsRadio.

Despite the listing still being up for grabs, Chiappetta says there’s been no shortage of interest. Including investors, developers, and even entire families hoping to turn the stretch into a multi-generational compound.

“It’s remarkable how many families have called on this property where there was some variation of their family taking over part or all of the homes, which to me, is an exciting prospect that the homes themselves wouldn’t change, because it’s such a beautiful space.”

“A lot of people look at the heritage designation as an extra complication, but I’ve actually been surprised by the amount of folks who are very much into the heritage designation. In fact, a couple of developers, that’s been kind of their specialty. It just brings to life there’s so much value in preserving that, especially in a city that’s basically loaded with glass towers.”

A dense future

Located within the area of the Broadway Plan and part of the city’s Transit-Oriented Areas policy, the site is poised to see major growth.

A new SkyTrain station is being built just blocks away, and density incentives — including the option of a ‘heritage density transfer,’ which allows developers to shift unused development rights from a protected heritage site to another property — may add to the property’s appeal.

Still, Chiappetta emphasizes that the future of the homes on West 10th Avenue depends on the buyer.

“Some folks have been talking about developing a smaller-scale development in the yard… Everybody’s got a different idea.”

Why sell?

After decades of care, the Davis family is ready to let go.

“It’s simple answer, it’s age. It’s time for them to relax a little bit,” Chiappetta said.

“It takes a lot to keep these houses up and provide housing for so many people over the years. It’s a lot of work, and it’s probably time to retire.”

For now, Vancouver’s ‘Painted Ladies’ stand elegantly, waiting for the right buyer.