2798 E 24th Ave – Renfrew Heights family home for renovation or redevelopment

Not every compelling real estate opportunity arrives with a new kitchen, perfect finishes and a renovation completed for someone else. Sometimes, the more interesting property is the one that still leaves something to the imagination. Although the above image isn’t exactly what the house currently looks like, it’s a representation of what’s possible with some renovations. Here’s the latest home for sale by the Jacob & Olivia Team, a Renfrew Heights Family home for renovation or redevelopment.

2798 E 24th Avenue in Renfrew Heights is that kind of home, a renovation project or complete rebuild potential.

Built in 1957, this East Vancouver house is not being presented as newly renovated or turnkey. Instead, it offers two very different possibilities. For one buyer, it could be the starting point for a thoughtful renovation — keeping the bones of a well-proportioned family home while gradually transforming the interior. For another, the real attraction may be the land: a full-size 33-by-120-foot corner lot, elevated above the homes to the north, with lane access and impressive views toward the city and North Shore mountains.

Among Renfrew Heights homes for sale, properties like this appeal to buyers who recognize that finishes can be changed, floor plans can evolve and houses can be rebuilt. Location, elevation, lot configuration and views are considerably harder to reproduce.

The House Itself: Good Bones and Plenty of Room to Reimagine

There is something refreshing about walking into an older Vancouver home that has not been renovated simply to follow the latest design trend. At 2798 E 24th Avenue, the next owner gets to decide what the house becomes.

The home dates to 1957 and certainly calls for updating, but the underlying structure gives the impression of a solid, straightforward mid-century Vancouver house. From what is readily visible, there are no obvious signs of significant sagging or settlement. It is a house with what people often describe as good bones — and for buyers who would rather renovate than demolish, that matters.

The existing layout also provides a strong foundation for family living. Three bedrooms are located together on the upper level, allowing children and parents to remain on the same floor rather than having bedrooms scattered throughout the house. It is a simple feature, but one that becomes increasingly important when buyers begin thinking about how a home will actually function day to day.

Then there is the living room.

From here, the home’s elevated position becomes immediately apparent. The outlook stretches across Vancouver toward the North Shore mountains, bringing a sense of openness that is unusual for a residential East Vancouver street. Renovations can replace flooring, cabinetry and bathrooms; they cannot manufacture a view.

Downstairs, the basement creates another layer of opportunity. There is enough space to consider an additional bedroom and family room, giving a growing household more room without immediately changing the home’s footprint. Another possibility would be configuring part of the lower level as accommodation for extended family or, where permitted, a separate rental suite that could provide a mortgage helper.

Importantly, the basement has a more conventional ceiling height rather than the noticeably low ceilings found in many older Vancouver houses. That changes how usable the lower floor feels and makes future renovation possibilities considerably more appealing.

For a buyer prepared to take on a renovation project, this is not about trying to disguise the age of the house. It is about deciding which parts are worth keeping and then creating something personal around them.

The Lot: A Full-Size Renfrew Heights Corner Property With Development Potential

For some buyers, the house will only be half of the story.

The land underneath it is one of the most compelling reasons to consider 2798 E 24th Avenue as a home for redevelopment in East Vancouver.

The property sits on a full-size 33-by-120-foot lot, measuring approximately 3,960 square feet, at the corner of East 24th Avenue and Kaslo Street. The elevated setting is particularly appealing. Looking north, the property sits above many of the surrounding homes, opening up city and mountain views from both the house and front portion of the property.

Corner properties also have a different presence. With no house immediately adjoining one side, there is a greater feeling of separation, more exposure to natural light and additional architectural possibilities when planning a future home. Kaslo Street itself is a quieter residential street, so the corner position does not have the same feeling as being exposed to a major arterial road.

Lane access adds another important piece. For anyone contemplating redevelopment, rear access can provide greater flexibility when considering parking, garages and certain housing configurations.

There is also an important zoning distinction for buyers to understand. Although older records and some real estate databases continue to identify the property as RS-1, Vancouver consolidated its former RS residential zones into the new R1-1 Residential Inclusive zone in October 2023. The current R1-1 framework provides for several forms of lower-density housing, including a new single detached home, duplex development and multiplex housing, with laneway housing also possible alongside a detached home. The precise form and number of homes possible on any individual site depend on lot dimensions, frontage, design and other City requirements.

That flexibility makes a traditional East Vancouver lot more interesting than it once was. A buyer may decide to build one substantial contemporary family residence. Another may explore a duplex. Others may investigate the City’s newer small-scale multi-unit housing options.

Whatever direction is ultimately taken, the combination of a 33-by-120-foot lot, corner exposure, lane access, elevation and views gives 2798 E 24th Avenue characteristics worth paying attention to.

The house can change. Those fundamentals stay with the property.

Living in Renfrew Heights: Parks, Schools and East Vancouver Convenience

Renfrew Heights has always had a slightly quieter personality than some of East Vancouver’s better-known neighbourhoods. That is part of its appeal.

It is predominantly residential, with established streets, detached houses, newer duplexes and an increasing variety of small-scale housing. Yet it remains surprisingly connected to the rest of the city. The broader Renfrew-Collingwood community benefits from parks, recreation facilities, transit and convenient commercial areas along Kingsway and other nearby corridors.

For 2798 E 24th Avenue, one of the standout neighbourhood amenities is Renfrew Park Community Centre, located near Renfrew Street and East 22nd Avenue. The facility includes an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, gym, games room, sauna and whirlpool, making it an especially useful neighbourhood resource for families and active residents.

The surrounding green space is another reason buyers are drawn to this part of East Vancouver. Renfrew Ravine provides something quite different from the city’s more formal parks, with a natural creek and wooded environment running through the neighbourhood. The City itself describes Renfrew-Collingwood as a primarily residential community with good access to nature.

A little farther west is one of East Vancouver’s great community gathering places: John Hendry Park, better known locally as Trout Lake. The 27.3-hectare park offers walking and jogging routes, sports fields, playgrounds, tennis, an off-leash area and the lake itself. Beside it, Trout Lake Community Centre includes an ice rink, gymnasium, large fitness centre, dance and art studios and a range of community programs.

Families also have a number of public-school options throughout the surrounding area. Nootka Community Elementary sits beside Renfrew Park and offers K–7 programming, while Lord Beaconsfield Elementary is located in Renfrew Heights near Nanaimo Street and East 20th Avenue. Vancouver Technical Secondary is located nearby on East Broadway.

Everyday shopping is also straightforward. Kingsway provides groceries, restaurants, shops and services, while Grandview Highway offers additional major retailers within easy reach. Commercial Drive is close enough to become part of regular neighbourhood life, whether that means dinner out, meeting friends for coffee or spending an afternoon exploring the independent shops and restaurants that have made The Drive one of East Vancouver’s most recognizable commercial districts.

Transit connections add another advantage. The neighbourhood has access to the Millennium and Expo Line networks through nearby stations, including 29th Avenue, helping connect Renfrew Heights with Downtown Vancouver, Burnaby and other parts of the region.

What we like about Renfrew Heights is the balance. It feels residential without feeling isolated. There are trees, yards and quieter streets, but the parks, community centres, shopping and transit infrastructure of East Vancouver are never far away.

For families comparing Renfrew Heights homes for sale, that combination can be every bit as important as the house itself.

Realtors Selling Homes in Renfrew Heights, East Vancouver: Jacob & Olivia Team

Selling a detached house in Renfrew Heights requires a different approach from marketing a downtown condominium or a newly built home.

Older houses often have more than one possible buyer. The eventual purchaser might be a family looking for a renovation project, someone attracted primarily to the land, a builder considering a new home, or a buyer investigating duplex or multiplex development. Good marketing needs to understand all of those possibilities without reducing the property to simply its current condition.

That is particularly important with a property such as 2798 E 24th Avenue.

Rather than focusing on what has not yet been renovated, our job is to identify what cannot easily be replaced: the elevated position, the city and mountain views, the full-size lot, the corner exposure, lane access, the three-bedroom upper floor and the flexibility that the property may offer over the long term.

Jacob & Olivia Team has been selling Vancouver real estate for more than 20 years, with extensive experience throughout East Vancouver and the Vancouver Westside. We have a particular interest in detached houses and duplex properties, where understanding the land, neighbourhood, architecture and redevelopment possibilities is every bit as important as understanding the interior of the home.

For homeowners searching for Realtors selling homes in Renfrew Heights, East Vancouver, our approach combines detailed property preparation, professional photography and video, digital marketing, direct exposure to our realtor and client networks, neighbourhood knowledge and experienced negotiation.

We also believe presentation should match the property. A beautifully renovated house deserves marketing that communicates design and lifestyle. An original home on an exceptional piece of land requires a different story — one that helps buyers see beyond what is there today and understand what could be there tomorrow.

That ability to position each property individually is part of the standard sellers should expect when choosing among top Vancouver Realtors.

If you own a detached home, duplex or redevelopment property in Renfrew Heights and are considering selling, we would be happy to sit down with you and discuss its value, the likely buyer profile and the best strategy for bringing it to market.