Big Fat Deal: $5 million for the weirdest home in Abbotsford

Each week, BCBusiness takes you inside one of the most outrageously upmarket real estate offerings in the province

Address: 39623 Old Yale Road, Abbotsford
Price: $4,998,000
MLS: F1437838

The skinny: A converted former BC Electric substation with a main residence, two rental units and a two-bedroom suite for extended family or staff spread over 13,000 square feet on two acres of land.
 
The bling: This one has been on the market for a while and is currently listed for around $1.5 million less than its original asking price. Why? Because it’s an unconventional property that’s been renovated with a lack of imagination: it’s neither a super-cool pad for the retreating urbanite nor a grand affair for those who fancy themselves master of a country chateau. But look past the dreary furnishings and straight-laced interiors and this could be totally rad. Yes, you would need to rip out all the nasty yellow bathroom marble and the boring kitchen cupboards, but you’ve saved a ton of asking-price cash already, so what’s the problem? With fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed brick on the main floor and cute round windows in the rooms at the top, anyone with a design eye could really make this place special. For someone who wants to live in Abbotsford, of course.
 
The hidden extras: All the usual high-end yik yaks—wine cellar, steam room, media room, elevator—with the added benefits of immediate access to some seriously beautiful countryside.