A family looks for just enough space in Niagara Falls

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Dhana Dias immigrated from her native Brazil to Toronto in 2016. Three years later, in 2019, she met fellow Brazilian Ronald Augusto, a 41-year-old data analyst, through Toronto’s Brazilian community. In 2021, the two became roommates, sharing an apartment near Wellesley Station before their friendship evolved into romance. Ms. Dias, 39, became pregnant, and just before their son, Max, was born, the couple moved to a larger two-bedroom condo in Humber Bay Shores, which they rented for $2,600 a month.

As Max got older, the family felt cramped in their condo (they also had two cats). After visiting friends who lived in Welland, Ont., just west of Niagara Falls, they fell in love with the area. “It was so quiet and seemed so safe,” Ms. Dias explains. They moved into a new three-bedroom townhouse rental in Welland at the end of 2022, paying $2,200 a month. But the couple struggled with loud neighbours. Their second son, Alex, was born in 2023, and they moved to a four-bedroom detached home in the Brown area of Niagara Falls in 2024, paying $2,700 per month.

At the same time, Ms. Dias was undergoing a career change and became a real estate agent. Her work brought her in and out of homes for sale and opened the couple’s eyes to what might be possible for their family. “Seeing people with a similar background and making the same money as we were … affording a house. We thought, maybe we can do it,” Mr. Augusto explains. They figured they could buy a smaller house and spend roughly the same amount on a mortgage as they did on rent. “We realized we didn’t need all this space,” Ms. Dias explains.

Home Run: With a $1.5-million budget for a new home, what did this expecting Toronto couple buy?

Because Ms. Dias was now self-employed, they had to wait until she had two years of tax returns as proof of income to qualify for a mortgage. By early April, 2026, they filed their 2025 taxes, were pre-approved for a mortgage and hit the ground running.

The couple wanted at least three bedrooms, plus an additional bedroom or a finished basement for guests and a kids’ playroom. A garage was a must to park their car in the winter, as was a good backyard for the kids to play in. But the most important element was location: they wanted to be close to Forestview, where their kids’ daycare was located. “It’s a very family-friendly neighbourhood,” Ms. Dias says. “People tend to take care of their homes and yards with a bit more care.”

With their preapproval in place and additional help from savings back in Brazil, they set themselves a budget of $550,000. Here were their top three options:

Small three-bedroom townhouse in Forestview

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Mr. Augusto and Ms. Dias were eager to see this home because it was within walking distance to their sons’ daycare, a public school, and a great playground. It was a newer home, around ten years old and move-in ready. It had three bedrooms and three bathrooms, but the basement wasn’t finished, leaving no space for guests or a kids’ playroom. And while the family was up for downsizing, at 1,125 square feet, they worried the house would be too small for them. The layout had less natural light, so the home felt darker. But it did have a single-car garage and a nice fenced-in backyard for their kids to play in. The listing price of $520,000 was also under their budget.

Older four-bedroom detached home in Dorchester

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Despite the fact that it was 15 minutes east of their target neighbourhood, Ms. Dias had viewed this home with a client and thought it might work for her family, so she returned with Mr. Augusto. The home felt spacious at 1,512 square feet, and it had four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was an older house that had been recently renovated, but the basement was unfinished. In addition, one of the bathrooms in the basement needed some renovation work that the couple wasn’t keen to take on. There wasn’t any carpet in the home, which they saw as a bonus, since it’s easier to keep clean with kids and pets. It had a detached garage and a sizable backyard with a shed. But the neighbourhood was noisier and closer to the tourist district, which meant more traffic. It was listed just under their top budget, at $549,999.

Spacious three-bedroom townhouse in Fernwood Estates

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The couple wasn’t initially going to see this home in Fernwood Estates, just west of Forestview, because it was over their budget, priced at $579,900. But Ms. Dias figured the sellers might be willing to negotiate. They loved that the neighbourhood was in an enclave with one entrance and exit, which felt safe and private. The neighbours’ homes were very well-kept with tidy front yards, which they liked. The 1,501-square-foot house had a one-and-a-half-car garage, three bedrooms and a finished basement. The backyard was spacious and fenced in, which would be great for the kids to play in. However, there was only one full bathroom – the second bath was just a powder room – and there was carpet on the top level, which they felt wasn’t ideal with two cats and two kids under five.

Their home: The spacious three-bedroom townhouse in Fernwood Estates

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Mr. Augusto and Ms. Dias worried that the detached home in Dorchester wasn’t the best neighbourhood for their kids, and an older home would require too much maintenance. They actually submitted an offer on the small three-bedroom townhouse in Forestview for $500,000, but an administrative oversight resulted in another buyer with the same bid getting the property. The couple was glad it turned out that way since, in retrospect, they believe that home would have been too small for their family. They liked that the Fernwood Estates townhouse was bigger and brighter. “It was love at first sight, for sure,” Mr. Augusto explains.

The couple offered $545,000 for the spacious three-bedroom townhouse. Since Ms. Dias was a realtor, she was able to waive her 2 per cent commission, which she thinks helped sweeten the deal. The purchase was finalized at the end of April, 2026, only a few weeks after they first started looking for a home, and the family moved in by June.

Right now, their two sons are sharing a bedroom (“They love it,” says Mr. Augusto. “They wanted to sleep together.”) while the couple is in the primary bedroom and the third bedroom is their shared office. The kids have enjoyed turning the basement into their playroom, running around in the backyard and biking to a nearby playground.

Downsizing from 2,500 square feet to 1,500 square feet as a family of four might seem like a less-favourable transition. But Mr. Augusto and Ms. Dias believe it was the right move for them. “We didn’t even have enough furniture for the whole house,” Ms. Dias says about their former rental home. “It was a lot to clean and a lot of work for us.”

While they initially thought the fourth bedroom in their old home would be great for overnight guests, they realized that having a larger house just for occasional visitors wasn’t worth the space or expense. The couple plans to add a sofa bed to the finished basement to host guests in the future.

As their sons grow older and need separate bedrooms, Ms. Dias and Mr. Augusto will think about upgrading in about five years. Meanwhile, they’re enjoying life in their new home. “Every day, I wake up and say, ‘I love this house,’” Ms. Augusto says.