Down a tree-lined, brick-cobbled lane among the old manors of Toronto's posh Rosedale neighbourhood, the next step in the evolution of real estate is taking shape. Inside the sleek mansion at 1 May St., a woman is raising her voice over the crack squad of landscapers deployed across every square foot of the small front yard to demonstrate how the control panel of the house's "robot brain" commands a nervous system of heated floors and walkways, lighting, doors and sound systems. The house can not only run itself, but manage its own affairs. The owner need never shop, clean, pay a bill or even answer the door. Everything has been taken care of. One of Toronto's most opulent homes may also be the answer to a commonplace question: should I buy a house or a condo?

Sometimes a condo is less a home than a phase. It's a toe-test of the real estate market that doesn't eat up your time or money with chores. For many, a house, complete with yard work and upkeep, is something acquired after children, when responsibility is no longer optional. Until then, better to plunk down condo fees and let the lawn, windows and plumbing take care of themselves.

Zeelaf Majeed, 45, a Web producer in Toronto, tried home ownership. A single mother, she bought a house after her son was born. She resisted suggestions from her friends and family that a condo would be a better fit. "A house just seemed like family," she said. The roof was sound, the plumbing worked and the yard was in great shape. But she lacked her neighbours' home-care chops. "Some people were literally out on their lawn with scissors trimming it," she says. "There were people sweeping morning and night. Their walkways were leafless. And mine, we could have had a bonfire. I was kind of the bum of the cul-de-sac."

None of the chores specific to a house ranked high on her to-do list. "Working, getting my child to daycare, having clean laundry, having cooked food. All these things were more important than the lawn," she says. "I like decorating. I like cooking. I even like cleaning. But I don't like shovelling the walk and cutting the grass." After two years, she admitted her friends had been right. She sold the place and bought a condo.

"Every condominium, any condominium, it's a lifestyle choice," says Josh Nelson, who specializes in condos for Ripco Real Estate in Calgary. "It's wanting certain things done for you. That'll go anywhere across the country." But what if you could have a house with the services of a condo? Which brings us back to Rosedale. The $5.5-million home is a blend of condominium and freehold house. As an optional feature, the purchaser can have all the perks of condo living -- landscaping, maintenance, even a concierge -- while owning the home outright.

Caroline Wight, a broker at Royal LePage's Johnson & Daniel division, which specializes in luxury homes, thinks the idea will catch on. "I do believe that more and more the service side of this industry is going to appeal to buyers who are searching for a lifestyle with a lot more ease than home ownership normally provides," she says. "It's a new idea." According to Diane Usher, a senior manager at Royal LePage Real Estate Services, these service packages will soon be available in less exclusive areas at more accessible prices. "I think it's set to explode," she says. "The high end is just where it starts out."

For now LaCURE, a company offering luxury villa rentals in 35 countries, and that is behind the property at 1 May St., has plans for another top-of-the-market location in Toronto's exclusive Forest Hill area. Geoffrey Williams, the president and co-founder of LaCURE, helped make all the arrangements for the house -- the groundskeepers, the trained maids, even a bodyguard. "Fine living in a detached home with all the advantages of living in a condominium," says Williams. "With the exception that there is no doorman."

Still, a concierge is on call at a central office from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or around the clock for special occasions, taking care of packages, stocking the fridge, buying gifts, arranging travel, whatever is needed. Unlike with a condo, the owner will be responsible for repairs, but will have access to LaCURE's database of contracting, interior design and landscaping experts to smooth the process. The annual fee for the maintenance package is based on the size of the house: it's $1.50 for every square foot of the property above ground, plus the expenses of whatever task you've charged the concierge with.

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