c/edmonton-real-estate

Had a landlord call me yesterday who was losing his mind over a slow leak

Guy named Derek from St. Albert called me up because his bathroom floor started feeling spongy. He said he noticed a small water stain under the toilet like 4 months ago but just put a towel over it. The leak had been going into the subfloor the whole time and now he's looking at like $8k to replace the floor and joists. I told him a simple wax ring replacement would have cost him maybe $30 and an hour of his time. Has anyone else run into tenants or homeowners who just ignore obvious signs till it becomes a huge problem?

Heat map trick saved me $600 on my south-facing duplex listing

Photographed a bungalow near Whyte Ave in July and the agent kept asking why the living room looked so dark in every shot. Told him to check the heat map on his phone - south facing windows with no blinds were cooking the sensor at 2pm. We reshot at 9am and the place sold in 5 days. Anyone else run into this with afternoon shoots?

Hit 50 showings in 2025 already and I'm shook

I just checked my calendar and I've done 50 showings since January - that's way more than I thought for this market. Anyone else seeing way more foot traffic than last year in Edmonton?

New builds vs older homes in Edmonton - old house won by a landslide

I spent 6 months looking at those new infills in Oliver and Garneau, all sleek and shiny. But when I actually compared the square footage to a 1970s bungalow in Capilano, the older house gave me 400 more sq ft for $50k less. Plus the yard space in the new builds was basically a postage stamp. Has anyone else found that the so-called modern finishes aren't worth the trade off in space?

Picked a south-facing duplex over a north-facing one in Edmonton... glad I did

I was stuck between two similar townhouses in the same complex near Whyte Ave. One faced south with a tiny fenced yard, the other faced north with a bigger patio. My realtor warned me about the snow buildup on the north side... took her advice and went south. The winter sun melts the driveway naturally and the yard stays dry way earlier in spring. Saved me from shoveling slush for months. Anyone else pick based on lot orientation and end up surprised?

My neighbor said I was stupid for picking a fixer-upper over a move-in ready house

So I bought this 1970s bungalow in Mill Woods back in June, spent 8k on new windows and a furnace already. My neighbor Bob watched me hauling insulation last weekend and goes "you know you coulda just bought a nicer house for the same money." But the thing is, I looked at 12 different places and the ones that were "updated" had cheap flip work - vinyl floors buckling, cabinets falling apart. I figure I'd rather fix stuff myself and know it's done right, even if it takes longer. Anyone else choose the rough house on purpose?

Learned my lesson on home inspection timing the hard way

I put an offer on a house in Mill Woods last month without getting a pre-inspection done first. The seller accepted, then the inspection found 12 grand in foundation cracks and a furnace from 1992. I had to walk away and lost my earnest deposit because the clause was written wrong. Has anyone else had a deal fall through over inspection surprises?

Found out my property taxes jumped 18% this year from a neighbor, not the city

I was chatting with my neighbor down the street in Mill Woods last weekend and he mentioned his taxes went up a lot. I checked my own assessment online and sure enough, mine went from $3,400 to $4,020 with no notice from the city at all. Has anyone else had to dig through the city website just to find out their tax increase?

My 80s bungalow had a hidden foundation crack that I nearly missed.

I was all set to list a 1979 bungalow near Mill Woods last month, totally convinced it was a quick flip. But then the home inspection on March 15th showed a 14-foot crack in the basement foundation that was patched over with drywall. I had to drop the price by $18,000 and disclose everything to potential buyers. It completely changed my mind about trusting a fresh coat of paint and a clean floor. Now I always check the sump pump area and look for any signs of old water stains before I even write an offer. Has anyone else been burned by a hidden issue that a seller tried to hide?

Overheard a neighbor say their 900 sqft bungalow sold for 50k over asking in 4 days

It made me wonder if we're all just guessing prices now or if there's actual science to it. Has anyone else noticed a big gap between appraisal numbers and what places actually go for?

Paid $300 for a home inspection that missed a hidden leak

The report looked thorough, but six months later I found water damage behind a basement wall that cost $2,000 to fix. Anyone else had an inspection miss something obvious and have to eat the cost?

Wasted $600 on a home inspection that missed a major foundation crack

I hired a guy recommended by my realtor to inspect a house in Mill Woods and he totally glossed over a 8-foot crack in the basement wall that I found 2 weeks after moving in, has anyone else had inspectors miss obvious stuff like this?

Honestly think overbidding is dumb in this market. Changed my mind after losing out on 4 places.

I spent 6 months offering $20k-$40k over asking on every house in Mill Woods and kept getting outbid. Then I talked to a realtor friend who said most of those listings are priced low on purpose to start a war. She showed me 3 comps that sold for under asking with better terms. My last offer I went $15k under list with a flexible closing date. Got accepted in 2 days. Has anyone else had better luck writing lower offers with good conditions?

Vent: Used to trust online home value estimates until I listed my place in Garneau

I nearly priced my condo based on what those automated sites told me. Then a realtor friend ran comparables and showed me my unit was worth 40 grand less than the online number. She pulled up actual sales from the last 3 months in our building. Has anyone else had those online tools mess with their expectations before listing?

The time my open house turned into a raccoon rescue

I was showing a bungalow in Mill Woods last Saturday when a family of raccoons crashed through the ceiling tiles in the basement during the kitchen tour. I ended up calling animal control and buying the buyers a coffee gift card to smooth things over. Has anyone else had wildlife interrupt a showing?

Walked through a Strathcona bungalow yesterday that had a sauna in the basement bathroom

My home inspector missed the poly-B piping and now I'm stuck with a leaky basement

I bought a house in the Strathcona area back in March, and you know what, the inspection report came back clean. The inspector even said the plumbing looked fine. Fast forward to two weeks ago, I'm walking down to the basement to grab a jar of pickles and I hear water running. Not a drip, like a steady stream. Turns out the previous owners had polybutylene piping hidden behind a finished wall, and a joint just gave out. I had to call a emergency plumber at 10 PM on a Saturday, cost me $1,200 just to stop the leak. Now I'm looking at another $4,000 to repipe the whole house because my insurance won't cover gradual failures. Has anyone else found poly-B in an older Edmonton home after closing?

The duplex vs single-family debate in Sherwood Park

I was stuck choosing between a newer duplex near the new high school for $385k or an older single-family home off Broadmoor for $415k. I went with the duplex because of the lower price and attached garage, and honestly I love not having to fix an old roof. Has anyone else here had to weigh a similar trade-off in the east side?

The water heater gave out in my duplex last Friday...

My tenants called me about a puddle in the basement around 10 PM last Friday. The 40 gallon unit was 12 years old so I knew it was done for. I called three plumbers the next morning and got quotes from $1800 to $2600 for a new install. Ended up going with a mid-range Rheem from Home Depot and a local guy who charged $1500 labor. The whole ordeal cost me about $2100 total and three days of running back and forth. Has anyone else here found a better way to handle emergency water heater replacements in Edmonton?

Changed my mind about buying a fixer-upper after talking to a contractor

I was dead set on getting a cheap house in Mill Woods and fixing it up myself until I talked to my buddy who does renovations. He told me on my budget I'd be looking at $40,000 just for foundation and electrical work on a 1960s bungalow. Has anyone else been talked out of a fixer-upper after getting real numbers?

I finally saw why some Edmonton houses sit on the market for months

I was checking out a bungalow in Westmount last weekend and noticed the front door opened right into the living room with no mudroom or entryway. In that neighborhood, families with kids are walking through with wet boots every winter. A realtor there told me that simple layout choice turns off at least half the buyers who tour the place. Have you seen other small design flaws that kill a sale around here?

Lost $3,000 on a presale condo in Edmonton and learned a hard lesson

Put a deposit down on a presale unit in 2022 and the builder kept delaying for 18 months before canceling the project entirely. Has anyone else had trouble getting their full deposit back from one of these developments?

Went to look at a house in Mill Woods last week that said 'newer roof' in the listing

Got up there with my ladder and the shingles were curling at the edges and the flashing around the vent pipe was all cracked and separating, so whatever was done was definitely not a full replacement or proper install, has anyone else found listings are stretching the truth on major repairs like that?

A buyer told me I was pushing too hard on closing dates

I had a couple looking at a house in Sherwood Park last month and I kept pushing for a 30 day close without asking what they needed. The buyer finally said 'you're making this about your timeline not ours' and I realized they were right. They needed 60 days because of a rental lease overlap and I just assumed faster was better. Now I always ask their ideal move in date first before suggesting anything. Has anyone else had a client call them out on something like that?

Just found out condo fees in Edmonton jumped 18% in my building last year

I was looking over my annual budget statement yesterday and noticed our condo fees went up from $350 to $413 a month. Did anyone else get hit with a surprise increase like this lately or is my building just unlucky?