c/edmonton-real-estate

Wasted $800 on a home inspection that missed everything

Bought a house in Mill Woods last spring and the inspector said the roof was fine. Six months later I find out there's three layers of shingles underneath and water damage in the attic. Has anyone else dealt with inspectors who just rush through it?

Paid $500 for a pre-inspection on a house that fell through

Hired a guy last month to do a pre-offer inspection on a bungalow near Whyte Ave, cost me $500 out of pocket. The sellers accepted another offer before I even got the report back. Anyone else thrown cash at inspections that went nowhere?

That conversation with the inspector about foundation cracks changed my whole approach

I was talking to a home inspector in Mill Woods last week and he said 90% of the hairline cracks he sees are just settlement, not structural issues. Has anyone else found themselves overthinking these things after buying their first place?

Just realized the old water heater in my fixer-upper was costing me $40 extra a month

I bought a 1950s bungalow near Whyte Ave last spring and finally got around to checking the utility bills. The water heater was from 1998 and I figured it was fine since it still worked. After 6 months of high gas bills I had a plumber look at it and he said the insulation was basically shot. Replaced it with a new energy star model last week and my first bill dropped by $40. Has anyone else seen big savings from swapping out old appliances in their Edmonton home?

Guy at the open house insisted the neighborhood was 'up and coming' for 15 years

I went to check out a listing in the north end near Clareview last weekend, nothing fancy just a 3 bed bungalow. There was this older dude chatting up potential buyers, straight up said the area was 'starting to turn around' and would be prime real estate in 5 years. I've been hearing that exact same line about that pocket of Edmonton since I moved here in 2018. He was pointing at a new convenience store like it was proof of a boom, meanwhile the school down the street has been on the closure watchlist for 2 years. Felt like he was reading from a rehearsed script instead of being real about the traffic or the bus routes that barely run. Has anyone else run into agents who hype up a neighborhood that's been on the edge of 'gentrifying' for a decade?

Warning: That south-facing window upstairs turned my office into a greenhouse by 2 PM this August

I moved into a condo on Whyte Avenue in June and didn't think twice about the big west-facing windows until my electric bill hit $340 last month from running the AC nonstop - has anyone here tried those reflective window films from Home Depot or are they just a waste of $50?

Got burned by a missing disclosure on a duplex in Sherwood Park

I was looking at a duplex off Baseline Road last week and the seller's realtor didn't mention the basement had a history of flooding until I asked about a weird stain. Turns out there were two insurance claims in the last five years that never showed up on the standard disclosure form. Has anyone else run into hidden issues like this when buying in Edmonton?

The time a home inspector told me my light fixtures were 'screaming bad energy'

During a showing in Fort Saskatchewan last spring, an older home inspector pulled me aside and said my recessed lighting installs were 'screaming bad energy' because the trim rings weren't flush. I was so annoyed at first, but then I realized he was right about the gaps probably causing drafts and bugs. Since that day, I always double-check the trim rings sit perfectly flush before listing a place. It's a small thing, but it made my photos look way cleaner and buyers actually comment on it now. Has anyone else gotten oddly specific feedback that stuck with you?

Overheard a realtor mention 'the good old days' of Edmonton listings

I was grabbing coffee at that place on Whyte Ave near 104th Street and heard an agent telling a client how houses used to sit for weeks with multiple showings back in 2018. Made me think about how fast things move now, stuff is gone in a weekend if it's priced right. Anyone else notice the vibe change around here since the pandemic?

Tried a virtual staging service for my condo listing in Oliver... big mistake

I paid $150 to VirtuStage for a staged unit that looked nothing like the actual room dimensions, and three buyers walked in and left immediately because the couch in the photo wouldn't even fit. Anyone else have issues with virtual staging distorting space?

Had to choose between a fixer upper in Highlands and a townhouse in Sherwood Park

Back in March I was looking at two places. One was a 1950s bungalow in Highlands that needed new windows, a roof, and the basement had water stains. The other was a 3 year old townhouse in Sherwood Park that was move in ready but had $350 a month condo fees. I went with the bungalow because I figured I could fix things over time and build equity. Man, the first month I spent $8k on a new furnace and electrical panel. But now after 6 months I'm actually ahead on value compared to what comps are selling for around here. The townhouse would have been easier but I would have been stuck paying fees forever. Anyone else take the gamble on an older house and feel like it paid off?

Spent 3 hours trying to figure out why my house wouldn't sell... turns out it was the photos all along

I had my place listed for almost 45 days and barely got any showings. I was convinced it was the price or maybe the market slowing down. Finally a buddy who works in real estate down in Calgary came to visit and took one look at my listing photos. He said they looked like I took them with a potato from 2012. I hired a proper photographer for $350 and completely redid the listing. Within a week I had 5 showings booked. Now I'm kicking myself for being cheap and stubborn for those 6 weeks. Has anyone else had their listing sit forever only to realize the photos were the problem?

Paid $900 for a new furnace filter and then found the problem was something else

My heating bill spiked bad last January in Edmonton. Turns out the tech sold me a top-tier filter I didn't need, the real issue was a dirty blower fan. Anyone else get upsold on HVAC stuff that didn't fix the real problem?

Vent: The showing that made me rethink south side condos completely

After a buyer walked out of a unit in Mill Woods because the AC broke mid-tour and the property manager took 45 minutes to even answer my call, I spent the next week lining up viewings for newer builds near the LRT and just saw 3 units sell for over asking in 4 days, has anyone else had a bad day totally flip how you feel about a neighborhood?

Spent $50 on a laser measure and it saved me 3 hours measuring a duplex floor plan last weekend

That week in 2016 when I sold 3 houses in 5 days and thought I was a genius

Back in spring 2016 I had this crazy stretch where I listed a bungalow in Mill Woods on a Tuesday, got an offer Wednesday, then two more buyers came out of nowhere for other properties I had sitting. By Friday I had three firm deals. I thought I had cracked the code. Looking back it was just the market heating up before the oil crash later that year. Now I know better than to think I'm some kind of master when things go good. Anyone else have a week that made you feel like a rockstar but turned out to just be dumb luck?

That one buyer who showed up to a showing in full hiking gear

I was showing a bungalow in the Summerside area last spring, nice place with a big backyard backing onto a pond. This couple rolls up and the guy is wearing hiking boots, cargo shorts, and a headlamp still strapped to his forehead. I thought maybe he was coming from a trail or something, but nope, he told me straight up he likes to inspect properties like he's on a survival mission. He spent 20 minutes crawling under the deck and poking the fence posts with a stick he found in the yard. His wife just stood there scrolling her phone the whole time. I asked if he wanted to see the basement and he said he already checked the foundation through a basement window. Has anyone else had buyers treat showings like an episode of Survivorman?

Compared two neighborhoods for a month before buying in Edmonton

I spent August looking at houses in both Summerside and Rutherford. Summerside had the lake and nicer yards but the commute to my job near the airport was brutal in the mornings. Rutherford turned out to be way better for the price, I got a 3 bedroom for $420k with a double garage and I'm 15 minutes closer to work. Anyone else find a hidden gem neighborhood after doing the math on commute times?

I finally tried selling my house without a realtor

Listed my bungalow in Mill Woods on one of those flat fee sites back in March. Thought I'd save the 5% commission easy. First showing was a couple who wanted to negotiate down to 50k under asking and then ghosted me. Ended up spending way more time answering emails and dealing with tire kickers than I expected. Has anyone else tried going FSBO in Edmonton and actually had it work out?

Had a realtor talk me out of lowballing and it changed how I see offers

Rant: Showed up to a showing in Edmonton and the keybox code was wrong

Drove 30 minutes to a 3-bedroom off Whyte Ave last Tuesday. Code wouldn't work. Tried calling the listing agent 4 times. Straight to voicemail each time. Waste of my whole afternoon. Anyone else deal with agents who don't update the lockbox codes?

Found out my 1950s bungalow's foundation is literally sitting on old coal mine tunnels after digging up city archives

I was doing some research at the Edmonton Public Library last weekend and stumbled on old mining maps from the 1940s that show a network of abandoned coal shafts right under my neighborhood in Beverly, and now I'm wondering if anyone else in that area has run into this when trying to sell their home.

Heard a realtor say new builds are a scam compared to buying a 70s bungalow. Is that actually true though?

Hot water tank failed in my rental house on a Sunday

Was showing a duplex I just bought near Whyte Ave to a potential tenant when the hot water tank gave out. Leaked all over the basement floor, what a mess. Had to call an emergency plumber on a Sunday, cost me $450 just for the service call. Anyone else deal with an unexpected home repair right when you're trying to close a deal?

Shoutout to the agent who told me to stop overpricing my townhouse

I had my townhouse listed for 3 months with zero serious offers. An agent friend finally told me I was asking $15,000 too much based on recent sales in the same complex. I dropped the price by $12,000 and got two offers within a week. It sold for $5k under original asking but way faster than sitting there. Has anyone else had to swallow their pride on pricing to get a sale moving?