Buying
Buying a home in Calgary, step by step.
What happens between our first conversation and the day you get the keys, written plainly so there are no surprises on the way.
The six stages
Timing varies with the market and your situation. These are typical, not promises.
- Week 1
First conversation and your plan
We talk about why you are moving, what you need, what you can live without and what you want to spend each month. We write it down as your plan and agree on how we will keep in touch.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Mortgage pre-approval
Before we book showings, you speak with a lender or mortgage broker of your choice. A pre-approval tells you what a lender may offer and lets us write firmer offers. If you don't have someone, we can give you a few names.
- Ongoing
Search and showings
We set up a search that matches the plan, tell you about homes before you fall for them online, and look at houses together. Relocating clients get video walk-throughs with our honest notes.
- When you find the one
Writing the offer
We look at recent sales nearby, talk through price and conditions, and write the offer with you. Then we negotiate calmly. Sometimes the right move is to walk away, and we will say so.
- Usually about a week
Conditions
Once the seller accepts, you have the days set in the contract to do your homework: financing, a home inspection, and anything else we wrote in. When everything checks out, you remove conditions and the deal is firm.
- Possession day
Keys and a final walk-through
Your lawyer handles the money and the title transfer. We do a last walk-through with you, then hand over the keys once your lawyer confirms the sale has closed.
Before you shop
Mortgage pre-approval
A pre-approval is a lender's look at your income, debts and credit, usually with an interest rate held for a set period. It is not a guarantee: the lender still has to approve the specific house once you have an accepted offer, which is why we almost always write a financing condition into the offer.
Get the pre-approval before showings start. It sets a realistic price range, it saves you from loving a house you can't buy, and sellers take an offer more seriously when it is there.
We don't arrange mortgages and we don't earn anything from lenders. Choose whoever you trust; we just need to know the numbers you are working with.
Offers in Alberta
Offers and conditions, in plain words
Alberta agents use a standard residential purchase contract. These are the parts you will hear about most. Your lawyer is the right person for legal advice on any of them.
| Price and deposit | The offer states the price and a deposit, paid within a set time after acceptance and held in trust by a brokerage. The deposit goes toward your purchase; what happens to it if the deal falls apart depends on the contract. |
|---|---|
| Financing condition | Gives you time to get final mortgage approval for this house. If the lender says no, you can end the deal on the terms in the contract. |
| Home inspection | A licensed home inspector looks at the house within the condition period. If something serious turns up, we talk about asking for a repair, a lower price, or walking away. |
| Sale of your home | If you are moving up, this condition lets you buy subject to selling your current house. Sellers often accept it only with an escape clause, so we plan around it carefully. |
| Goods included | The contract lists what stays with the house: appliances, window coverings, the garage door opener. If you want it, we write it in. |
| Possession date | The day the house becomes yours, set in the offer. Pick it with your mortgage, your lawyer, your movers and your current home in mind. |
The last step
Possession day
In the weeks before
- Your lawyer receives the paperwork and contacts you to sign
- You arrange home insurance from the possession date
- You book movers and set up power, gas, water and internet
- We confirm the walk-through time with the seller's agent
On the day
- Possession happens at the time set in the contract, often midday
- We walk through with you to check that the house and included goods are as agreed
- Your lawyer confirms the funds and title have gone through
- We meet you at the door with the keys
Thinking about buying this year?
Tell us a little about your move and we will set up a first conversation.