Sabrina's Blog

Selling a parent’s home can be more complicated than a typical real estate transaction. There may be decades of belongings to sort through, decisions about repairs, family members to coordinate and the emotional side of letting go of a home filled with memories.

If you are helping a parent downsize, move into a retirement residence or transition to a different living arrangement, knowing where to start can make the process more manageable.
As a Calgary REALTOR®, I help people understand their options, make informed decisions and develop a practical plan for selling a home. Here are a few things to consider before getting started.

1. Start With a Plan, Not a Renovation

It is tempting to start cleaning, painting or updating a property right away. Before spending time or money, take a step back and look at the home as a whole.
What condition is it in? What repairs are necessary? Could it be sold as is, or would a few improvements make a meaningful difference? Often I can help show you the larger photo and help you with making these types of decisions.
Not every home needs a major renovation before selling. Understanding the likely market value and what buyers may expect can help you decide where to focus your time and budget.

2. Talk to a REALTOR® Before Emptying the House

Before removing furniture or arranging a major cleanout, consider getting a professional opinion on the property and its potential value.
The condition of the home, its location and current Calgary real estate market conditions all influence how it should be prepared and marketed. In some cases, furniture and belongings can help buyers understand the space. In others, clearing the home may make sense.

Having a plan first can help you avoid unnecessary work and expenses.

3. Decide What to Do With the Belongings

One of the biggest challenges when selling a parent’s home is dealing with everything inside it. Furniture, clothing, household items, keepsakes and years of accumulated belongings can take considerable time to sort through.
Start with the items that matter most to your family. Important documents, photographs and personal keepsakes may need to be set aside before deciding what to donate, sell, move or discard.
You do not have to tackle the entire house in one weekend. Breaking the work into manageable steps can make it feel less overwhelming.

4. You Don’t Have to Do Everything Yourself

Often, the adult children organizing a move are busy with work, their own children or retirement. They may also live outside Calgary or have limited time to coordinate every detail.
There is help available. Depending on your needs, that could include services for sorting and removing belongings, donations, selling furniture and household items, moving, cleaning and preparing the property for sale.
Through my professional connections, I can help point you toward resources that may make the process easier. The right support depends on your timeline, budget and what needs to be done.
You can take care of the personal decisions while bringing in help for some of the heavier work and logistics. You do not need to have everything figured out before asking for guidance.

5. Understand the Calgary Real Estate Market Before Selling

Before deciding on a price or investing in updates, it helps to understand what similar homes are selling for in your neighbourhood.
The right pricing and marketing strategy will depend on the property's location, condition, features and current competition. A realistic assessment can help you make decisions about repairs, preparation and timing.
Whether the home is ready for the market or needs some work, understanding your options is a useful first step.

Selling a Parent’s Home Is About More Than Real Estate

Selling a parent’s home can involve a lot of practical decisions alongside a significant life transition. Having a clear plan, realistic expectations and the right people to help can make the workload easier to manage.
You do not need to do everything at once, and you do not have to manage every detail alone.
If you are preparing to sell a parent’s home in Calgary, I can help you understand the property’s potential value, decide what preparation may be worthwhile and work through the next steps at a manageable pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I renovate my parent’s home before selling it in Calgary?

Not necessarily. The best approach depends on the home’s condition, the likely buyers and current market conditions. Get an informed opinion before committing to major expenses.

Should I empty the house before contacting a REALTOR®?

It is often helpful to discuss the property first. You may not need to remove everything before determining how the home could be marketed.

Who can help empty a parent’s home?

Depending on your needs, you may be able to arrange help with donations, furniture sales, moving, cleaning and property preparation. I have connections to professional companies that can help you with everything that you would like help with!

How do I get started selling a parent’s home in Calgary?

Start by understanding the home’s condition, market value and your family’s timeline. Contacting a Realtor to gain value insight into the real estate market typically is also helpful to determine timing. From there, you can create a realistic plan for sorting belongings, preparing the property and selling it.

Calgary, Alberta, Oct. 1, 2026 – September sales totalled 1,650 units, similar to August and nearly four per cent lower than in September 2025. While September sales typically pull back compared with August, stronger detached home sales helped prevent the typical seasonal pullback.
At the same time, new listings also rose from August, causing the sales-to-new-listings ratio to fall to 49 per cent, leaving inventory levels relatively stable compared with August. Stable sales and inventory levels in September prevented any change in the months of supply compared with August, which remained at just under four months.
While the overall market is showing higher supply levels compared with sales activity, conditions vary significantly by property type. Detached properties remain in balanced territory, and the monthly boost in new listings supported gains in sales in September. Meanwhile, higher supply levels for apartment and row homes are contributing to buyer market conditions, as demand is spread across more alternatives in the rental and new home markets.

“The variation in market conditions between property types is related to where the supply was added. The construction boom over the past three years was mostly driven by gains in higher-density sectors, significantly increasing the supply of apartment and row-style homes,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, Chief Economist at the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®). “Meanwhile, detached homes did not see the same boost in construction, preventing broad-based supply growth. Thanks to a stronger job market and slower but positive net migration, housing demand has remained strong enough to absorb some of the supply, but not enough to offset the high-density supply added to the market, resulting in a more significant impact on prices for higher-density homes.”

 As the market moves through the fall, it is not unusual to see some unadjusted monthly declines in prices. However, many of these adjustments were seasonal, as seasonally adjusted figures show that prices in September are relatively stable compared with August. The unadjusted residential benchmark price was $566,700, nearly one per cent lower than last year. Most of the price adjustments have occurred in higher-density row and apartment-style units, which have reported year-over-year declines of eight per cent and six per cent in September. Meanwhile, detached prices are one per cent lower than last year, mostly due to declines in the North East, East and North districts.

Detached

Sales in September reached 896 units, up from August and more than four per cent higher than last year. The improvement in sales was partly due to a boost in new listings in September compared with August, giving consumers more options. With a sales-to-new-listings ratio of 52 per cent and a months of supply at just over three months, conditions remained relatively balanced. However, conditions have varied across the city, with less than three months of supply in the North West, West and South districts, and nearly six months of supply in the North East district. While the overall market is relatively balanced, the unadjusted benchmark price was one per cent lower than last year. The decline was primarily driven by steep pullbacks in the oversupplied North East district. Meanwhile, prices were higher than last year in both the City Centre and West districts.   

Semi-Detached

The year-over-year gain in sales was not enough to offset earlier declines, as year-to-date sales have declined by two per cent for a total of 1,678 sales. The decline in sales matched year-to-date declines in new listings, but a monthly boost in September listings caused the sales-to-new-listings ratio to dip to 45 per cent, contributing to monthly inventory gains and pushing months of supply to nearly four months. While this is a shift from the tighter conditions reported in this sector throughout most of 2026, it is too early to say whether this will continue into the final quarter. While unadjusted prices did trend down in September, much of the decline was in line with typical seasonal behaviour. The unadjusted September benchmark price was $685,200, comparable to levels reported last year at this time.

Row

Sales in September eased compared with August, while new listings rose, causing the sales-to-new-listings ratio to drop to 45 per cent. This also contributed to higher inventory levels compared with both last year and August, resulting in the months of supply rising above four months for the first time since the beginning of the year. Additional competition from new units has weighed on resale activity, as the price spread between new and resale homes remains relatively narrow. The additional supply choice for buyers has also weighed on row prices, but not to the same extent as in the apartment sector. As of September, the unadjusted benchmark price was $412,400, down nearly six per cent from last year. While prices have declined across all districts, the steepest declines, at more than 11 per cent, have occurred in the North East and East districts, while the smallest declines have occurred in the North West, at two per cent. 

Apartment Condominium

Apartment sales improved from August, slowing the year-over-year pace of decline to 14 per cent. New listings also rose over August, with 343 sales and 717 new listings, leaving the sales-to-new-listings ratio at 48 per cent. The monthly gains in sales supported modest reductions in inventory levels and prevented any further increases in the months of supply, which remained just above five months. The excess supply of apartment-style units has weighed on prices throughout most of the year. As of September, the unadjusted benchmark price fell to $291,400, down more than one per cent compared with August and more than eight per cent lower than last September. While some of the monthly decline is seasonal, seasonally adjusted prices continued to decline.  

REGIONAL MARKET FACTS

Airdrie

Sales in Airdrie continued to slow in September, contributing to the year-to-date decline of 13 per cent. Sales slowed across all property types, as increased competition from the new home market and competing markets in Calgary and other surrounding areas are weighing on demand. While sales eased in September, new listings also slowed and inventories trended down compared with August. However, the pullback in sales outpaced the inventory declines and the months of supply rose to four months. Additional supply choice continues to weigh on prices as well. As of September, the unadjusted total residential benchmark price was $505,800, nearly four per cent lower than last year. Prices have eased across each property type, with the largest declines occurring for higher-density homes.

Cochrane

Despite the monthly pullback, sales remained higher than last year, and on a year-to-date basis, sales have increased by nearly six per cent. The rise in sales came with an increase in new listings, with new homes accounting for nearly 30 per cent of this year’s total listings. With 163 new listings and 68 sales, the sales-to-new-listings ratio dropped to 42 per cent in September, the lowest monthly level seen since January. This contributed to higher inventory and pushed the months of supply to five months. Despite this one-month shift, prices improved compared with August and are similar to last year’s levels.  

Okotoks

An increase in new listings compared with sales caused the sales-to-new-listings ratio to drop to 76 per cent in September, still higher than most other areas, but below the ratios of more than 80 per cent reported over the past two months. With 122 units in inventory and 56 sales, conditions remain relatively tight with just over two months of supply. Despite tighter conditions, increased competition from the new home market and competing markets has weighed on prices earlier this year. However, with an unadjusted total residential benchmark price of $606,800 in September, prices are stable relative to last September and are only one per cent lower on a year-to-date basis. 

Chestermere

Sales in September rose, helping to offset some of the gains in new listings. While the sales-to-new-listings ratio remained low at 38 per cent, inventory levels trended down from August and brought the months of supply back below six months. Significant new construction in the area, along with competing supply in Calgary and other surrounding areas, has weighed on prices in Chestermere over the past few months. However, year-to-date prices are only one per cent lower than last year. The unadjusted total residential benchmark price was $690,200 in September, down from August but similar to last year’s levels. 

COMPARE TO LAST MONTHS STATS