Moving Between Calgary and Edmonton
By Rajesh Babu Naidu,
Moving between Calgary and Edmonton is common: a new job, family, or a change of pace. It also means two transactions, about 300 km apart, that need to fit together. Here’s how to plan it.
Sell first or buy first?
- Sell first: you know exactly what you have to spend and you’re never carrying two homes. The risk is the gap between possession dates, which may mean a short rental or storage.
- Buy first: you secure the right home, but you may own two at once for a while. Lenders can offer bridge financing to cover the down payment until your sale closes, if your sale is already firm.
- Buy with a condition on your sale: your offer depends on selling your current home by a set date. It protects you, but sellers often prefer offers without it.
Line up the dates
The cleanest plan has your sale’s possession date on or a day or two before your purchase’s possession date, so the money from one funds the other. Your lawyer and lender need these dates early.
One REALTOR® for both sides
A real estate licence in Alberta covers the whole province, so one REALTOR® can represent you in both cities. With one person planning both deals, conditions, deadlines and possession days are set with each other in mind instead of separately.
Planning a move? Tell Rajesh what you’re looking for or ask what your home is worth.