It’s the only house like it in the city and for good reason. It’s massive and if you’re starting from scratch, few would ever build a house this way.
The home and the one-of-a-kind city lot can be yours for $887,300.
Built in 1993, the house sits on 0.8 acres in the community of Allard, in Edmonton’s deep south. That’s roughly the size of seven of the new lots that surround it. The house has 4,100-square-feet of living space, a five-car garage and a front view of a sound wall.
Outside, the massive yard is surrounded by nine homes.
The city owns the now empty house, which has just been put up for sale.
“The city acquired this land as part of a roadway project to support the interchange upgrade at 41 Avenue (SW) and Highway 2,” said Chris Hodgson, who is Edmonton’s director of property sales.
READ MORE: At $3.13M, Edmonton’s priciest penthouse comes with $250K Bentley
Watch below: It’s the only house like it in the city and for good reason. Fletcher Kent looks at a unique acreage for sale within Edmonton’s city limits.
The house’s address is now 2018 Auxier Point SW. That’s new. For years – before the city expanded that far south – the house was at 11250 – 41 Ave. SW.
It used to be on a 40-acre property. As the city grew, the owner sold to a developer. When work began on the 41 Avenue interchange, the city acquired the house from the developer. Widening the roadway didn’t require all the land the city acquired. The house remained but a sound wall surrounding the new Allard neighbourhood was in front of it.
At that point, the house became unlivable. The former owners accessed it off of 41 Avenue but the new wall made that impossible.
Since then, the city built a new driveway connecting the house to a road. City staff also connected a water and a sewer line.
The property is now usable and the city wants to sell it.
READ MORE: Top 10 most expensive homes for sale in Alberta
At the first open house, the city’s realtor welcomed people who wanted to take a look.
“We’ve had a lot of interest. We’re expecting multiple offers,” Bill Covey said.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for people who want a large house or perhaps look at redevelopment opportunities a few years down the road.”
Sandra Shizha was one of the people who toured the unique property. She was looking for a place for her parents.
“With grandkids in the picture now, they want the space for them to play around,” she said.
Shizha was amazed by how much space the property has.
“You never see that at all. That is amazing. We were not expecting all that yard.”
It does come at a cost, though. Last year’s property tax bill was $13,720.
Covey said the house is somewhat unusual, but he has been selling and buying homes for the city for 35 years. He’s used to unusual.
“Properties the city has to acquire are generally in the path of progress like LRT or freeway expansions. So it’s not uncommon for us to acquire homes or businesses.”
READ MORE: Unique $7.5M Alberta mansion owner built himself up for sale
Often, the city uses only part of the land and sells the rest so there can be some unusual real estate transactions. Covey predicts plenty more of those.
“LRT expansion, both the south leg and the west leg are promising to keep us quite active for a number of years.”
The property is listed on MLS and the city is holding three more open houses. They’re scheduled for March 22, April 9 and April 11.
Interested buyers have until April 24 to submit a bid.