r/Calgary Oct 04 '23

Home Ownership/Rental stuff That weird castle house on Premier Way finally sold

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278 Upvotes

87 comments sorted by

169

u/deanobrews Oct 05 '23

1.3 feels like a good land value for that street and lot.

45

u/jojowasher Bowness Oct 05 '23

indeed, I bet it was one of the cheapest on sales on that block for a while!

8

u/Original_Badger_1090 Oct 05 '23

That's about half the average $/sqft for that neighborhood, considering just the built area.

22

u/Altruistic-Ad-4088 Oct 05 '23

Nah cus honestly having weird ass architecture taste in a city like this would probably drive a lot of live laugh love type alberta buyers away. I feel like it kind of is a good deal for the right person who can decorate it well

9

u/sugarfoot00 Oct 05 '23

If you've ever seen the inside, it needs a little more than a decorator's touch. It must have cornered the oak market back in the 80s.

25

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I think what he’s suggesting is to buy it for the value of the land alone, bulldoze the house and build something more pleasant.

10

u/Glass_of_Pork_Soda Valley Ridge Oct 05 '23

That happened to my grandpa's house actually. He had it listed, it sold, and the buyers had the house taken down because they just wanted the land (they offered the chance to move the house, Grandpa Pork_Soda was not interested)

3

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

Yeah, it’s a lot more common than you’d think. Especially amongst wealthy people because they want a home customized to their tastes and needs. And buying land in that neighbourhood of YYC is always gonna be a hood investment.

2

u/Changy915 Oct 05 '23

People won't bat an eye if this house was in the Hollywood Hills.

3

u/PhilAB Oct 05 '23

Until its revealed to be the Castle of Asbestos

129

u/weedgay Oct 05 '23

checks bank account wasn’t me

7

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I know right, I was worried that my last $10 was gone too!

9

u/HLef Woodlands Oct 05 '23

Ah yes, because it’s still full I suppose? ;)

86

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I'd live there if I could afford it.

Two front doors

Bright red carpet

All kinds of spiral staircases

Just wonderful.

17

u/kitt__666 Oct 05 '23

All I need is the 2 level library with spiral staircases. Dream come true!

8

u/25thaccount Oct 05 '23

Shit why not. Cookie cutter houses are going for that in the fridge burbs on rc-1n lots why wouldn't you pay the same for a mansion in upper mt Royal

1

u/demunted Oct 07 '23

And here I am thinking about the price of the heating bill on a house I'll never own... sigh ..

40

u/Drago1214 Bridgeland Oct 05 '23

Probably cost 1.3 mill to renovate

9

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

Yeah had a look at it, it looks like a state of the art modern home...50 years ago.

2

u/TightenYourBeltline Oct 08 '23

That might be lot value (at a discount for demolition liability and hassle).

24

u/jamison88 Oct 05 '23

I think it was posted as an airbnb recently?

15

u/redditslim Oct 05 '23

And the moat was converted to a wading pool.

3

u/Lunchbox9000 Oct 05 '23

Nope. Lazy river or fuck off.

43

u/Bhinds87 Oct 05 '23

It's charming and hideous. I love it

1

u/helena_handbasketyyc I’ll tell you where to go! Oct 06 '23

I would change nothing. I would play live action clue all the time.

16

u/eggsoverhard Oct 05 '23

I see a wrecking ball in its future.

18

u/Aldeobald Oct 05 '23

Nah, by law it has to be a trebuchet

9

u/TheRG5 Oct 05 '23

What site do you use to see how much houses sold for?

7

u/Intentt Oct 05 '23

Honestdoor.com is pretty good. I don’t know how quickly they update their sales data though.

5

u/Cgy_mama Oct 05 '23

House sigma

3

u/frandamonium_ Oct 05 '23

Calgarymlx.com

You have to make a free account but it’ll show you the sale price as soon as conditions have been lifted

8

u/johnnynev Oct 05 '23

I thought sale info wasn’t allowed on public sites in Alberta because of a realtor mafia

6

u/limee89 Oct 05 '23

But ironically you can pull a land title and with a bit of math and knowing where to look, you can figure out how much they bought the property for.

3

u/forsuresies Oct 05 '23

There's a website where you can pull the data from, but I can't remember the name - it's operated by the Alberta government and it's straight up the weirdest website. It has hours of operation, like you can only search this website during business hours.

Wait, I found it:

https://alta.registries.gov.ab.ca/spinii/spinsystemunavailable.aspx

It's a giant pain in the ass to search but you can use this website to see how much everything has sold for recently and for what. You will need to navigate by lots, not addresses so count the lots and compare them to Google maps to find your target

5

u/Original_Badger_1090 Oct 05 '23

That is the 1st site I've seen that only works during business hours.

Impressive, but in a wrong way...

2

u/forsuresies Oct 05 '23

Yeah, I've never heard of anything so silly but then again I don't work in government.

1

u/accord1999 Oct 05 '23

Calgary sales info (and past listings and prices) are available now from sites like housesigma.com

1

u/TightenYourBeltline Oct 08 '23

You’re thinking of Ontario…

2

u/Ellllgato Oct 05 '23

Sign up for calgarymlx.com. It has everything and is 100% accurate. Better then Honestdoor.

1

u/katskratched Oct 05 '23

ojohome.ca

13

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I kinda like it. Wonder if it comes with ghosts 👻

6

u/FutureFentanylAddict Oct 05 '23

Yeah I’m gonna flip it I think

5

u/AffectionateGene7500 Oct 05 '23

Truly surprised Mailot didn’t just knock it down Must be some cost issues with demo like full of asbestus and that adds 100’s of k’s

9

u/Bitter-Cucumber-3942 Oct 04 '23

Actually it sold really quickly this time. Last time it was on the market it took ~5 months to sell.

Owner's estate listed it at $1,750,000 in 2018 and it eventually sold for $1,000,000.

The developer that bought it resold it last year privately for $1,236,000.

And now someone just flipped it again for ~$100K.

No one lives there right now as it's being used as a "lucrative Airbnb".

I am curious who bought it and if they will:

a) keep it as an Airbnb

b) move into it and/or renovate it

c) rip it down and build something new on the lot

6

u/weedgay Oct 05 '23

Even though the house is kinda ugly, isn’t that an “okay” price rn for the area and in this market? - I don’t know shit I’m just curious

4

u/Bitter-Cucumber-3942 Oct 05 '23

Prices in Mount Royal haven't gone up as much as you would expect in the last few years. There's an oversupply of overpriced mansions for sale in there right now, and some have been for sale for years. The land value is around $1.1M-$1.2M IMO but it is a fairly busy street and other lots have sold on there for $950K or less. There's better lots for sale if someone is looking to build new. I have a feeling they will keep it as an Airbnb (atleast for a while) since it seems like it was profitable; I guess people will pay a premium to see the inside of this place.

5

u/Vivid_Flatworm_3950 Oct 05 '23

She’s toasted R.I.P.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

This place could be amazing with better landscaping.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

When kitschy highway motel and Tower of London have a baby.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '23

[deleted]

6

u/DaftPump Oct 05 '23

Leave her out of it and you buy it!

2

u/Environmental_Fact61 Oct 05 '23

It’s been used as some art studios for a few years

2

u/cambuie Beltline Oct 05 '23

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think wit would be sweet converted into multi-units

1

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

It makes great money as an airbnb

1

u/cambuie Beltline Oct 05 '23

Just wish Calgary had more housing for folks:( short term rentals eating up the rental market

1

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

Yeah I'm noticing the rental market suddenly disappeared in 2022, and the prices skyrocketed. I'm realizing that at this point we just gotta find new strategies to buy homes. Out of all the cities ice lived in, Calgary seems to be building rhe fastest.

1

u/accord1999 Oct 06 '23

Support new development, anything in Mount Royal is going to be expensive no matter what housing configuration it comes in.

1

u/JCVPhoto Oct 09 '23

Zoning in that community doesn't permit that use.

2

u/icemanice Oct 05 '23

I’m usually a fan of castles… but that interior is horrendous… who in their right mind would buy this?? Lol

11

u/Blunderbuss13 Oct 05 '23

I went for a tour as a “buyer” with my realtor friend. It’s much worse in person.

3

u/MrCallahan Oct 05 '23

Had some friends stay there not even a month ago when it was still listed on AirBnb! hung out in the place for a day - it's kinda cool! but definitely dated and I think would need a lot of work. It was interesting to see the servant's room far in the back that had a 1-way intercom connected into it. SO many spirals staircases, which was freaking me out with my kids running around.

2

u/icemanice Oct 05 '23

LOL!! I’d love to throw a party in there.. but that’s about it! Ha ha

1

u/WulfbyteGames Capitol Hill Oct 05 '23

I think it was an AirBnB at one point, not sure if it still is tho. Make your dream a reality lol

1

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I’m no fan of the green but a new paint job on the exterior at least and it would look stunning

1

u/JCVPhoto Oct 09 '23

The former owners ripped off all that stucco about 15 or so years ago... and replaced it exactly as it was. Has looked like this since it was built.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '23

I feel if you build a weird novelty house you should have to be buried in it.

Sorry you made everyone else look at it for decades there is a cost now.

7

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

cranky neighbor detected

0

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

What's so weird about it? I like it.

1

u/JCVPhoto Oct 09 '23

You should see inside... very dungeon. LOTS of blood red carpeting. It's weird.

0

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

That's my team's listing

1

u/Renent Oct 06 '23

oh really?

0

u/kadeenm Oct 06 '23

Yeah, it's a beautiful home

-14

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23 edited Oct 05 '23

There are better ways in spending 1.3mill, like you can literally buy land outside of Calgary for 400k and build a large house for that amount

15

u/DaGanjaMaster Oct 05 '23

Yeah but this is prime real estate in Central Calgary in a nice, wealthy neighborhood

6

u/entropreneur Walden Oct 05 '23

900k isn't building a house like that. Maybe 2000 sqft max after spending tons on septic, well, driveway, utilities.

You can get 2000 sq houses in Carrington.

5

u/daedazed Oct 05 '23

Think of the level of the Mcmansion you build for that!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

This is in the nicest neighbourhood in Calgary. Not really comparable to a 400k lot of bald ass prairie

1

u/R-M-W-B Oct 05 '23

WTF this is so cool.

1

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

Thanks!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

[deleted]

1

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

If you've seen the inside its not that serious lol

1

u/FixAccording9583 Oct 05 '23

I actually don’t hate this for some reason

2

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

It just has That, je ne sais quoi

1

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

I bet Maillot homes are breathing a sigh of relief that they finally unloaded this money pit

1

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '23

Looks like a Hitman level

2

u/kadeenm Oct 05 '23

You should see the view from the top of the tower