REALTORS® serving Calgary and area

Cody Stuart / CREB®Now
Cody Stuart / CREB®Now

May 22, 2019 | Gerald Vander Pyl

Affordable acreages: Where to find your little piece of paradise without breaking the bank

If the idea of living on an acreage appeals to you, but you don't think you can afford the price of admission, don't despair. There are some areas around Calgary where affordable acreages can still be found.

Bernie Seifert, a REALTOR® and associate broker with CIR Realty, says Alberta's QE2 Highway serves as a sort of dividing line, with more expensive acreages to the west and more affordable ones to the east, both north and south of Calgary.

Seifert says many people like the idea of owning a larger piece of property, and appreciate the potential for going "off the grid" in the future, using solar power and geothermal heat technology.

If you are interested in an acreage, he suggests choosing a Realtor who specializes in the ins and outs of this type of real estate

"Ask the Realtor what experience they have in dealing with acreages, because you're off the municipal services," he said. "You have to think about things like water wells and water quality."

Here's an overview of areas with affordable acreages:
"(Northeast of Calgary) you can get 10 acres with a house and a Quonset (hut) around the $500,000 mark." - Bernie Seifert, CIR Realty

Southeast of Calgary
Prices get more affordable as you head further south and then east, such as along Highways 23 and 24 towards Lethbridge, Seifert says.

He says you can find four acres with a home in Wheatland County near Mossleigh from about $250,000, or a 10-acre parcel with house in the County of Vulcan starting in the $300,000s.

A bonus of these southeast areas is the presence of several nearby lakes for recreational opportunities, including McGregor Lake and Travers Reservoir.

"They are well priced for people with recreation on their mind, with two lakes in the area," said Seifert.

He says one drawback of the southeast region tends to be the lack of amenities, such as major shopping areas.

Northeast of Calgary
Another affordable option is to head north then east of the city, in the countryside near communities like Irricana and Beiseker, or even further north by Castor.

"There are some very affordable acreages compared to the west side of the QE2, although a little bit more (expensive) than the southeast," said Seifert. "You can get 10 acres with a house and a Quonset (hut) around the $500,000 mark."

He says one reason for the higher prices is the proximity to Calgary, but also the greater amount of commercial and industrial development underway in the region.

That includes all the retail stores that have been built in the CrossIron Mills area, which provides high-quality shopping options for acreage owners without having to venture into the big city.

Tagged: acreage | affordable | Alberta | Alberta Real Estate | Beiseker | Calgary | Calgary Real Estate | Calgary Real Estate News | CIR Realty | CrossIron Mills | Feature | Housing Market | How To | Irricana | Lethbridge | McGregor Lake | Popular This Year | REALTOR | Rural | Surrounding Areas | Travers Reservoir | Wheatland County


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