Property Take

What a 2019 reno really adds to a 1987 Varsity Estates home

1216 Varsity Estates Drive NW · Calgary · 5 bed · 3.5 bath · 2802 sqft · Asking $1,788,000

Asking, October 20, 2026
$1,788,000
What I'd pay
$1,740,000
Against asking
-2.7%
Overall
7.6/10
Overall Verdict
7.6/10
💰
Price
7/10
📍
Location
8.6/10
🏠
Layout
7.4/10
✨
Finishes
7.8/10
🌳
Lot
7.9/10
🚪
Curb
8.1/10
📈
Future
8/10

My read

This is a 1987 build that went through an extensive 2019 renovation, so you get the bones of an established Varsity Estates lot with finishes that read far newer than the build year. The round turret living room and curved staircase are the kind of architectural detail you don't see replicated in new builds, and that's worth factoring into how you compare it to newer homes on the street.

What I'd pay
$1,740,000
With Varsity's active comps ranging $888,000 to $2,000,000 and a median of $1,185,000 at $552/sqft, this home's combination of 2,802 sqft, a 731 m² lot and a documented 2019 renovation puts it closer to the upper tier of that set, similar in scale to the 1215 Varsity Estates Drive and 3 Varsity Ridge Terrace listings rather than the smaller Varsdale Place or Virginia Drive comps.

The play

If this one interests you, spend time comparing it directly against 1215 Varsity Estates Drive and 3 Varsity Ridge Terrace since those are your closest same-type, same-era peers in the active comp set. Ask for details on what exactly was included in the 2019 renovation versus what's original to 1987, since that split often explains a lot about where a home like this sits in its comp range.

Risks

  • Worth confirming whether the full scope of the 2019 renovation included mechanical systems like furnace and water heater, since the home dates to 1987.
  • Good to verify permits on any structural changes made during the 2019 renovation, especially around the staircase and living room windows.
  • Worth checking the covered rear parking pad in person to confirm current use and condition, since it's a less common feature worth seeing firsthand.

Outcome and record of changes

This read is dated and stays as it was published (scripts/stamp-verdict-status.js checks that it does). The outcome, once the home sells or leaves the market, and any correction are added here with their dates: right, wrong or mixed, and why.

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Listing photos courtesy of RE/MAX First. View the original listing on REALTOR.ca

How Property Takes work

Each Take is my read on one listed home, dated and published before anyone knows how it ends. The read is never edited afterwards: corrections and the outcome are added underneath, right or wrong. How the checking works · Every call and how it turned out

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Listing brokerage: RE/MAX First. Original listing on REALTOR.ca.

An opinion of value, not a formal appraisal or CMA, written from the listing, the photos and market data on the day shown. Verify everything before relying on it. Not intended to solicit clients currently under contract with another REALTOR®.