How to Sell an Inherited House in Alberta

Selling an inherited house in Alberta has two moving parts that run on different rulebooks: probate (provincial, handled by the Court of King's Bench) and capital gains (federal, handled by the CRA). Once you understand both, the path from "I inherited a home" to "the sale closed" is clear, and most Edmonton estates can plan for roughly 60 to 90 days from listing to keys handed over.

First, Figure Out If You Need Probate

How the title was held decides your first move.

If the deceased owned the home alone or as a tenant-in-common, you almost certainly need probate. To transfer or sell that land, the Alberta Land Titles office requires an original filed copy of the Grant of Probate (when there is a will) or a Grant of Administration (when there is not). A notarized copy is expressly unacceptable. You can begin marketing the home earlier, but the title cannot move to a buyer until the grant issues.

If the home was held in joint tenancy, the rules are simpler. The surviving joint tenant does not need a grant. They complete a Statutory Declaration regarding Proof of Death and provide an original or notarized death certificate, and the title passes to them by survivorship.

What the Executor Actually Has to Do

If you are the personal representative (executor under a will, or administrator without one), Alberta's Estate Administration Act gives you four core duties: identify the estate's assets and liabilities, administer and manage the estate, satisfy its debts and obligations, and then distribute everything and account for what you did.

You also must give notice to beneficiaries. That notice identifies the deceased, gives your contact information as the personal representative, describes each person's gift, and states that all gifts come after the deceased's debts are paid.

When there is no will, or the named executor declines to act, an eligible family member applies to the Court of King's Bench for a Grant of Administration. The Estate Administration Act sets a priority order, and anyone who ranks higher or equal must renounce before the grant issues. The Wills and Succession Act, in force since February 1, 2012, governs how the property is divided when there is no will.

The Court Fees You Will Pay

Probate is not free, but in Alberta it is modest and tied to the net value of the estate's Alberta property.

The court fee to issue a Grant of Probate or Administration is tiered: $35 for estates of $10,000 or under, $135 for over $10,000 up to $25,000, $275 for over $25,000 up to $125,000, $400 for over $125,000 up to $250,000, and $525 for estates over $250,000. Opening a new court file costs $300. You can apply online through the Surrogate Digital Service or on paper using the GA Forms.

Pricing the Home: Use Real Edmonton Numbers

Before you list, you need a defensible value, both to price the sale and because the CRA needs a fair market value at the date of death (more on that below).

Edmonton's detached market gives you solid anchors. The median sold price was $472,587 against a median list price of $476,849, a sale-to-list ratio of 99.1%. In plain terms, correctly priced detached homes are selling at essentially full ask, and they are moving in a median of 28 Days on hômm.

If the inherited property is a condo, set your expectations differently. Edmonton condos sold at a median of $250,657 against a median list price of $256,908, nearly half the detached figure, with a softer 97.6% sale-to-list ratio and a median of 33 Days on hômm. Knowing the property type changes both the proceeds estimate and the timeline.

For a personal, no-obligation estimate of the specific address, start with a free home valuation from hômm. To see what the estate would actually keep after commission, mortgage payout, and costs, run the numbers through our seller net proceeds calculator; it is the fastest way to turn a sale price into a real distribution figure for the beneficiaries. If commission is your main question, the REALTOR® commission calculator breaks that single line down.

The Tax Side: Federal, Not Provincial

Alberta has no provincial inheritance tax and no estate tax. The tax that matters is federal, and it works through capital gains.

Under CRA rules, a person is deemed to have disposed of all capital property immediately before death at fair market value. That deemed gain or loss is reported on Schedule 3 of the deceased's final T1 return. If the home was the deceased's principal residence, the principal residence exemption can fully or partly shelter that gain, but the legal representative still must file Form T1255 and Schedule 3 even when the entire gain is exempt.

There are two big relief valves. First, the spousal rollover: if the home passes to a surviving spouse or common-law partner who is a Canadian resident, the transfer happens tax-deferred with no gain in the final return, as long as the property vests in the spouse within 36 months of death. Second, the cost base reset: as an heir, your adjusted cost base equals the home's fair market value at the date of death. So if you later sell, you are taxed only on appreciation after you inherited, not on the deceased's lifetime gain.

Your Selling Options

Once probate is sorted and you have a value, you have two routes.

Selling on the open market gets you the most money. With a 99.1% sale-to-list ratio and 28 Days on hômm, an Edmonton detached estate home priced right can realistically plan for about four weeks of market exposure plus a 30 to 60 day closing, so roughly 60 to 90 days from list to close. The full playbook lives in our guide on how to sell a house fast for cash in Alberta.

If the home needs major repairs, the estate cannot carry the carrying costs, or the heirs simply want a clean exit, a cash sale removes showings and conditions. You can request a cash offer from hômm or compare that against a traditional listing with hômm to see which nets more after the work and time involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to wait for probate before listing the inherited house?

You cannot transfer the title to a buyer until an original filed Grant of Probate or Administration is provided to Alberta Land Titles; a notarized copy is rejected. Marketing the home can begin earlier, but whether you can sign a listing agreement or accept an offer before the grant issues is a legal question. Alberta's government pages do not address it directly, so confirm with an Alberta real estate lawyer.

How much does probate cost in Alberta for a typical house?

The court fee to issue the grant is tiered by the net value of Alberta property and tops out at $525 for estates over $250,000, plus $300 to open the court file. At Edmonton's median sold price of $472,587, an estate would pay the $525 tier. Legal and accounting fees are separate and depend on the estate's complexity.

Will I pay tax when I inherit a house in Alberta?

Alberta has no inheritance or estate tax. Federally, the CRA treats the deceased as having sold the property at fair market value immediately before death, and that gain is handled in the final return, where the principal residence exemption often shelters it. As the heir, your cost base resets to the value at the date of death, so you only owe capital gains tax on appreciation after you inherit, if and when you sell.

What if the house was jointly owned with a surviving spouse?

If the title was held in joint tenancy, the surviving owner does not need probate at all. They file a Statutory Declaration regarding Proof of Death with an original or notarized death certificate, and the title passes by survivorship. For tax, a transfer to a Canadian-resident spouse can be tax-deferred under the spousal rollover, provided the property vests in the spouse within 36 months of death.

What happens if there is no will?

When there is no will, or the named executor will not act, an eligible person applies to the Court of King's Bench for a Grant of Administration rather than probate. The Estate Administration Act sets who has priority to apply, and anyone ranking higher or equal must renounce first. The Wills and Succession Act then governs how the estate is divided among heirs.