Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

What luxury home features are buyers paying a premium for in 2026?

In Saskatoon's higher end, buyers are paying most consistently for a legally finished walkout basement, a heated attached garage, and a kitchen with a genuine renovation rather than cosmetic updates, according to the comparable-sale adjustments Saskatchewan REALTORS Association area appraisers apply to homes above benchmark.

None of these command a flat percentage premium, since the actual dollar impact depends on the specific street and buyer pool, but the pattern is consistent across neighbourhoods like Varsity View, Lakeridge and Stonebridge. A heated garage matters more here than in a warm-climate market, because it directly affects daily winter use rather than being a cosmetic extra. A legally permitted walkout basement, documented through the City of Saskatoon, reads as usable living space to an appraiser rather than a discretionary bonus.

What buyers pay less for than sellers expect is anything purely decorative, a pool, elaborate landscaping or high-end fixtures with no functional upgrade behind them, since those show well in photos but do not move a comparable-sale adjustment much.

At the Saskatoon benchmark of $444,700, a home with these documented, permitted improvements is positioned to sell meaningfully above that line, which is exactly the gap an automated estimate misses.

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