Finding a home that fits your lifestyle needs is important, but finding one that fits the budget is just as critical, if not more so. That’s what “right-sizing” is all about.

The “right-sizer” was never just a buzzword in Calgary, as whether downsizing or upsizing a home, finding the right-size home is what everyone needs. After all, no one wants to be house-poor, meaning having a home that you can’t afford.

“Right-sizing isn’t about having less – it’s about having the right home for the life you want to live,” says Trico Homes Director of Marketing, Glenda Schwartz. “It’s aligning the home with the buyer’s current and future lifestyle, not simply reducing square footage.”

For Partners Homes, it’s about balance. “A right-sized home is about delivering smart, intentional design. Homes that offer the space people truly need without excess,” says Laurel Campbell, Senior Marketing Strategist at Partners. “It’s about creating efficient, livable spaces that support a range of lifestyles while also improving affordability, reducing maintenance, and maximizing long-term value.”

Right home, right price

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers a couple of guidelines to finding a home that you can comfortably afford. First, your housing costs shouldn’t be more than 32 per cent of your gross income. Housing costs include mortgage principal and interest, taxes, heating expenses and half of your condo fees. Second, your total debt (for housing, cars, and credit cards) shouldn’t be more than 40 per cent of your gross income.

Fortunately, Calgary’s new homebuilders work with their customers in offering all home types that can fit their various financial and lifestyle needs. Whether a front-drive garage home, a laned home, a duplex, townhome, apartment condo, Calgarians have a wide range of new-built options to choose from for their “right-sizing” lifestyle.

Apartment condos

Logel Homes is one of Calgary’s most renowned multi-family developers, winning their sixth straight Large Volume Multi-Family Builder of the Year at the 2025 BILD Calgary Region Awards, not to mention a host of other industry awards.

“Right-sizers are our primary homeowner group,” says Sales & Marketing Director, Reilly LePage. “We know that right-sizing is a new chapter, but it can be both exciting and stressful. We understand the importance of providing best-in-class customer service and condos that don’t mean compromise to help folks navigate this part of their lives.”

Now with 30 show suites to visit, Logel’s “right-sizer” floorplans have been constantly refined, LePage says, comparing their units to the size of a typical 1960s bungalow or larger at 1,096 to 1,300 square feet. “It’s the space most right-sizers are comfortable with,” LePage says.

They have eight ongoing developments in Calgary and one in Canmore – Altitude which just opened five show suites and Sage Walk Ravines which just opening three townhome show homes. Their latest is Meridian in Seton, one of Logel’s most exciting undertakings. “It’s an exciting development for us. It has over 14 floorplans ranging from 472 to 1,122 square feet. The development is a 5-minute walk to Market Street, shops, restaurants, the YMCA, and South Campus Hospital.” Find out more at logelhomes.com.

Townhomes

Whether buying a home for the first time, moving up, or downsizing, Excel Homes’ Marketing Manager Kristina Plank advises taking the time to do the research and make sure the home and community makes sense for your lifestyle. “Think about your commute to work, the amenities around you and what your day-to-day life would be like. Also, make sure you choose a builder that suits your style, personality and someone that will guide you through the process,” Plank says.

Excel offers various single-family homes from duplex, laned, and front-drive homes, but now they also have townhomes. Monocle Townhomes in Mahogany just opened two new showhomes in the southeast community. It has a total of 68 units with attached garages, and five unique floorplans of 2- and 3-bedroom models ranging from 1,240 to 1,617 square-feet.

StreetSide, meanwhile, specializes in multi-family homes in Calgary and right-sizing to them is finding a better way to live, says Marketing Manager Michelle Winter.

“Right-sizing with StreetSide isn’t about giving something up, it’s about gaining a better way to live. Our townhomes are intentionally designed to simplify day-to-day life with the space you need, the features you actually use, and locations that keep you connected.”

They have 10 condo and townhome developments across the city designed for “real life, functionality and not just square-footage,” Winter says. They are in smart “urban + suburban” locations close to transit, retail, schools and employment hubs. Prices range from $400s to $700s so there is a wide selection. A limited time Summer Sale is ongoing. Go to streetsidecalgary.com for more.

Duplex homes

Partners Homes believes “right sizers” deserve the breathing room – and the finish level – usually reserved for far pricier single family homes. Their newest duplex and street town collections deliver on that promise with thoughtfully planned square footage and a spec sheet that starts above the industry norm.

“Our duplex and street town models in Keystone Creek (North Calgary) are a strong example of this approach in action,” says Laurel Campbell, Senior Marketing Strategist at Partners. “They provide thoughtfully designed layouts, attainable price points, and the flexibility first-time homeowners, downsizers, or investors are seeking.”

Partners offers a variety of attached products in Keystone including Street Towns (with no condo fees) from the $480s, rear laned duplexes from the $520s and our Hybrid model with a front-drive option from the low $600s.

Partners offers three duplex plans in NE Calgary’s Homestead, ranging from 1,561 to 1,667 sq. ft. Two include a main floor den that can be converted to a bedroom, creating up to four bedrooms and three full baths. The third model delivers a spacious three bed, 2.5 bath layout. Every home includes a side entry for a future legal suite, adding income potential and resale value. More information at partnershomes.ca

Laned homes

Morrison Homes is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year, and one of the ways they are marking this milestone is by introducing a new laned home model: The Nova.

“The Nova is one of our newest models, and it’s been a huge hit because of how much it packs into 1,360 square feet,” Conrad says. “It really proves you don’t need a massive footprint to have a home that feels open and airy.”

What makes it special is the layout. It features a rear kitchen that acts as the heart of the main floor, naturally separating the dining area and the great room. This creates distinct living zones while keeping the whole space connected and bright. It’s an incredibly efficient design that feels way more spacious than the numbers on paper suggest.

Morrison Homes has laned showhomes in Wolf Willow, Sirocco and Liberty in south Calgary, and in Glacier Ridge, Rockland Park, and Cornerstone in the north. Find out more at morrisonhomes.ca.

Front-drive homes etc.

Throughout their line of multi-family and single-family homes, Trico Homes’ commitment to providing value to its buyers remains paramount. “The right-sizing goal for us is to eliminate unused space, maintenance burdens, and unpredictability while enhancing lifestyle quality,” Schwartz says.

Trico Homes builds in over 32 communities throughout Calgary and surrounding areas and offers all product types from duplex, bungalows, front-garage, laned homes, condos and townhomes.

As for some right-sizing homes, Trico offers peak living in its Summit Condos in Calgary’s desired westside master-planned community of Wentworth South. As well they are building townhomes and bungalow villas in future communities of Stillwater Estates in Harmony, Springbank. They will have as well single-family bungalows and bungalow villas in Damkar Court NW Calgary, and estate and bungalow villas in Willows of Wentworth that is also within Wentworth South.

New lots are being released in the Cochrane community of Southbow Landing, where their 2,166-square-foot three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath front-drive, Harrington showhome is popular. “At Trico Homes, the goal has always been focused on creating comfort not just in the home but in the entire process of buying and building a home,” says Gwenn Utigard, Area Sales Manager for Trico Homes at Southbow Landing.

“We also offer bungalow floorplans in this community, so we’ve got lots of choice to fit your lifestyle,” she adds.

“We are currently opening front-garage homes – two new showhomes (Aria and Lawson) in Ambleridge on June 6th, and two more in Legacy (Everette and Cambridge) in August. As well, our Foxtail Street Towns we will be opening July 11 and Verona North Townhomes on July 18.” More information available at tricohomes.com.