Newbie
Posts: 6 
Location: Western Australia
Location: Western Australia
August 12th, 2006, 01:05 PM
Hello all,
I am wanting to move to BC shortly (from Australia) with my wife and children.
We will need a house as I think our family is a bit big for an apartment, plus used to having our own bit of space. Upon arrival we will be looking to rent a house for a while, at least until we feel settled and have a better idea of the place. Problem is we are not sure where to start looking.
In Aus, the real estate agents also manage rental properties and you can get plenty of info from them but it appears that in Canada its usually handled privately by the owners on an individual basis.
I guess I am looking for suggestions of good places to settle with a young family wher we can rent something around $1,000 - $1,400 per month, probably 4 bedrooms etc..
Any ideas would be welcome!
Cheers,
Kev.
Hello all,
I am wanting to move to BC shortly (from Australia) with my wife and children.
We will need a house as I think our family is a bit big for an apartment, plus used to having our own bit of space. Upon arrival we will be looking to rent a house for a while, at least until we feel settled and have a better idea of the place. Problem is we are not sure where to start looking.
In Aus, the real estate agents also manage rental properties and you can get plenty of info from them but it appears that in Canada its usually handled privately by the owners on an individual basis.
I guess I am looking for suggestions of good places to settle with a young family wher we can rent something around $1,000 - $1,400 per month, probably 4 bedrooms etc..
Any ideas would be welcome!
Cheers,
Kev.
Super Genius
Posts: 1,249
August 12th, 2006, 01:48 PM
Start in sunny Surrey if you want to golf year round.
Besides our bedroom suburb (Vancouver) is just across the river!
http://www.fraservalleyguide.com/Surrey.html
Start in sunny Surrey if you want to golf year round.
Besides our bedroom suburb (Vancouver) is just across the river!
http://www.fraservalleyguide.com/Surrey.html
Newbie
Posts: 6
Location: Western Australia
Location: Western Australia
August 12th, 2006, 03:57 PM
I made a short list of possibilities based solely on the map and what I could find out on the net and that list includes Surrey - as well as Port Moody, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam. and Maple Ridge. Of course at this stage they are all just names to me... That's where I'm hoping the friendly people on here can tell me if I'm heading in the right direction or make other suggestions altogether!
Anyway, that's 1 tick for Surrey so far.
Thanks,
Kev.
I made a short list of possibilities based solely on the map and what I could find out on the net and that list includes Surrey - as well as Port Moody, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam. and Maple Ridge. Of course at this stage they are all just names to me... That's where I'm hoping the friendly people on here can tell me if I'm heading in the right direction or make other suggestions altogether!
Anyway, that's 1 tick for Surrey so far.
Thanks,
Kev.
Genius
Posts: 929
August 12th, 2006, 11:33 PM
I'm not sure about the suburbs, but Vancouver is very expensive. I know people paying $1000 for a one bedroom apartment or basement suite. It's probably cheaper in the suburbs, but I don't know how much cheaper.
The okanagan & Vancouver island are quite nice.
I'm not sure about the suburbs, but Vancouver is very expensive. I know people paying $1000 for a one bedroom apartment or basement suite. It's probably cheaper in the suburbs, but I don't know how much cheaper.
The okanagan & Vancouver island are quite nice.
Super Genius
Posts: 1,249
August 13th, 2006, 02:04 AM
It does all depend on where you will be working. Commuting is a pain as bridges and tunnels are bottlenecks. If you are a Doctor or a Dentist you probably can go anywhere. If you work from home it is cheaper the further out from Vancouver you go.
It does all depend on where you will be working. Commuting is a pain as bridges and tunnels are bottlenecks. If you are a Doctor or a Dentist you probably can go anywhere. If you work from home it is cheaper the further out from Vancouver you go.
Super Genius
Posts: 1,249
August 13th, 2006, 02:14 AM
Here are two newspapers. One a local freebe and the other a daily.
You can check the classifieds for rents etc. Remember some neighbourhoods are better than others.
http://www.surreyleader.com/ (surreyleader)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html (vancouversun)
Here are two newspapers. One a local freebe and the other a daily.
You can check the classifieds for rents etc. Remember some neighbourhoods are better than others.
http://www.surreyleader.com/ (surreyleader)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html (vancouversun)
Newbie
Posts: 6
Location: Western Australia
Location: Western Australia
August 13th, 2006, 07:01 AM
Thanks for the help so far.
Where I live in West Aust at the moment is about 40km out of Perth city, so you have easy access when you want it, but without all the hassle of living right in the city, as some of you have mentioned - traffic etc..
Thats probably what I would like to do again. Live close enough to Vancouver to be able to access it without having to spend hours in the car, but far enough away to be hassle free and affordable!
As for work, I currently work on the oil rigs here and I am a qualified paramedic so I am hoping to be able to work on the rigs or heavy industry etc as a medic or safety officer. One possibility being fly in / fly out to offshore rigs at the Gulf of Mexico.
Thanks again and look forward to more suggestions.
** If you were going to live in BC, in a house (rented) with 4 kids, and you wanted to keep your rent below about $1,400 pm, wanted a good family neighbourhood etc - where would you live?? (I guess thats my question in a nutshell).
Cheers for now,
Kevin.
Thanks for the help so far.
Where I live in West Aust at the moment is about 40km out of Perth city, so you have easy access when you want it, but without all the hassle of living right in the city, as some of you have mentioned - traffic etc..
Thats probably what I would like to do again. Live close enough to Vancouver to be able to access it without having to spend hours in the car, but far enough away to be hassle free and affordable!
As for work, I currently work on the oil rigs here and I am a qualified paramedic so I am hoping to be able to work on the rigs or heavy industry etc as a medic or safety officer. One possibility being fly in / fly out to offshore rigs at the Gulf of Mexico.
Thanks again and look forward to more suggestions.
** If you were going to live in BC, in a house (rented) with 4 kids, and you wanted to keep your rent below about $1,400 pm, wanted a good family neighbourhood etc - where would you live?? (I guess thats my question in a nutshell).
Cheers for now,
Kevin.
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 3,859 
Location: Victoria, BC
Location: Victoria, BC
August 13th, 2006, 03:48 PM
kevandkristie ... first of all,
to Canadian Content!! You'll find all kinds of folks here -- most of them relatively sane and the rest highly entertaining. There's some disagreement about which of those groups I personally fit into.
Live in B.C.? Well, geez, Mate, there's only one place anyone would want to be, isn't there??? Vancouver Island. I live in Victoria, one block from the water in a community called James Bay. It's perfect. No real winter (when we have to scrape frost off our windshields we all whine about it wrecking our credit cards since no one has ice scrapers here!). There are flowers year round.
Being the capital of B.C., we have the Parliament Buildings which are really quite beautiful ...
It's great for raising babies. None of those rotten gangs and whatnot. There's plenty to do to keep them out of trouble and involved in life. Add to that, there's an excellent university right here.
http://www.city.victoria.bc.ca/common/index.shtml
Victoria is a really big small town ... it's the kind of place you smile and say "hello" to everyone you meet walking down the street. I even know my neighbours by name! Folks here are definitely "west coast" in attitude ... laid back, lots of bunny huggers, friendly ... but with all the amenities of a big city. We got it all here. Plus you can take the kiddies to Botanical Beach and spend literally days looking in tide pools and investigating nature.
http://www.portrenfrew.com/botbeach.htm
http://www.juandefucamarinetrail.com...cal_beach.html
Rent in the greater Victoria area is killer. It's expensive. But if you look at the outlying areas, it's reasonable. If you head up Island to Duncan or Chemainus, it's even more reasonable. I used to commute from Duncan to Victoria for work every day -- bit of haul, but certainly doable.
http://www.bctravel.com/community.html
Anyway, there's my two coppers worth. I was born and raised in the interior of B.C. in the heart of the amazing Rockies. Gorgeous there, but damn cold in winter. To me there's nothing like Island life!
Of course I'm biased ... I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on the planet. Either way, I'm sure you'll love B.C. It is a beautiful province.
kevandkristie ... first of all,
to Canadian Content!! You'll find all kinds of folks here -- most of them relatively sane and the rest highly entertaining. There's some disagreement about which of those groups I personally fit into.Live in B.C.? Well, geez, Mate, there's only one place anyone would want to be, isn't there??? Vancouver Island. I live in Victoria, one block from the water in a community called James Bay. It's perfect. No real winter (when we have to scrape frost off our windshields we all whine about it wrecking our credit cards since no one has ice scrapers here!). There are flowers year round.
Being the capital of B.C., we have the Parliament Buildings which are really quite beautiful ...
It's great for raising babies. None of those rotten gangs and whatnot. There's plenty to do to keep them out of trouble and involved in life. Add to that, there's an excellent university right here.
http://www.city.victoria.bc.ca/common/index.shtml
Victoria is a really big small town ... it's the kind of place you smile and say "hello" to everyone you meet walking down the street. I even know my neighbours by name! Folks here are definitely "west coast" in attitude ... laid back, lots of bunny huggers, friendly ... but with all the amenities of a big city. We got it all here. Plus you can take the kiddies to Botanical Beach and spend literally days looking in tide pools and investigating nature.
http://www.portrenfrew.com/botbeach.htm
http://www.juandefucamarinetrail.com...cal_beach.html
Rent in the greater Victoria area is killer. It's expensive. But if you look at the outlying areas, it's reasonable. If you head up Island to Duncan or Chemainus, it's even more reasonable. I used to commute from Duncan to Victoria for work every day -- bit of haul, but certainly doable.
http://www.bctravel.com/community.html
Anyway, there's my two coppers worth. I was born and raised in the interior of B.C. in the heart of the amazing Rockies. Gorgeous there, but damn cold in winter. To me there's nothing like Island life!
Of course I'm biased ... I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on the planet. Either way, I'm sure you'll love B.C. It is a beautiful province.
Newbie
Posts: 6
August 13th, 2006, 09:22 PM
If you're used to the rigs further north would be your best bet. Blue skies in the winter but cold.
If you're a paramedic and don't want the far north, Chilliwack and Agassiz aren't bad places to live if you don't mind the stench sometimes blowing your way of the farms.
Maple Ridge would be choice to live, but I wouldn't go anywhere else on the mainland.
Okanagan and Vancouver Island are EXPENSIVE, and if you want something affordable you may want to try Kamloops. It's a city, beautiful and the winters aren't bad. It's affordable as well, although it's gettin' up there.
Good luck with you and your family whereever you decide to go!
If you're used to the rigs further north would be your best bet. Blue skies in the winter but cold.
If you're a paramedic and don't want the far north, Chilliwack and Agassiz aren't bad places to live if you don't mind the stench sometimes blowing your way of the farms.
Maple Ridge would be choice to live, but I wouldn't go anywhere else on the mainland.
Okanagan and Vancouver Island are EXPENSIVE, and if you want something affordable you may want to try Kamloops. It's a city, beautiful and the winters aren't bad. It's affordable as well, although it's gettin' up there.
Good luck with you and your family whereever you decide to go!
August 13th, 2006, 09:31 PM
I'm in Campbell River. House prices are half that of Vancouver or Victoria. Half the price, twice the paradise (ha ha Cosmo), however, the rental vacancy rate is extremely low right now. From what I hear it is difficult to find anything to rent. I don't know what it's like elsewhere in BC.
I'm in Campbell River. House prices are half that of Vancouver or Victoria. Half the price, twice the paradise (ha ha Cosmo), however, the rental vacancy rate is extremely low right now. From what I hear it is difficult to find anything to rent. I don't know what it's like elsewhere in BC.
Bright Spark
Posts: 265
August 14th, 2006, 01:44 AM
Lots of you folks are out on the Island eh? Or so I've noticed.
I'm moving to BC within the next 300 days myself, firstly for the hell of it, and secondly for school or something. Plus I just want a change of scenery and people, and would like to meet some new friends.
I was floored by the Island, myself. It is definitely where I want to go in BC. Though certain interior areas also caught my eye... even Vancouver looks enticing to a degree, primarily because of UBC. But the Island...
Those arbutus trees and the lakes they grow around are something else. So cool how you get all that with mountains 'n ocean, and and the communities are so fricken' cute looking, filled with good people and all. I would never get bored just biking all over the place.
I want to be somewheres in Nanaimo, Victoria, between 'em, or close by.
Is there such a place where I can have that arrangement, plus relatively decent real estate prices? I'll check out some of the info you folks have provided, but anything else you can tell me is much appreciated.
What is the economy like on the Island? Mostly service like in Victoria, I'd imagine eh? I gotta find some productive work (therefore I will not be found working in tourism/service -- unless I learn how to fly hot air balloons or something) if I don't end up taking some classes some place.
How are joints like UVic (I love the rabbits I saw when looking around the campus) and Malaspina? Anyone been?
Lots of you folks are out on the Island eh? Or so I've noticed.
I'm moving to BC within the next 300 days myself, firstly for the hell of it, and secondly for school or something. Plus I just want a change of scenery and people, and would like to meet some new friends.
I was floored by the Island, myself. It is definitely where I want to go in BC. Though certain interior areas also caught my eye... even Vancouver looks enticing to a degree, primarily because of UBC. But the Island...
Those arbutus trees and the lakes they grow around are something else. So cool how you get all that with mountains 'n ocean, and and the communities are so fricken' cute looking, filled with good people and all. I would never get bored just biking all over the place.
I want to be somewheres in Nanaimo, Victoria, between 'em, or close by.
Is there such a place where I can have that arrangement, plus relatively decent real estate prices? I'll check out some of the info you folks have provided, but anything else you can tell me is much appreciated.
What is the economy like on the Island? Mostly service like in Victoria, I'd imagine eh? I gotta find some productive work (therefore I will not be found working in tourism/service -- unless I learn how to fly hot air balloons or something) if I don't end up taking some classes some place.
How are joints like UVic (I love the rabbits I saw when looking around the campus) and Malaspina? Anyone been?
Newbie
Posts: 6
Location: Western Australia
Location: Western Australia
August 14th, 2006, 08:55 AM
Wow - thanks everyone!!!
I had started to get a feel that 'The Island' might be the go from my research last night. I actually found quite a few rental listings that appear to be considerably less expensive than their equivalent main land offerings...
Quite a few seem to be around Nanaimo and Ladysmith. Are those areas any good?
Is there a downside to the island?? I guess going to the mainland is slow and expensive?? $88 round trip for a family plus 2 hours each way makes a big night out of going to watch Canucks -v- Flames at GM Place!!!
Other than those sort of things is there any reason you would need to leave the island in the course of normal day to day living?
Cheers all,
Kevin
p.s. Thanks again for the help and hospitality.
Wow - thanks everyone!!!
I had started to get a feel that 'The Island' might be the go from my research last night. I actually found quite a few rental listings that appear to be considerably less expensive than their equivalent main land offerings...
Quite a few seem to be around Nanaimo and Ladysmith. Are those areas any good?
Is there a downside to the island?? I guess going to the mainland is slow and expensive?? $88 round trip for a family plus 2 hours each way makes a big night out of going to watch Canucks -v- Flames at GM Place!!!
Other than those sort of things is there any reason you would need to leave the island in the course of normal day to day living?
Cheers all,
Kevin
p.s. Thanks again for the help and hospitality.
Chief Mogrifier
Posts: 8,891
August 14th, 2006, 12:47 PM
kevandkristie
If you have a job that will let you afford $1400 -$1600 per month to rent in Nanaimo, or Cambell River, you've got it made. Kreskin is right about Victoria being a little expensive. It is, but not nearly as expensive as Vancouver. The Ferry trip to the mainland for a car and two people is $125 as of yesterday. If you are working on Vancouver Island, I can't think of a reason why you'd routinely have to travel to Vancouver other than the hockey game.
kevandkristie
If you have a job that will let you afford $1400 -$1600 per month to rent in Nanaimo, or Cambell River, you've got it made. Kreskin is right about Victoria being a little expensive. It is, but not nearly as expensive as Vancouver. The Ferry trip to the mainland for a car and two people is $125 as of yesterday. If you are working on Vancouver Island, I can't think of a reason why you'd routinely have to travel to Vancouver other than the hockey game.
Bright Spark
Posts: 265
August 15th, 2006, 01:00 AM
Well kevandkristie, if you don't mind, keep us (me) posted on things you figure out. You are probably looking a lot harder than me at this point, and I feel discussing it could be beneficial for all others "heading West" (that's the catch phrase right now for most Northwest Ontarians).
I know I'd like to know more, since I'm heading out that way at some point too. Thanks!
---------
I hear rumors that The Island is built upon a ginormous mass of quartz that apparently does all sorts of wonderful things, including make people live ten years longer...
Anyone else hear about this yarn?
And $1400-$1600 per month to rent in Nanaimo eh? I can't cover that for long if I am going to university at the same time! Time for me to find some roomies I guess.
Is that about the ballpark price for something average along the lines of being able to accommodate a couple with four kids, or is that a slighly fancier than normal setup?
In Thunder Bay I can rent a really fancy house for $1600 that could fit the entire Canadian military and give the Olympic swimming team a nice pool to practice in. Heh heh...
Any info is appreciated. Thanks!
Well kevandkristie, if you don't mind, keep us (me) posted on things you figure out. You are probably looking a lot harder than me at this point, and I feel discussing it could be beneficial for all others "heading West" (that's the catch phrase right now for most Northwest Ontarians).
I know I'd like to know more, since I'm heading out that way at some point too. Thanks!
---------
I hear rumors that The Island is built upon a ginormous mass of quartz that apparently does all sorts of wonderful things, including make people live ten years longer...
Anyone else hear about this yarn?
And $1400-$1600 per month to rent in Nanaimo eh? I can't cover that for long if I am going to university at the same time! Time for me to find some roomies I guess.
Is that about the ballpark price for something average along the lines of being able to accommodate a couple with four kids, or is that a slighly fancier than normal setup?
In Thunder Bay I can rent a really fancy house for $1600 that could fit the entire Canadian military and give the Olympic swimming team a nice pool to practice in. Heh heh...
Any info is appreciated. Thanks!
