PeterF

Nobodies claiming its impossible, we are claiming you need to be earning a very good wage.

I note that you deliberately ignore my posts where I stipulate such facts.

AdrianTO

I never said he actually lived in West Ealing. He works there, and lives about 15 minutes away. I don't remember the name of the area now, it starts with an "N". And you are wrong, he owns a house. He bought it in 2003 I think. A standard semi. It is not in a grotty area at all.

Even W Ealing itself, while the Uxbridge Road is pretty nasty, I agree, if you go inside there are some large Victorians, that have to be worth a pretty penny. The inside streets do not look grotty to me either. There seem to be some fairly prosperous people living there.

AdrianTO

Is this bigotry being left behind in the U.K or is it being exported?

In fact, I think the very appeal of Canada to many moving here is that they are looking for a predominantly white, homogenous, English speaking environment. The UK is full of immigrants and Europe is full of,well Europeans. Neither of which seem to be acceptable.

Now, Canada of course is a nation of immigrants and the large cities have as many if not more non-english speaking immigrants than the UK. So, people seem to be moving to small, blue collar, working class communities with homogenous populations.

PeterF

Sorry, looked like you were replying to one of mine whilst I wrote the above

This link is a search I put in for 2-3 bed house in West Ealing for a price between 200-300K (I know, your cousin lives 15 minutes away) but this shows what I mean.

http://www.propertyfinder.com/cgi-bi...CTerrace&o=def

Even though my search was for a house, it returned a flat!!! This you get quite often. Its a two bed (half of an existing house) for 230K.

In my street in South Ealing, 2 bed flats are on the market at 275K, there are some houses (townhouses at that), they start about 500K.

15 minutes from West Ealing does not take you far due to traffic.

Windsor is an affluent area. Below is a similar search I put into Windsor
http://www.propertyfinder.com/cgi-bi...CTerrace&o=def


It returned 4 properties starting at 285K, all townhouses, 3 with photo's and two definately looking like they would not be desirable at all.



I repeat, West Ealing is one of the run down areas in Ealing, I should know, I have lived close to there for the past 4 years. Yes there are nicer properties


This is the cheapest unsold property on that website, which is a house

http://www.propertyfinder.com/cgi-bi...&tm=1194803085

350K and 'needs modernisation'

This one is a house in my street in South Ealing

http://www.propertyfinder.com/cgi-bi...&tm=1194803523

For sale at 530K.




Now, if West Ealing is so good, why can you buy a townhouse for less than 400K?


Now explain to me how, if you were a normal person with a standard job, perhaps earning 35K at the most (that is more than most), how you could afford any of the above.


The house prices were rising by 20% and more per year from about 98 to 2003.

PeterF

Your original question was why Canada.

Most responses were English speaking and better quality of life in most cases, I also think a portion of grass is greener always comes into it as well.

The thread has deteriorated because you don't agree with many posters views that the UK (especially London) is too expensive for most people.

I think you will continue to disagree as it appears your business is making you enough money, combined with the fact that you are single, that you would not suffer the same hardships as a lot of the posters.

You cannot empathise with those who are not so well off. Someone who never went to university and has to work for others as a skilled or unskilled person with a salary of less than 40K, must obviously made a wrong decision in the past.

I'm afraid you would have done well as part of Maggie's team, another who could not empathise with people who did not possess the intelligence and drive that she had.



EDIT... BTW, I used to work in Heathrow Airport and due to traffic it would take me between 15-30 minutes to get home to South Ealing, dependant on the amount of traffic.

PeterF

Northolt ??



Northwood?? (better than Northolt in any case)

JonboyE

I used to live in West Ealing when it was still called Hanwell.

It was grotty then, but 25 years ago it was all I could afford.

Danny B

Vancouver is pretty much the same, average house is 7x your annual salary.

PeterF

Hanwell still exists, I believe that is part of West Ealings problem, it neighbours Hanwell.

Hanwell is grotty and we could afford a house there.. no way..

Polar Bear

I don't believe that equity is a reason to move to Canada.. people have been going from here to there for years.. even when they had no equity to speak of.
Truth is, we have travelled a fair bit and Canada seems different enough from the UK while still feeling a little familiar!! there is no magic to this... it just seems right. The OH and I didn't make a list of things we liked and things we didn't while comparing one country to another... we visited (or lived for a short time) and liked it... period!

Adrian, I believe you have proven your analytical nature, no doubt justifying your own existence with facts and figures.... not this time, not here... it's a desire based on emotion.. sorry if this doesn't compute!!

If you havent found your answer by now I don't think you will.

I will now start a new thread called: Confused.. Why Spain?

daft batty

I lived there once! I couldnt afford even a flat there now. The same with west Harrow. I loved living there, great place then it started to go downhill and I moved out. No way could i now afford the 1 bed flat I had

dbd33

I believe it's the primary reason among Brits. If one had to move to a similar area, Hanwell to Rexdale for example, there would be no point. If Canada's class system were less about money so that having a pile of cash didn't boost one up the social scale there would be no point. It's about having more stuff and being a bigger fish in a smaller pool.

daft batty

I think you are completely right. Shame it didnt work in our case!

AdrianTO

It is not Northolt, I am pretty sure of that. It could be Norwood. It is not too far from where the Sultan of Brunei has a huge estate.

As I said, he bought the place about 4 years ago. So, pulling up properties for sale around there today is quite meaningless. I am sure prices have escalated since then. His place is probably closer to 350K now I would assume.

AdrianTO

Sure, there are posters here in this situation, and I understand that they want to move somewhere else and improve their lot in life. That is perfectly understandable.

There are a couple of posters here who have made some good points and seem to have very valid, and well thought out reasons for their move.

Canada is known for two things primarily, cold and wide open spaces. If that works for you, knock yourself out.

I will say that the lifestyle that many of the Brits are coming here to seek, i.e big houses, out in the suburbs is now being rejected by many North Americans.

The trend here now is towards more city living. Downtown areas of cities all over N America are enjoying a renaissance. N Americans are tired of living out in the soul less suburbs, where you have to get in your car and drive 10 mins, just to buy a litre of milk. They have been there, done that. Now they want to live in vibrant cities, with cultural activities, food, work and other pursuits, walking distances or at least subway commutes away. They are giving up their 4000 square foot houses for smaller apartments closer to everything. Now, what does that sound like? Europe!

So, excuse me if I am baffled by the Brits who want to move out to those suburbs and live in places where the local Tim Hortons is the centre of action.