Howefamily

I love this thread, I feel excited for you Victoria 34. Best of luck!!!

Victoria34

Thank you so much !! This has all happened within just under two weeks (decision to move/job offers/visa underway) so we are so grateful for this site and all the help we have been given !! Of course, it's down to me (mum) to move the entire family across the pond, but it is very exciting !

I still can't get to grips with the health insurance out there and have no idea what we will be paying so assuming the worst for now !! The rest is all perfect though !!

caretaker

Welcome in advance, you'll find things you like and things you don't like, and a few that take a little time to understand.

Victoria34

Thank you so much! It's a big adventure!

Beckie and Morgan UK

Hi Victoria,
I've lived in Kelowna since July 2015 (originally Yorkshire) and fingers crossed I'm never going home! I had a bumpy start at first and missed home but it's to be expected.
We lived at Quail Ridge up by the airport for the first 3 months. It was lovely and peaceful but the isolation wasn't great for me as a newbie and I was panicking every time I had to drive anywhere!
We moved to Lower Mission after that and have been here ever since accross from the lake it's stunning all year round!
We find things here pretty much similar to home...groceries included...I know all the spots to get my British stuff too so I can always help you out further along! I just found awesome pork pies and proper meat and tatty pies the other day too...still learning as we go!
Don't mind showing you around when you arrive!
Beckie

thistlehollyberry

Premiums - Province of British Columbia

printer

If you are hoping to rent first its a great option to allow you time to get the feel of the place and not buy a home in an area you live to regret further down the line. Bear in mind though that renting here in Kelownafornia is not the easy option it might seem.
Here's an extract from article today on local media

The average price of rent went up 4.5 per cent last year in the Central Okanagan.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has released its annual report into the region's rental market, evaluating Kelowna, Lake Country, West Kelowna, Peachland and the surrounding area.

A bachelor suite apartment will cost $710 a month, one-bedroom $864, two-bedroom $1,066 with a three-or-more bedroom suite coming in at $1,252.

Also, vacancy rates for purpose-built bachelor and three-bedroom suites sit at zero per cent. One and two-bedroom rates are at 0.8 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively.

The report attaches figures to a problem that appears to be worsening; the overall vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent is down from 0.7 for the same time last year.

“The vacancy rate remained low in the Kelowna CMA this year due to strong population growth, rising youth employment levels and growing demand for student accommodation,” CMHC senior market analyst Taylor Pardy said.

Statistics Canada estimates Kelowna’s population growth in 2015 was 3.2 per cent, the highest of all census regions in the country.

The squeeze appears to be pushing renters into older buildings, with vacancy rates in buildings built between 1960 and 1974 (40 per cent of all apartments) falling from 1.4 per cent to 0.8.

People are also being forced into secondary rental market options like basement suites. The total number of private apartment units in the region has grown by just 10 in the last 12 months.

Earlier this month, Kelowna city council approved a major development that would bring 280 rental units into the city’s inventory.

NessieOggy

To add to Rich's comments, West Kelowna is a separate city that was previously known as the Regional District of Westside and/or Westbank. A number of years ago the city decided to break from the Regional District and establish their own community. Although the residents did not want to amalgamate with the City of Kelowna, on the east side of Okanagan Lake, they ended up choosing the name of West Kelowna!

Further to Printer's great info, here is a link to a recent Rental Market Report .pdf from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)...

https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/es...=1480393090229

Engineer_abroad

You get to swop these for black bears, trash pandas (Raccoons), skunks, coyotes and if your very lucky Ogopogo.

caretaker

Urban Wildlife
Some places have by-laws to keep people from putting out their trash until right before pick-up to keep bears from prowling the lanes.

Victoria34

Hi all - thanks SO much once again for the info. It's so kind of you!

Beckie - thank you !! Yes, I would absolutely LOVE that !!

Printer, Nessie and Thistle - really interesting reading and very helpful to know. We certainly will be renting for at least the first six months, maybe more. We are certainly hoping to get a house (4 bed) in Kelnowa as my husband is a Head/Exec Chef and by all accounts he won't be out of work in the area (he was told that by an owner of a restaurant out there), so that's very positive !!

Engineer and Caretaker - well, now you have just put the heebie jeebies on me !! so, if I am walking my dogs, I may well just bump in to a bear????!!! What on earth does one do when that happens !!!

And what is an Ogopogo !!!???!!

caretaker

• Do not run
• Make yourself look big
• Be loud and aggressive

Ogopogo is like Nessie.

Victoria34

Right, suddenly all things wrong with the UK are starting to look OK

I am 5'5" so can't look big, I can be loud though !!

And I daren't ask what you do if you see Canada's version of Nessie !!

caretaker

The Oliver Chronicle ran this chestnut years ago to eliminate any confusion:


Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.
We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.
We also advise anyone using the out-of-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him in case of an encounter with a bear.
Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear feces has bells in it and smells like pepper.

Victoria34

OMG!!!!! I have just choked on my tea!!!!!!!!! So, you have to be an expert bear poop sniffer to live out there???!!

I am never going to complain about the smell of fox poop again !!