Originally Posted by Siouxie

You are most welcome!

You could ask your present storage facility if they can allow access to your unit if you give consent, to move your items into a storage cube / pod (or whatever) to have them shipped to NS once you find a place to move into. I did a similar thing from the UK - left my stuff in storage and then a couple of years later when I had somewhere to have it shipped to, I arranged with a shipping company to collect my items and ship them over in a shared container. all arranged through the storage unit firm.

Regarding finding something you might want to buy - are you considering buying a piece of property, living in your camper while you get the funds together to build? If you could find one that has utilities already to the property line that could reduce the cost / time it might take. There seem to be quite a few pieces of land available, some at good prices

Originally Posted by carcajou

In sum - it seems you have not really soured on the Maritimes, but your interest in Kingston is due to it being the quicker available move option.

Can I suggest, if you have the camper and you are not location-tied for work, just spin around for a little while. Work out a plan to get to Nova Scotia and then work out a plan to make your way to Kingston and stop at all the relocation candidates in between. Rent out the house if possible while it's for sale.

I think the key point here, is don't rush it, and pass up moving to a place you've had your eyes on for years, just to get out of Estrie 60 or 90 days quicker. I've read nothing in your posts to indicate that your move is time sensitive other than for having itchy feet which the camper can solve.

Take your time, research thoroughly and find the place you like. I don't think rushed is the way to go here.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Fer Canard

This is something I would really like to do - designing it myself and getting it built bit by bit. I regularly come back to the idea and it could solve some problems, but I think it would be further down the line maybe, once I am settled and got to know what's what in this province. I think, for me, I need to focus on getting my workshop up and running as soon as possible.

Also, if I’m honest with myself, I would love to get a place I can just move into, which doesn’t take all my attention and where I am happy to get all my belongings out and enjoy them finally, ie. the place is clean, dry, functional, and feels like it’s my home. I have lots of personal bits and pieces, art work, pictures, decor still sitting in boxes after all this time and I really miss them, they are kinda part of my identity.

However, nicely done houses come at a price, especially if they come with some land and are rural or nearer the city, even in Nova Scotia. (I’ve generally been looking south on the Atlantic side)

And then I am a sucker for those run down victorian (century ?) houses with their handsome dimensions and features.

And then show me a house with cedar shingles, a new tin roof and a veranda and an old barn and a water view and I am swooning.

Originally Posted by Siouxie

Another thought - something I have considered doing myself (if I ever had the money) is to purchase a piece of land with utilities to the boundary - and then adjust the design and buy one of the 'pre-fab' / modular houses - that are plumbed, electrics done, kitchen and bathroom installed - fireplaces / heating / air conditioning and even some decorating done.. exactly how you want it to look (even victoriana feels) and then it's sent in on the back of a lorry with a construction team and erected in a few days... some are in pieces - some come as prebuilt units that are placed side by side or on top..

Originally Posted by Fer Canard

I even came across a straw bale builder in Ontario ! Gimme those thermal properties.....great for both the high heat and the high cold we get here. A bit of mix and match, maybe.

Originally Posted by Fer Canard

Yes, there is this too... (the Benny Hill made me smile - I always play that in my head when the chipmonks are chasing each other around the garden)

Did a bit of searching on this in the past and got the impression there was much more choice with building in Ontario in terms of forms, quality and overall costs, than transporting and/or building over in Nova. I even came across a straw bale builder in Ontario ! Gimme those thermal properties.....great for both the high heat and the high cold we get here. A bit of mix and match, maybe.

Originally Posted by Hurlabrick

There was a series in the UK showing stuff like that. One guy built his own home using straw bales. Another used scrap car tyres, packed them with earth (that was hammered in) and used that for walls etc....

Originally Posted by bats

My friend built a strawbale house, it's lovely. The builders are great and do other environmentally aware types of build.

Originally Posted by Siouxie

Another thought - something I have considered doing myself (if I ever had the money) is to purchase a piece of land with utilities to tthe boundary - and then adjust the design and buy one of the 'pre-fab' / modular houses - that are plumbed, electrics done, kitchen and bathroom installed - fireplaces / heating / air conditioning and even some decorating done.. exactly how you want it to look (even victoriana feels) and then it's sent in on the back of a lorry with a construction team and erected in a few days... some are in pieces - some come as prebuilt units that are placed side by side or on top..
A few companies - there's lots on google
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

https://www.canadaprefab.ca/
https://www.citadelhomesns.ca/why-buy-modular
https://qualityhomes.ca/
Our Process | The Home Centre

Originally Posted by Siouxie

Shifting Boundaries: Nova Scotia
https://www.life.ca/naturallife/9510/strawbale.htm
Straw bale house design in N.S. | East Coast Living
Shifting Boundaries: Straw Bale Construction

Originally Posted by dbd33

Immediately before buying this place we had 25 acres and the intent to put up a Viceroy home (I'd previously lived in one and liked all the windows). That didn't happen because, one day while driving up there, we saw "foreclosure farm" and successfully bid on it. What sticks in my head is that it all has to be done for cash so you need a fair amount of money before you start. There are construction mortgages but you have to own the land and they come with a lot of conditions or high interest rates. Electricity is expensive, something like $2,000 a pole so there's a strong incentive to go off grid. Well and septic are also expensive but you can have the property reviewed by companies in those businesses before you buy it so you can know what the cost will be.

The neighbor there was suing Quality Homes over an alleged defect in the kitchen floor. I believe they sold before that was settled. Nice looking house but I was never in the kitchen.

Originally Posted by Fer Canard

Oooh, very cool. I might want to get back to you about that some time.....

Originally Posted by shelley748

I am not always on the forum.

I live 40 minutes from Kingston and I have worked in the town for several years in the past, I now work in Brockville. There are many subdivisions and the property prices vary depending on where you want to live. If you would like to ask me specific questions, I can certainly help. What kind of job are you looking for? Are you looking for a family oriented place? If so then Kingston is definitely that. It has Queens University there, so you do get a lot of students who rent houses in that area- I would avoid it.

It has a very good hospital there, which actually saved my life! Its a teaching hospital so fairly well funded. Lots of big box stores.... downtown is a bit like most small UK towns with high street shops etc... anti car so you have to pay to park downtown.

I have friends who live there and are very happy- I prefer to live in the countryside and commute.

Generally you cannot go wrong with Kingston- not much crime compared to other area's, mixture of ages and cultures....the question really is the job requirement.

Being in the Thousand islands area is lovely- we thoroughly enjoy the boat trips along the St lawrence, picnics....watching life go by. Of course you also have Gananoque to visit, Belleville, Brockville, Picton, Bath, Odessa.

let me know if I can be of any further help.