Maybe you could get 3 new valuations for fair market value - and ask what similar properties are selling for in your area - you could look online to check that too.. https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/

Then relist with purplebricks or 4sale by owner, or similar, at the lower price - you'll still probably make more money than you would with 'buy any house' type of companies who usually pay around 70% of fair market value (less fees) - not what your house is currently listed at. If you price your property right, you will sell it. I once had a house in the UK on the market for 2 years and had 2 sales fall through due to the potential buyer not being able to get a mortgage, not helped by the Estate agent sending people to view who couldn't afford it or were looking for something bigger! It was sat empty and I was despairing as I couldn't afford the mortgage payments and council tax, let alone 2 mortgages and council tax on 2 properties (long story). I saw a couple hovering outside - no estate agent in sight - and invited them in and showed them around with their parents, told them I would drop the price (by 10%) especially for them 'because I could see they loved the house' - they made a full price (less the 10%) offer within a day, which I accepted. Don't know if you have your house listed with an estate agent, but do check their online listing and make sure it's correct.. you could also get a friend to make an inquiry 'looking for a (insert description of your property) house in (your area) and see if they are offered a viewing. I once listed my house, did that and found they were listing it as smaller than it was (not the 1st house above, lol) and weren't offering it for viewing! If everything checks out, ask the estate agent what their advice is to get a quick sale.. is there something you need to do to the property - declutter, stage, decorate, tidy up the front, .. whatever it takes, right?

Unfortunately 2-3 weeks isn't enough to job hunt and nowhere near enough to get an offer.. many times you can wait a month or more just to find out if you are going to get an interview, (also check the closing date for applications, you won't hear anything for at least a couple of weeks after that date, possibly longer). Then the wait for an interview date, then a 2nd interview date - and then perhaps wait another month (or more) to find out if you have the job - once they have conducted their background checks / contacted references etc. That's not for every job, of course - sometimes if they are in a hurry to hire and few candidates, you might hear within a month, but Canada generally is very slow through the hiring process. Patience is a virtue you learn fast here!

I agree, get him over here a.s.a.p - presuming that he wants to be here, of course, let him get any job - it doesn't have to be in his profession! Anything to tide you over until the right job comes along - and to give the process time!

Best of luck..

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/halifax-...ts-35881010067

Halifax job fair end of his month.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/free-dar...ts-36234466264

Dartmouth job fair a bit earlier.

I would highly recommend your husband gets his CV prepared, his LinkedIn up to date, and goes along. Like I said in my earlier comment, this gets one in front of a human being. The recruiters may not be in his field but there may be something where transferrable skills come into play to at least get him a job and you guys some cash flow.

He shouldn't get disheartened if he didn't find something in 3 weeks.

I very recently got a job offer which took 4 months of trying, with a success rate of a physical interview a month (not great I know) For the job I got, the process from phone interview to conclusion has taken 3-4 weeks, so again a bit of time.

But, I got there and I'm sure your hubby will be able to do the same. Just need boots on the ground and a bit of patience!

Your story is a real struggle but I have to sympathise. It seems that you have listed the house cheap - maybe it's too cheap and people think it has issues? Maybe your agent could advise on this.

Will definitely help if he puts your Canadian address and a Canadian phone number on his CV - I think you can get a number that will forward to his UK mobile at a cost or Skype.

I sympathise because we own three properties and could not sell our house in six months, got two silly offers on the other properties. We live in northern England in a dead-end town so prices have been flat for 10 years. It is really depressing when that happens. And when you are moving to a place where the house prices are several times what your house is worth.

I have decided to go ahead get work and then await the wife in six months (I hope). So there's probably quite a few in the same boat as you.

Keep paddling, you'll get there.

Loraine what about using
www.purplebricks.co.uk

I think they have people every where who could help either sell or rent out.

Get hubby to come over and if needs be work for Walmart to start with, just to get some canadian work experience, and more importantly he will get to know people. It IS all about WHO you know over here, not what you know,

+1!


Suggested upthread

I would advise your husband would look at all areas around his field. Even if it's a sideways step. What other skills does he have that are marketable?

I say this because I'm an engineer by trade, but when working as an engineer in the UK I had gained experience in competitive tendering. In Canada it took me 6 months of hard work to find a job. I'm talking being out every day walking around Calgary looking for work. It was nothing short of completely sh*t and massively demoralising. But after 6 months I seen a job at the city working in a specification writing and procurement type position. I went for it and got it.

It's not what I did, its definitely a step down but I quite enjoy it, there's an engineering department which are showing interest in me. I can work towards my accreditation, I'm out of probation next month and my boss is giving me a 5k rise plus another 5k in 6 months and he's said I can choose any projects from the team and he'll give them to me. It's really paid off and helped us start moving forward.

From my short time here ive met a lot of people. They all say the same thing, it can be hard to get started but if you are humble, work hard and don't mind stepping down a position or two then you'll really fly up the ranks and do well for yourself.

Your position sounds hard and stressful. Try and stay positive, best of luck to you.

Great post Shakyuk. As an immigrant you have to be versatile and adaptable. You have to be prepared to retrain and work outside your field.

Both my husband and I retrained. Had to. My husband has been really successful and has a wonderful job in a high profile organization which he loves. But it took time and determination: when he first came he did a ski season up one of the mountains pulling skiers out of creeks, earning very little. But he met a lot of people and skied free for the winter.

I'm always busy but I have several part time contracts. I used to teach at university in the UK on yearly contracts. I'm just now starting to get a couple of contracts to teach but in my new field so that's interesting. It's taken time: 6-8 years.

Admitedly, I'm not in the most populated bit of Canada, but the rule of thumb here seems to be that you apply for a job and are unlikely to hear anything for three to four months, if you are successful enough to get to the ineterview stage...which is demoralizing in the extreme. I've heard this from everyone; it's also the reason why people don't apply for lots of jobs here.

Fighting the sense of feeling useless, when you send off application after application with never an acknowledgment is dreadful...and many of us on here have experienced it. I have done just about everything since coming to Canada, I cleaned houses for a long time, which I actually enjoyed, but I'd never done it before. At year 6 I am now in a well paid job with the Government, but only on a one year contract, that they have just renewed...but I had a very long time in an appalling wilderness and was losing hope occasionally.

Moving to Canada can seriously damage your sense of self and take you a long time to get back to where you were, mentally and financially, before you came here. I think it has been worth it to us as a family, but it's by no means been an easy process.

My very best of luck to you and your husband, you have to really fight at times when you haven't got the energy left. Hope it gets better

Virtual job fair for those legally entitled to work in Canada. On Thursday:

https://www.in-tac-expo.com/en/

6-8 years is a hell of a lot of determination and hats off to you, you got there and hats off to your husband for really stepping down. It shows that if you stick at it you can get there, but in the beginning it is tough and demoralizing at times.