Hi Expats,

Can anyone help a worried man? My job maybe sending me and my small family to Canada (although I have 4 other possible countries) next year if I get it on my list of countries. I have zero knowledge of Canada can anyone give me a little idea of the following to get me started

1 How much is rent for a 2 bedroom flat size approx 60/70 sqm in city.
2 What is the climate like?
3 What is Ottawa like?
4 Is the cost of living high?

Thanks in advance for any feedback or tips

the climate is DAMN COLD in winter!

as for what it's like it's nice, I like it a lot. the cost of living is not far off that in the UK as far as I could tell whenever I've been.

of course petrol is half what we pay and housing is slightly less, but everything else is up there.

go here for rentals: http://www.mls.ca/splash.aspx

Thanks sheadboy. Do you have any idea what rent is per month for 2 bedroom flat on Ottawa??? If prices are the same as the UK life could be hard

Hi
Not sure what you would want to spend on a rental apartment in Ottawa but check out Kijiji (type Kijiji Ottawa in Google) and do a search from there.....it might help you with your query on prices.

As for life in Ottawa, when I lived there I LOVED IT! Its a great city.
Smaller than Toronto so its easier to get around but big enought that you wouldn't get bored there.

Tons of museums, points of interests, plus parliament right on your doorstep if you're intested in that sort of thing.

Best of luck in your search!

Hello

I maybe moving to Canada in August 2009. I will be needing a clean flat with lift and agreed legal rent contract. The rent must include energy and be situated in the city. I can pay up to and no more 1000 GBP per month max. I need an unfurnished flat- I have a wife and a baby and 2 cats.

I'm looking for a long term rent of about 4 to 5 years. If you can help or know anyone that can be trusted or a good agency please PM me on the forum.

Thank you and Happy Xmas and New Year.

We moved to Ottawa in 2000 (with 2 cats) and are still here. Our two-bed apt. cost us $900 pm and it was in a suburb. It really depends what quality of place you want and where it's located. You might get a place downtown for $900. You might get a hotel suite downtown for around $1500 if it's just short term.
Tell us what you're looking for and how much you can pay.
Have a look here: http://www.247apartments.com/

Do you shop with certain items in mind - this used to be called A List - or do you just go around the supermarket loading up your trolley?

There are prices of goods and then there is the price one can pay.
Most people who comment feel that prices are generally a little less than the UK but that incomes are lower and there's not a huge difference overall.

However shopping can be much cheaper if one spends a little time studying the weekly flyers (example here) and noting the best deals.

If you have a choice of a couple of supermarkets, and you probably will have at least two, just visit both with your 'targeted' list and you can save around 30% of your total shop.

Many of the items in the flyers will be at half or two-thirds price - none of the "was £1.99, now £1.89" sort of thing that is common in the UK.

You just need to be willing to spend a little longer in two stores than just one. There's no reason why the second store can't be on the way home from the first or even just a different day.

Hi Peter

I maybe moving to Ottowa in August 2009 but I have to choose from 4 counties and am just researching them I must decide by Dec 31 this year, we will be posted next year!!! I will be needing a clean flat with lift and agreed legal rent contract. The rent must include energy and be situated in and around the city. I can pay up to and no more than 1000 GBP per month max. I need an unfurnished flat- I have a wife and a baby and 2 cats.

I'm looking for a long term rent of about 4 to 5 years. If you can help or know anyone that can be trusted or a good agency please PM me on the forum.

Thank you and Happy Xmas and New Year.

Another place to look:
http://www.rentersnews.ca

I'm not familiar with agencies as we just went straight to the apartment manager when we wanted our place. We lived there 2 years then bought a house. If you pick somewhere that looks OK, let me know and I can tell you what the area's like.
Many places won't accept pets, but there should still be many that do.

Hope that helps.

Well put Souv....but you may have gone OTT on the climate thing....a person could expect Noah's Ark to appear next to take away the residents....granted this morning is cold but if you dress warmly etc and drive carefully in the winter, it is manageable. Personally, I'd rather be in Ottawa in the winter than Toronto where there is loads of slush and many cars w/o snow tyres.

I don't rent but 1000 UKP/month in rent could get you a very nice place in Ottawa downtown or elsewhere.....hell, you could probably get a wonderful place on the dark side for less than 1000 CDN/month. Be aware that many rentals do not include heat or hydro in their costs but do include water and some include basic cable TV....you need to get an account for heat and hydro separately and/or take over the previous tenants account.

Most apartments are unfurnished...not sure about cat restrictions.

Good luck...check out craiglist or ottawarentals.com (I think that is the weblink) for ideas on relevant prices.

I did want to stress the climate issue. Weather, particularly winter weather, is something that affects our lives here.

For that sort of money, and that timescale, I'd seriously consider buying somewhere instead of renting.

How does it affect you if other people don't have snow tyres? Do snow tyres make the streets warmer?