We didn't do a reccie - decided to put all the money into the move. So we're renting a flat for 4 months which should give us time to decide where we'd like to live.

We're going to Montréal. Seriously thought about Kelowna and Vancouver but didn't like the idea of struggling to pay a mortgage during a bubble... and OH felt she could get a better job in QC than BC.

Hey Stonedog

check out posts by Big Stevo and you'll see that he is there at the moment doing a reccie. He's also from Essex, Colchester as it happens.
Cheers

Hubby never came over until we moved and I came over just to look at houses. Didn't otherwise do a reccie just did it all online. Has worked out well for us, house 3 times bigger than the UK with 18 acres approx of land and very rural just what the doctor ordered

Hi, we are hoping to go to Calgary early next year without a reccie! We were planning to go next year for a trip to suss the place out but a job came up first so what are you going to do???? Go for it I say, as long as you have done some serious research past the tourist sites.

Exactly and I think even if you HAVE reccied (made up word?) it...who knows what you will feel like once you actually live somewhere and normal life resumes! Just go for it!

We did a reccie and combined it with information interviews with a number of potential employers. Visa's arrived 12 months later we settled in Fredericton and I received a job offer within 7 days of landing.

However there is so much information on the internet I believe you could choose without a reccie. As per other advice on here, rent first and seriously consider a reccie if you have kids who's education would be disrupted more than necessary if you had to move again.

I cannot imagine what it must have been like 20 years ago when most people would have just gone without a reccie and without any real information

Good luck

Hi Stonedog

We have just returned from our recce of NS. Started as a gentle holiday finished up buying a house and get a job for my better half. The place is fantastic we were just going to go without a recce but I got offered a job so decided to visit the company.

If you are flexible, optimistic and open minded you will have no problems. Just rent in a central locating not to rural till you get a job and explore the place. A word of caution though house prices are cheap but wages are low compared to UK. Everything else seemed to be equivalent to the UK.

We are not taking our kids so know nothing much about schools but everybody was very friendly and helpful. In two weeks I felt like I had lived there for years.

PM me if you want any more info.

Winston

[QUOTE=Winston Green;6540431]Hi Stonedog

We have just returned from our recce of NS. Started as a gentle holiday finished up buying a house and get a job for my better half. The place is fantastic we were just going to go without a recce but I got offered a job so decided to visit the company.

If you are flexible, optimistic and open minded you will have no problems. Just rent in a central locating not to rural till you get a job and explore the place. A word of caution though house prices are cheap but wages are low compared to UK. Everything else seemed to be equivalent to the UK.

We are not taking our kids so know nothing much about schools but everybody was very friendly and helpful. In two weeks I felt like I had lived there for years.





What are you going to do with the kids?????

We moved to Sask without a reccie, left our kids at home (they are 30 and 25). We found a house to rent in Regina Beach on Last Mountain Lake and love is so much we have just bought a house here. The only downside - I wish we'd had the opportunity to do it sooner.

Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated

Wondered that myself....if there's a secret place you can stow your kiddies then I wanna know about it