Nova Scotia
 

Does anyone have any general thoughts on Nova Scotia ... what it's like as a place to live, good areas, bad areas, weather, scenery, property, jobs, cost of living, your general experiences, etc etc?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi,

We've been here since October 2007, so far we're very happy with the place.

We live on the South Shore (near HubbardS) Its a beautiful part of the world, you can really get a lot for your money down here. We were looking in and around Fall River but decided that one of the reasons we were moving here was to get away from the rat race and as nice as Fall River was it wasnt what we wanted.

Weather so far hasnt been too bad, the winter was the worst for 10-15 years (depends on who you talk to), plenty of snow but I only had 2 days when I couldnt get to work due to the snow. Recently its been really warm and sunny, nearly 20C, apparently it can get into the low 30's in the summer!

The cost of living is quite similar to the UK, some things are more expensive others quite a bit less. The cost of heating our house is high (oil heat) but I think we'll go down the route of a wood stove, in a country like Canada the price of wood should always be low in my opinion.
We're a family of 4 on a similar wage to when in the UK and we find the cost of living about the same, but the quality of life once we settle in will be higher.

Finding a job will depend on what you do for a living, I work in genetic research and was lucky enough to get a job at Dalhousie. If you have a trade then I'm sure you'd find something.

Feel free to ask any specific questions and i'll try to answer them.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Thanks for your reply. I'm only in the very early stages of mulling over making the move and am looking at possible areas.

How long did the whole process take you?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

We applied for PR in May 06, and then I had a wedding to attend over here last June, as I was coming over anyway I thought I'd try to line up a few interviews and was lucky enough to get offered one job. This meant I then had to get a temporary work permit which is really quick in NS as compared to some other provinces, and then we moved over. From getting the job offer in early July to moving over took about 3 months, that included working my notice and tying up all the loose ends like house selling too.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Wow that's really quick! I've read elsewhere that getting permanent residence (PR?) can take around four or five years, so I guess the way you've done it really speeds the whole thing up.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Sorry to barge in here -

Sockdogg, I am looking at houses right now, we work in Halifax and are looking down the South Shore at present. Just how long would it take you to get into Halifax from Hubbards? any info welcome. Looking at a couple of houses today in Prospect Bay, just to give us an idea of the area that is commutable etc.

Thanks!

JTM73 - we have been here since January and agree with everything that Sockdogg has already said. We love it here and feel very much at home in just this short time.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

JTM73

We are now applying through the Community Identified Route for NS residency. We lived out there for 3 years from 2000 and loved it - hence the application to return!

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi Poppy2,

from Hubbards to the rotary is about 30 minutes, I work at Dal which takes another 10 minutes. It really depends on where about you need to go, if you are going down Quinpool Road it can be a nightmare.

I can really recommend the South Shore, its well worth the commute time. We were looking around Fall River and our realtor who lives there said it would take longer to get there than to the South Shore.
Some people think the commute is quite long, but it is what I was used to back in Enlgland and the houses are really nice, plenty of room and ocean/lake front lots if you want them.

Feel free to ask more questions.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Back to the OP questions. If you try using the search function you will find loads of info on here about all the general stuff in NS. It has been the subject of many a thread recently.

We are moving out this summer to live at Musquodoboit Harbour on the Eastern Shore. We really like it there but there are loads of other good places too.

You should also have a read of the WIKI pages (tab on the blue area at the top of the page) as there is loads of info about the immigration process.

Good luck with your journey.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Thank you! I just took your advice and you're right: lots of info in here about NS.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi and welcome

We are going on our first recce trip to NS next week, but from all the research we have done to date we really feel that it is the place for us!

Please feel free to ask any ?, everybody here is really helpful, I will probably post some info when we return re the trip so hopefully this may give you some more info

Good luck with you plans:thumbsup:

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Thanks Nikki ... I hope you have a great trip next week, and would love to read all about it when you get back!

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Interesting information Sockdogg

My OH is working in Dartmouth at the moment and everyone is advising against Hammonds Plains, St Margarets Bay area. We stayed there last June and really felt the area had enough amenties, good amount of houses in our price range and large lot sizes. I'm moving over in June and will have a good look around at all other areas, maybe I will change my mind, but nothing I have seen on MLS in these other areas stack up to Hammonds Plains/St Margarets Bay.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Went to Annapolis in January and had a great time, so much so I'm off there with my family in a few weeks to look for a house. South shore does look attractive - views, house prices etc. but not been there yet, may pop over when im there. If we all like it enough we will stay, if not it will be good to have a holiday home there.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Caddug, I think the reason you have been advised against Hammonds Plains or St Margarets Bay is most likely the traffic situation, the traffic is fairly heavy on the road from Hammonds Plains probably about 30-40mins to Burnside. Is your OH enjoying his job? I hope he gets sorted out soon and can find a place to rent till you get here. Or maybe he could move Band Bs till you get here.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi JTM 73:)

Me and hubby are in a similar position to you.

we hope to be in NS in about 5 years time so are gathering as much info as we can;)

Property prices are low compared to the UK.....

There are some great people on here who I'm sure will tell you everything you need to know about Nova Scotia:lol:

Good luck with everything!

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi Biiba

Thanks for your message. We're about 5 years away too - still researching it all before we put in an application. My hubby is obsessed with looking at property in NS ... all I hear out of him these days is 'oh my god look at THIS one' :-)

We had our house valued yesterday and the estage agent was saying things like 'oh what fabulous big windows' and 'what a great bathroom' ... he made us all sentimental! It's our first home together and we've very painstakingly renovated it ... we've been very happy here. It made us realise what a wrench it will be to let it go! Hubby and I were very quiet last night (although saying that, it costs us a bloody fortune and we have no life!)

Good luck to you too! I'd be interested to hear how you get on :-)

Re: Nova Scotia
 

You're welcome it's really nice to know that other people are in the same situation as you isn't it :lol:

Sounds like me and your hubby are the same - I'm obsessed with looking at property too ;) It's just so unbelievable when you compare everything to the UK......

Good luck with the house - it's funny how you go all sentimental with houses- but just think what you could end up with in Nova Scotia. I'm obsessed with looking up the adresses of real estate on google earth!!!! It's brilliant for seeing where the house is situated:thumbsup:

I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about in the next few years:blink:

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Oo what a GREAT idea! Husband will love that ;)

I'd love to hear how you get on with the whole thing. Have you applied for PR or anything yet? Or still just researching?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

He will probably LOVE it:lol:

No we haven't applied yet but I think we are going to apply for PR via the Skilled Worker route with me as the main applicant. We are going to put our application in in about 12-18 months time. Our mortgage only has 8 years left on it so we are aiming to pay it of early and use the equity to fund our move and put a huge deposit on a property over there. I think this timescale will give us chance to settle all our financial commtments and prepare for our new life :blink: I'm sounding like a complete saddo now:)

This site is brilliant - you can research everything. We figured it can't hurt to find everything out before we put our application in.

So we now have our get away plan in place......:thumbsup:

Which areas of Nova Scotia do you like the look of best?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

No idea yet! I fancy Nova Scotia, but I guess we'll end up going where the jobs are. We're still at very early stages of looking into it. I think they way you're doing it is really sensible; not a saddo at all :D

Next thing for us is the expo next month, then maybe take a trip over nearer the end of this year. We're both studying round full-time work at the moment and we want to get that out of the way before we apply.

:thumbsup: Good luck with it all!

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Good luck with your studies:D

I think most places in Canada are nice so it's good to keep your options open.......

I'm sending you some good karma to start you on your way:rofl:

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Do you think that the house prices in Nova Scotia will still look cheap 5 years from now and that it is worth staying in a UK housing market that is falling? What will be the gain?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Your not surely suggesting that Nova Scotian house prices will reach the level of those in the UK, even in 5 years time?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

I thought that housing in NS had a "ceiling" on what prices had gone for locally, to try to stop house price increases similar to UK?

A neighbour a couple of houses down from us has just sold her house for $300k. and it is more a stately home than a house; fourteen rooms, all done up beautifully and 2 acres, just out of town but still on town water and sewers. She said the realtor told her it was the maximum he could charge for the area (Annapolis) because house prices just don't rise very fast in NS. £150k; you wouldn't get a tiny semi here for that....

We have a beautiful house in the Annapolis valley and couldn't believe the prices! We move in five weeks time and I am starting to get nervous now, but to the OP the south shore is beautiful too, so I guess it depends on where you feel most at home. Good luck with your search!

Rachel

Re: Nova Scotia
 

No but prices are dropping fast in the UK whilst steadily increasing in NS.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Why would they have a ceiling? Never heard of that being the case anywhere in the world. Maximum price at a given time for a type of property in a certain location maybe.
Some areas fair better than others when it comes to prices. Oceanfront doing the best being sought after all over the world and NS does have a lot of ocean frontage.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi and yes good luck with your research and MLS searches but please don't get too obsessed with property prices.. there are many other factors to life in Nova Scotia to consider, its really a different lifestyle here compared to other provinces that are more popular, we do need immigration in this province and skilled workers, it can be disappointing to some applicants that wages arent as high as other main stream cities and its a slower pace of life , most employment is centred around the urban areas , its a great lifestyle here especially for families but please consider all that it has to offer not just reasonable house prices... :)
JS

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Fractionally lower wages + less mortgage = more disposable income (good standard of living)

Re: Nova Scotia
 

I agree with both comments. More disposable income can improve the quality of life fo some people but if you don't like the lifestyle/environment where you are living that becomes unimportant.

If you can have both, it's all good

Re: Nova Scotia
 

So in that case you agree that there will still be an advantage to buying in NS in 5 years time compared with the UK?

Re: Nova Scotia
 

It's a personal matter - falling house prices depend on where you live and what kind of property you have. I have lived through the house price rises and falls since 1991 in my current property and even if prices fall I will still have a large amount of equity.

The prices of the property in Nova Scotia are not the attraction although they are an added bonus! If they have gone up in 5 years time so be it - it will not deter me from going!!!! ;)

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Hi
We are travelling to Nova Scotia this July for a month.It is on a house exchange but we are keen to look around at the prospect of moving there if all looks good .
It sounds good!!!
I work as a health and social care lecturer and previously was a biology teacher .I was wondering where the best place would be to try and link up with some agencies to maybe make some contacts when we are over .
If we really love the place then it makes sense to try and source possible jobs while we are there .
I am 53 and my husband is 47 so we need to look at getting job offers as the immigration process of 4 years is a bit long for us!
My husband is a freelance cameraman with BBC and private companies and was also interested in looking for opportunities for him

If anyone has an idea of good agencies would love to know
kathy in N.Ireland

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Live in the new forest Hants one of the supposedly des locations in england price dropping rapidly,due to first time buyers going shy on the market. Sorry but can't see yorkshire bucking the nationwide trend here

Re: Nova Scotia
 

I agree been in property development in Yorkshire since I was 16 yrs old.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

It is much easier to find work in any field while being here in NS.

You could try this site
http://www.novascotialife.com/careers

Nova Scotia does have quite a large film industry. They hold the International Film Festival in September in Halifax each year. I actually got a mention in the Halifax Herald after last years, because of a film script idea. I think if you google you will find all the relevant film industry companies online.

Re: Nova Scotia
 

I am also in the Land and Property Business (20 years)- i am a surveyor so I can assure you all options have been looked at!

Yes house prices are going down but the rise over the last few years was never going to be sustainable. Also prices can vary dramatically throughout Yorkshire.

At the end of the day we all have to do what we feel is right at the time......

Re: Nova Scotia
 

Quite right too.
Also not in the land and property bus, i was just stating my opinion;)

Re: Nova Scotia
 

we're all entitled to our opinions flogger;):)