The TWs

Have you been quoted that amount for a deposit? Having rented in the Vancouver area I would think it would be between $3000 - $5000!!!

Just might want to double check!

louise033

Sorry, yes I was talking in dollars - clearly having a blonde day, just ignore me!!!!!

NikkiNu

I worried about the cost for a while, getting visas cost about £2,000, flights £1,000, shipping £4,000 etc, etc. I know it adds up, but some costs we would have incurred anyway, e.g. if we'd moved house in the UK.
When I weigh up the costs (whatever the frightening total figure is) and compare it to any regrets we could have if we didn't give Canada a go - I think it works in our favour.
BUT - we're not there yet, so I may add to this thread in a few weeks when we're really stressed and wonder whatever possessed us to make such a bold and crazy move!
Nik

wiggs1034

In Alberta, all they can legally charge you is one month's rent as deposit.

wiggs1034

I think 35k GBP has been about right for us. We initially budgeted $35,000 as contingency if I didn't find work for 12 months, even though Sarah was earning a good nurses wage (we like to be cautious!). However I found good work within 4 weeks, and now earning.... so we are busy spending up those savings!

Don't believe all the doom mongers with regard to employment. My experience is in a pretty un-sought after skill (leisure / recreation managment) but received two interviews in the fourth week, and was offered them both three days later. I now have a very easy 15 minute drive to work, and am loving it!

cheeky_monkey

to be honest if we sold our house and moved to a new one in the uk it would cost us about 20k anyway when u take into account stamp duty..solicitors fees, estate agents fees..mortage..surveys etc etc...also i dont understand why people want to ship stuff out to canada.(what on earth do you take????)..ive no intention of taking anything..use the money saved to fit out our new place instead.

The TWs

We have a lot of antigue furniture but also furniture in Canada is lesser quality than British stuff (or more expensive for nice stuff) - when we priced it out replacing stuf was WAY more expensive than shipping!

Souvenir

Good thinking. If you have nice stuff, hang on to it. You won't find replacements here.

dbd33

There's also the convenience factor, it's just a bother and expense to replace items of little significance you already have. We just moved house and, in the course of that, paid to get rid of scrap wood, half used cans of paint and so on. Now I have to buy bits of wood, paint of random colour and the like. It's a small inconvenience but it would be a much bigger deal if it was every little thing; the dish rack, the soap dish, the ice trays, the garden tools, things that don't seem valuable or important but which all need fetching from a shop and paying for.

I don't think it's "nice stuff" you particularly should bring but "necessary stuff that costs money better spent on beer".

Lisa_W

I agree wholeheartedly - I don't want to spend my first few weeks trailing round the shops looking for all the household things which are boring but necessary - mind you that doesn't mean I won't be spending several weeks worrying instead about the ship sinking and people ransacking all my belongings on a beach somewhere!

Lisa

acer rose

Unless you are shipping in advance to coordinate with your arrival, or renting furnished until your goods arrive, or fancy cramming your bog brush etc into your luggage, you are likely to have to make a few purchases on arrival to last until your goods do arrive. I recommend a trip to a large superstore for a quick solution or a Salvation Army store for a cheap one.

Lisa_W

Hi

thanks for the advice. We are going to ship a few weeks early and live in our house here using borrowed things. We can't move into our house in Okotoks until late July but we are completing on our house here at the end of June (me and the kids are moving in with my parents after we move out here). So I am hoping that the timing will not be too bad and we don't have to wait too long for our container to arrive once we get there. (fingers crossed!)

Lisa

beeginger

hi there everyone,
my husband and myself have been here in Edmonton for 3 months and loving it.

moving here is like anything else, as cheap or as expensive as yo make it.
we are both in our 40s, hubby truck driver and for the first time in my life i am a housewife.
we came with nothing except 3 suitcases full of clothes and photos and 4,000 sterling. luckily dave was paid from the day we landed ,even though he didnt start work or training.
we landed lovely 2 bed apt with patio, surrounded by trees near shops and buses, 15 mins from downtown all for $960 pm inc elec , water and heating o all we pay on top is tv $53 pm and telephone with internet $100 pm.
we have nothing material yet we are having so much fun. apt comes with dishwasher / fridge freezer and cooker. weve only bt 20inch tv $100 / dvd recorder $100 / laptop $700 / printer combi $30 / ikea settee $230 / dining suite $170 and the best bed in the whole world, queen size sealy on sale $600. obviously weve bt other bits like bedding and kitchen stuff. we realised that after bringing up 5 kids between us, working fulltime all our lives we really had nothing that important to bring except our selves. we are also alone for the first time in 20 yrs, just the 2 of us to do as we please when we please. so why spend money on material things, its like being 18 again. life is comfortable , quiet or exciting depending on how we feel. i may stay up till 3am if daves in late then not get up till 10.30am. we eat out or not, we go out walking in one of the numerous parks.
THIS IS WHAT CANADA HAS DONE FOR US and all on a shoestring.

Good luck to everyone who makes the change

gryphea

That was scarey wasn't it? All those peoples lives in their containors!

Gryph

theDIV

Nice reply Beeginger - couldnt agree with your outlook more. I dont post on here very often, but felt that needed saying!