We have arrived
 

Well we have arrived in Vancouver, and currently staying in Collingwood, (the Kitsilano area). The overwhelming sense of looking for a place to live and coming to terms with the rental prices, looking for the areas with good schools, etc etc does not allow me to see the beauty of the place as yet.
This journey raises so many questions as the optimism I had has now withered.
Does anyone know of any good realtors (who rent properties)for the above mentioned area or the Coquitlam area? or any known websites which advertise rentals?

I find the internet does not give much information on realtors, and when I send requests or call, they don't call back!

Thanks all.

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Hi Vash,

Collingwood - are you SURE you're in Kits? Collingwood is in East Van, nowhere near Kits.

Realtors don't rent homes in Vancouver - that's probably why you're not getting a call back. You need to check craigslist (go to the Vancouver section) for rentals. That's what most people use.

Any reason why Coquitlam? It's pretty far from Collingwood. Most areas have good schools. My advice (FWIW) is to find an area you like in terms of commute, amenities, etc, and the schools will most likely be fine.

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Blimey! Not wishing to be rude at all - but you're asking these questions now!??? When you've already arrived??? We were researching these issues 2 years before we came to Canada! Are you staying in an hotel or a rented place?

I'm afraid we live on Vancouver Island so not close enough to help with specifics, but I wish you luck and please keep us up to date with your progress.....

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Collingwood? That's nowhere near Kitsilano. Unless there's another one i don't know about. Don't you mean East Vancouver?

Check out http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/apa/ or http://www.padmapper.com/search/apar...bia/vancouver/

If your other half is working downtown, you might want to be closer than Coquitlam. It's not the best area for sure. What's your budget?

Edit to add: Most schools will be as good as each other so just find an area you like and that has a good commute.

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This thread could get interesting ;)
Kijiji, craigslist, free copy of the rental news and local newspaper ads might also help.

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sorry, its collingwood street in the Kitsilano district. We did research long before (2 years) but for the Toronto area, as that's where my husband was supposed to be working, in the last month before we moved, they announced that the post was being relocated to Vancouver.
We're staying with a friend for now,

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Ah.

That makes sense.

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Aaaah that's in Dunbar isn't it? It's a nice area.

Check out the links i put in my previous post and search for Kitsilano, or Dunbar, Shaughnnessy, Faiview, Granville, etc.

Or just drive around and see an area you like, or get your friends to give advice.

Are you looking for a house or Apartment? How many children do you have? What's your budget?

Pop down to Jericho beach, Spanish Banks beach, Locarno beach, or Kits beach while you mull things over. Enjoy the sand, sea, city, and mountain views with a nice ice cream or picnic.

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Congratulations on your new journey. :thumbup:

As for schools, I wouldn't worry, they're all the same as each other. Canadian schools do mediocrity brilliantly.

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By the way, you mention Coquitlam. Have you been there yet? I can tell you, it's certainly no Kitsilano/Dunbar/West Point Grey, that's for sure.

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understatement

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Well Im glad to hear that BC has its own shitholes :lol: so the BE members who dont live in BC can feel better about where we live.
If you want a recommendation then Mr Harper states Calgary is the number 1 city in Canada. Perhaps we should all move there :eek:

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Coquitlam has a few nice little pockets, but in my view the majority is loaded with strip malls and lots of traffic. Commuting downtown (assuming that's where the work will be) would be a pain, in my view.

There are many more nicer and efficient areas.

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Mr Harper is MP for Calgary SouthWest... He's hardly likely to say otherwise is he now:sneaky:

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Very true but when he said it the other day it seemed to irk other MPs and citizens of Canada. Perhaps he should have said I represent one of the best cities in Canada but Im betting they would have bitched at that stating he didnt mention by name what the other best cities were :lol:

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According to my Canadian friends living in the Rockies and others in BC these names should sum the places up:

Crapgary = Calgary
Wankouver = Vancouver

But if you ask me Toronto is pretty w*nk for how dirty it is, all I see is litter everywhere mostly, though it's great for children with all the theme parks and places to visit such as Niagra falls and Toronto Island.

North Vancouver, now that was the best place to live, but so would be Jasper or Banff. Kitsilano is nice but I didn't rate commuting to work via car from there, pain in the backside is accurate.

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why on earth would you commute by car from Kits? There's plenty of transit and cycling routes :confused:

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If working downtown, i agree. The 2 minute drive from kits would be annoying.

I'm curious why North Vancouver would be better than Kits, if the person is commuting downtown by car?

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+1

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I agree pretty much with what kiwilass and el_richo have said.

Firstly take a deep breath, relax and maybe take the afternoon off. The weather right now is as good as it gets so you don't want to miss it.

Some specific points:

a) very few realtors deal in rentals (and those that do tend to represent the landlords - they do not place tenants) though there is no harm calling into a realtor's office and asking if they know someone who does
b) if you like the look of a neighborhood the local school will be just fine. It is not something to sweat about.
c) I like Kits, but you are in one of the more expensive areas of the metropolitan area. There are better priced places to live but there is always a compromise to get cheaper rents - principally the commute. (e.g. Coquitlam)
d) in addition to the websites some landlords just place "For rent" boards in the windows of their property. Keep an eye out for them when you are driving round looking at various neighborhoods.



We (well, some of us) can probably offer you some useful advice but we need to know things like;

where does you OH work?
do you intend to work?
commute by car or transit?
how long are you/he prepared to commute for?
what do you like doing in your spare time?
what sort of accommodation do you need - no. of bedrooms, house or apartment etc?
what is your rental budget?

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wankouver.... hahaha genius.

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thanks guys. Jonboy, OH works in downtown Van, I intend to work after my kids (10 yrs and 3 yrs) have settled in school

-currently using transit but hope to buy a car soon.We rent on the day we ned to doalot of driving around.

-30 mins to an hour commuting
-outdoor stuff like cycling and going to the beach in our spare time and kids sports.
-need a 3 bedroom house/condo as a garden is a preference.
- rental budget- $2300 thereabouts.

did go to real estate agents, but of no help really,all they were telling us were about properties $1m and over in shaugnessy as the elementary school and secondary school in that area are "supposedly very good". No rental properties.
Estate agent did hint that property prices were expected to fall soon due to some new legislation (which totally flew over my head as his english was not very good).

I find this experience daunting, how on earth did you guys do it an dwhat gave you the motivation?
Will not think of going back to UK as OH has a very good job with a reputale company and the thought of hitting the UK job market again is a no no.

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That's coquitlam out for sure although it'll be in your budget

Did you check out the links I posted for you?

For that budget if you want a house you'll be looking further afield unless you're not too picky. Condo would be easier closer downtown.

We have an apartment with a balcony, but we're on the sea wall and have green space next door and the beach down the road. My wife walks to work downtown in 20 mins. The compromise is well worth it for us.

If we were to get a house for the same rent, we'd be much further away from what we, and you, want.

For using a car, have you checked these out? http://car2govancouver.com/

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I can understand that it is all a bit disorienting especially as it happen so quickly and not to the city you were expecting. At least there is no rush to register your kids in school.

$2,300 is a tight budget for a 3 bedroom house with a garden in the City of Vancouver. This one is a typical older bungalow in East Van going for $2,495. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/va...074194582.html. It doesn't look too elegant but is in a reasonable area. It might be worth looking at - especially as it is managed by a property management company who may be able to give you some leads.

This is in Burnaby http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bn...106809746.html. It looks very nice and is in a great area and close to a bus direct to downtown. $2,800 a month though.

Here is another option, also in Burnaby. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bn...135675935.html. Town homes are usually attached homes in a development. They do have outside space but it is often quite small. Much cheaper though. This one is $2,000.00. Walking distance to a Skytrain station.

This was in about 10 minutes of looking on Craig's list.

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Because..
As a Nurse, we don't all commute to one work place ongoing, home care, different clinical settings, flu clinics for service Canada all required commutes by car, so yes it was a pain to commute from Kitsilano, compared to North Vancouver by far, easier was to go down the highway by Car from North Van and avoid all the lights and hold ups on many of the roads in the city.

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Some more ....

Not the greatest of areas IMO but plenty of rrom and the price is right ...
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/va...136692350.html

If you are considering Richmond then
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rc...111565769.html

Or this, an older home but it looks like it has been renovated quite nicely. Huge lot. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rc...136309083.html
It is a good location but will be over 30 minutes commute as you will need to get a bus to the SkyTrain station. It is also close to the water. There are no beaches nearby but the dyke is great for strolling or cycling.

Another older home in New Westminster. It is not too specific the exact location which is a little concern as that part of New West can be a bit faded at the edges, especially near to major roads. Close to a Sky Train station. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bn...135763490.html

Sticking to New Westminster http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bn...132620709.html

A nice part of North Vancouver http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/nv...111544415.html

And back to Vancouver you get a smaller house for your money but this is not a bad area and very convenient for commuting http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/va...136252141.html

The point of all this is not that you should take any notice of the properties that I have highlighted, but that there are places available that will suit you. All the ones I linked to were listed yesterday or today. I have tried to pick ones that are 30 minutes or so from downtown by transit. As you start to push this out to 60 minutes you get more for your money.

Craigslist and Google street view are great research tools.

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Is it easier to get to Richmond, Delta, or White Rock (for example) from North Van or Kits?

Kits to Highway 1 (lets say, Willingdon) versus West Van there's hardly a difference in commute time.

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For the hassle with traffic, the North shore is much easier to get there from, just avoid going during rush hour a.m and p.m regardless as the highways in Vancouver and North Vancouver were all a pain at rush hour regardless with line ups in traffic, avoid that lions gate bridge at all costs, as well as the traffic downtown.

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Then - just to back up JBE - Burnaby, Coquitlam, New West, North Van and Richmond would be doable for you. Best idea is to google map some places you're interested in from Craigslist, rent a car and drive around and have a look.

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Just thought I'd post an update for those with a ready cuppa who wants to read. Went to Spanish banks and mulled things over as suggested. Loved the place!
Also went to see a house for rent in shaughnessy just to see what $3800 a month would give you......rubbish I say.They played off the fact that they were in the District of the shaughnessy elementary school (which we were interested in)
Have booked some places to view tomorrow in Port Moody,they looked alright on Craigslist, and getting 3 br for about $2500.
Did some research on Port moody and seems to be a developing area for families, so let's see.
Cheers everyone

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Nope it's not really any different. I've done both many many times and never noticed a difference. Plus like i said, if you're trying to get to the areas south of Vancouver it's much much more difficult from the North Shore.

North Shore is convenient for commuting to the North Shore and above.

Port Moody is a nice area. I like it there. It's about an hr commute to downtown (including parking, etc) and you get to drive through prostitute row to get there.

My only gripe with Port Moody is the fact that like the North Shore, it's next to the mountains so you get a higher rain fall.

Well worth a look if the house is in the right area though.

There's a 2 bed apartment going in my building right now for a similar price, if that suits. Perfect views of the water, city, and mountains through floor to cwiling windowns, nice sized balcony, and lots of green space nextdoor. Hubby would be able to walk to work in 20 minutes or take transit in 10. You're south of downtown so don't have as much traffic to deal with and Granville Island and parks are a short walk away.

Also if you're thinking North Shore, i like Deep Cove
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/nv...129234247.html

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Port Moody is a nice area with some lovely family homes. Probably much better for children than an apartment in a city centre imo, but each to their own.

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Whys that?

We live on the sea wall 5 mins from downtown, the beach, granville island, next to a few parks, 10 mins to Stanley park and aquarium, 25 mins to the ski hills, pedestrian only areas so no worries about cars, great day care and schools.

So I'm not sure what you mean?

It's not better, just different.

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Granted everything is on your doorstep, but children especially if young like playing in the garden or with their friends which they are unable to do if they live in an apartment, especially one on a high floor. As I said this is just my opinion, each to their own, but in my view apartments are for young couples without children or the elderly, rather than families.

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+ 1

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Some very important advice to take on board, and has been mentioned a few times.

Although I completely understand why, you must make a mental shift away from the standing UK dilemma of more $ = better house in better area = better school.

It is simply not required in Canada and is one of the biggest 'relievers' that I believe parents would take away from their relocation.

Put the area before the house in your planing and the school will just follow by default...not school - area - must then find that house.

FROTSUK

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I accept your view.

There are many thriving families around us with kids playing out and having fun. Our friends have their kids on the beach with friends in a matter of minutes or playing in the garden attached to the apartment. They all played boche this evening out there with a picnic after a wander around Science World just down the sea wall.

It's surprising how many kids are learning to ride bikes out here recently too. It's a perfect place for it.

We have lots of space in our apartments and tons of garden to play in.

I still don't agree with you but like you say, to each his own. :)

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Completely agree here.

I realize I am generalizing, but the vast majority of Vancouver families don't choose where to live based on the school; they choose where to live based on whether they like the neighbourhood or not. What public school a child goes to in Vancouver does not influence their social status. The local public school (where the vast majority send their children) will be good; it will reflect the local neighbourhood demographics. The schools in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood aren't necessarily any better than the schools in Port Moody for example, but the school in Shaugnessy would certainly have more of an allure simply because students come from affluent families in the nearby houses (houses which most cannot afford). But my point is that the school is not the reason why families move to Shaugnessy; Shaugnessy is the reason why people move to Shaugnessy. The education in a Port Moody school will be equivalent to the education one gets in a Shaughnessy school, as all public schools follow the same curriculum as outlined by the BC Ministry of Education. What makes a school better than the other in Vancouver (and the Lower Mainland) is often marginal (one school may offer an advanced biology class that the other school does not), or may be superficial (newly-built school vs. old deteriorating school) - but it is rarely worth basing one's move around; the education children get in the public schools are fairly equal from one school to the next.

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Not really - plenty of family amenities in the city - I have friends living in condos downtown with kids and they love it :thumbup:

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I don't think this is true at all -sorry.

We have a garden and spawn rarely plays in it, with or without friends. Her idea of a good time is to go to the park to play with friends or play on her ipod touch. It aint the 80s anymore.

Lots of parks in the downtown area and loads of kids to play with in them. If they are steps from your building who cares? Children will enjoy wherever they live as long as they have access to the outdoors, which they do in spades in downtown vancouver. Hell I'd move there if the OH would let me.