What do you wish you had done before you landed?
Oct 30th 2008, 8:57 pm
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Now back in Edinburgh
Posts: 1,155
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
I am in Germany and our youngest daughter has just moved back to the UK. The wife was really missing her. She is staying with family and she sorted out the web cam back there, we now regularly use the web cam. What a great idea this is. Fantastic for just sitting and chatting, we have family get togethers almost. I wouldnt go without having web cam now!
Oct 30th 2008, 10:08 pm
#17
Account Closed
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,284
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
With the benefit of hind sight, its easy to think of things I wish we had done before we arrived, that would have made life so much easier:
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
Did this, no one accepted it
2. Got my dental work up to date.
Did this, it didnt impress my Canadian dentist
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
Wish we had brought less, maybe??
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
Not bought a house so soon yes. It cost us$14,000 to move recently, but as its all worked out for the best then who can tell?
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
No, you need to get stuck in, work contacts get you in touch with the area, help you settle
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
Did this, no one accepted it
2. Got my dental work up to date.
Did this, it didnt impress my Canadian dentist
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
Wish we had brought less, maybe??
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
Not bought a house so soon yes. It cost us$14,000 to move recently, but as its all worked out for the best then who can tell?
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
No, you need to get stuck in, work contacts get you in touch with the area, help you settle
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
Oct 30th 2008, 10:55 pm
#18
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Looe, Cornwall
Posts: 674
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
With the benefit of hind sight, its easy to think of things I wish we had done before we arrived, that would have made life so much easier:
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
2. Got my dental work up to date.
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
2. Got my dental work up to date.
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
Oct 31st 2008, 6:31 am
#19
Now on Vancouver Island
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 6,935
Oct 31st 2008, 1:27 pm
#20
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: West Sussex - Calgary
Posts: 722
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
With the benefit of hind sight, its easy to think of things I wish we had done before we arrived, that would have made life so much easier:
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
2. Got my dental work up to date.
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
1. Got proof of no claims from car insurance companies.
2. Got my dental work up to date.
3. Brought more household items, garden tools, TV, DVD's and videos etc.(??)
4. Not bought a house (some pros and cons to this one)
5. Created a 3 month plan, to not work, for getting settled and familiar with new areas.
6. Been more realistic about what we could afford house-wise.
Last edited by KJM; Oct 31st 2008 at 1:31 pm.
Oct 31st 2008, 2:41 pm
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Salisbury
Posts: 170
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
Awww sweet, I do love my name. I love the name Rain, I think I will call my future daughter that, I think it's going to be very appropriate in BC
Say hi to Hermione from me, what has she chosen to study?
We are waiting until December so at least the Estate Agent has something to photograph
The rest of the house still needs decorating, nothing major, just needs to be neutralised, new carpets (cheap) etc and I have a feeling that the house will be better valued with the new kitchen. Well it better be! I am hoping we might get a more realistic suggestion. Good luck for the viewing today, here's hoping you get some great news!
I have a question for anyone that can answer it. I am not a gardener by any means and because of this we only cut our grass once the whole summer
, therefore I need to know... can I cut the grass in the winter, hedge included, or is that completely wrong? Will it grow in funny? We were just so busy with the house we totally forgot about the garden and I HATE gardening. As the house is due to go on the market in Dec, I figure I need ot at least cut it:curse:
Say hi to Hermione from me, what has she chosen to study?
We are waiting until December so at least the Estate Agent has something to photograph
The rest of the house still needs decorating, nothing major, just needs to be neutralised, new carpets (cheap) etc and I have a feeling that the house will be better valued with the new kitchen. Well it better be! I am hoping we might get a more realistic suggestion. Good luck for the viewing today, here's hoping you get some great news!I have a question for anyone that can answer it. I am not a gardener by any means and because of this we only cut our grass once the whole summer
, therefore I need to know... can I cut the grass in the winter, hedge included, or is that completely wrong? Will it grow in funny? We were just so busy with the house we totally forgot about the garden and I HATE gardening. As the house is due to go on the market in Dec, I figure I need ot at least cut it:curse:hi summer-caitlin....so love your name! i want another baby so that i can call it summer-caitlin!!!!
it's such an awful time at the mo but i can only wish you very good luck, back at you.....we have done the same, new kitchen, new flooring nearly every where, new paint on the whole outside of the house, new drive......we will have still made money on the house overall, if we sell at this new price (got viewing tomorrow) but it's getting tight.....fingers crossed...
why are you waiting until dec?....and hermione says 'hi' and looking forward to seeing you at capilano.....x
it's such an awful time at the mo but i can only wish you very good luck, back at you.....we have done the same, new kitchen, new flooring nearly every where, new paint on the whole outside of the house, new drive......we will have still made money on the house overall, if we sell at this new price (got viewing tomorrow) but it's getting tight.....fingers crossed...
why are you waiting until dec?....and hermione says 'hi' and looking forward to seeing you at capilano.....x
Oct 31st 2008, 4:54 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: From West Yorkshire to Ontario. Now enjoying life in Saskatchewan
Posts: 81
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
I really do wish we had brought more stuff from the UK. We thought bringing only the necessities with us was the way to go. If I could do it again I would bring a lot more.
I also wish I had shot my Estate Agent and Lawyer.
And
Took my friends up on their offer to beat up the son of a b***h who decided to pull out of buying my house on the day it was suppose to complete.
(This was 1 week before we moved to Canada.)
I also wish I had shot my Estate Agent and Lawyer.
And
Took my friends up on their offer to beat up the son of a b***h who decided to pull out of buying my house on the day it was suppose to complete.
(This was 1 week before we moved to Canada.)
Last edited by Manson; Oct 31st 2008 at 5:02 pm.
Oct 31st 2008, 5:33 pm
#23
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,868
Nov 1st 2008, 4:30 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 230
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
Wish we had sold our house before we landed
Also our surround sound as it doesn't work here and to get it working will cost a small fortune
Pleased that got most of family and friends on skype and webcams so that has been a bonus. Especially, for my mum who is able to still see her grandchildren
Brought no claims but still cost us a lot of money in insurance
However, these are just minor things and it hasn't encumbered our enjoyment of being here
Also our surround sound as it doesn't work here and to get it working will cost a small fortune
Pleased that got most of family and friends on skype and webcams so that has been a bonus. Especially, for my mum who is able to still see her grandchildren
Brought no claims but still cost us a lot of money in insurance
However, these are just minor things and it hasn't encumbered our enjoyment of being here
Nov 1st 2008, 5:07 pm
#25
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
I have a question for anyone that can answer it. I am not a gardener by any means and because of this we only cut our grass once the whole summer, therefore I need to know... can I cut the grass in the winter, hedge included, or is that completely wrong? Will it grow in funny? We were just so busy with the house we totally forgot about the garden and I HATE gardening. As the house is due to go on the market in Dec, I figure I need ot at least cut it:curse:
, therefore I need to know... can I cut the grass in the winter, hedge included, or is that completely wrong? Will it grow in funny? We were just so busy with the house we totally forgot about the garden and I HATE gardening. As the house is due to go on the market in Dec, I figure I need ot at least cut it:curse:Overgrown garden = neglected house = possible expensive repairs = no or low offer in many buyer's minds.
Nov 1st 2008, 6:16 pm
#26
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
I wish i,d had a pee on the plane,,,,by the time i had cleared customs,immigration,got my luggage etc. i was busting
Nov 8th 2008, 8:57 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Canmore AB
Posts: 107
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
- We discovered after arriving we could have played all our UK DVD's and videos here but had boot sold them all at giveaway prices! Just nice to have a good collection of movies to watch, something familiar etc..
- We have moved over twice and second time brought TV and all equipment. Got a transformer and were set up! saved a lot of money on purchasing new equipment.
- gardening stuff, our thinking was it wasn't worth the hassle to pressure wash it all off. But when you are starting anew we really wished we had brought spades, forks, rakes, general gardening stuff to save having to buy all new. I would have prefered to spend the money on something more exciting.
- We have moved over twice and second time brought TV and all equipment. Got a transformer and were set up! saved a lot of money on purchasing new equipment.
- gardening stuff, our thinking was it wasn't worth the hassle to pressure wash it all off. But when you are starting anew we really wished we had brought spades, forks, rakes, general gardening stuff to save having to buy all new. I would have prefered to spend the money on something more exciting.
Nov 9th 2008, 2:34 am
#28
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Kingston ON
Posts: 318
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
Have to agree on several ponts we "lost" 80,000 on our UK house in 2007 chasing the price down. We so should have gone on our own instict when the luvly estate agent overpriced it by 40,000. But that was then - On the constructive points for those still in the UK, we found furniture expensive in Manitoba, should have brought it with us and then packed the container out with all the little bits and pieces. Definately should have brought every bit of "proof" we could...... Inc house insurance, car insurance etc I think we were lucky to find a very helpful autopac agent who pointed us right. We did get 5 merits (full discount) and 20% off house insurance....... Most important for us was we had a property (therefore an address) to rent before we arrived - A hotel address would have been even more of a disaster.
Nov 9th 2008, 4:22 am
#29
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2006
Location: M'cr-Red Deer-M'cr-??
Posts: 1,309
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
Mmm, I wish that I could've foresaw into our future and realise that our Canadian dream would, after 5 years, turn to sh#t and we'd be on the bones of our arse 
Nov 9th 2008, 4:35 am
#30
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,782
Re: What do you wish you had done before you landed?
:ma d:
:curseWhy is everyone in the UK complaining? House prices have just doubled in five years and now have dropped a miserly 13% so far this year. Still I suppose it depends at what point on the curve they bought.
Last edited by johnh009; Nov 9th 2008 at 4:37 am.