Thanks Millie, and glad you said relatively

To go back to the topic in the hope it will help the poster - we're currently in that situation. We've rented a vacation rental basement for a month - found it on Trip Advisor, not VRBO. The monthly rate was practically the same as the two weekly rate, but if we'd gone for four weeks instead of a month it would have been double. Now we're here we've got the option to take it on for longer - will need to decide later today, based on schools. Our first week or so has been full of paperwork - the hardest thing was getting on a phone plan without Canadian credit. But our wonderful woman who we set up bank account with informed us correctly that one of only two companies will allow credit just by seeing that you have a bank account - so got good deal with Fido. Therefore got our BC driving licenses straight away so we had government id which you need for lots of things too. Those jobs - and sin number - all very straightforward but time consuming. No fun for our 3 kids who just get left behind on electronics! Rest of time spent driving around areas trying to find somewhere we want to live and can afford to live. Got shortlist now so next week will be trying to get in touch with schools although they're on spring break. Had a couple of days off for sake of kids and our sanity doing touristy things.
We want to be settled asap having had to move when the kids are all far too old for such a long move. So as soon as we're sorted on an area we'll get pre-approval for a mortgage and try to buy. Currently our container in storage back in NZ where we came from. And dog with friends until we have somewhere more permanent - possibly this basement we're in now as it's pet friendly. OH starts work tomorrow, but already his new colleagues have been really helpful with things such as trying to find us house sitting, areas to live, advice etc so use them as a source if you have them - and now we're here I'm just striking up conversations with anyone I can find to get more advice.

Brings it all back! Never again! Good luck with it all. For most of us it all comes out OK in the end.

Thanks sliam, most helpful post, wouldn't have thought of looking on trip adviser! Well worth a look.

That was indeed an excellent post! May I also suggest airbnb for short term rentals?

IIRC, I sorted bank account (credit union) on arrival; driving license, SIN, health cards - in that order - in the first week or so after "official" landing (I arrived as a tourist 2 months before getting paperwork & flagpoled).

Cell phones: Virgin do decent PAYG deals, or decent contracts with no credit history. For this you have to sign up to pay by direct debit, & they require a deposit which is refunded after 6 months. If you sign up to pay by credit card, I *think* they waive the deposit.

When are you coming over?

SB

You can also buy PAYG sim cards from seven-11, Rogers, Wind etc. with no contract or direct debit arrangement, just pay and go.

I know of someone who has a very nice basement suite which they rent out for holidays etc. They often have expats and they live in Pitt Meadows. Let me know if you are interested

Aiming for July / August, but at the mercy of The LMO process!

Ooh very interested thanks, but as per above, I don't have firm dates as yet.
When I get the LMO through, I'll be booking things and I'll give you a shout then, if that's ok?

& a timely reminder that "stuff" varies from province to province!! (No 7/11 here in Qc; Wind doesn't exist here, & Rogers is the absolute pits out of the cities).

Off to peruse the provincial comparative thread. .

SB

This is what we did:

We planned on moving out in the summer holidays so junior could start a new school at the beginning of the academic year. I came to Vancouver for an additional recce in February to prime my network a bit more and to find somewhere for us to live. I spent several days with realtors touring the eastern suburbs. Eventually I found a new subdivision that had just been started in Cloverdale. I looked at the available plans, the developer said that if I put down a hefty deposit he would build the house between now and then as long as he could use it as a showhome until we got here.

When I got back to the UK Mrs JonboyE said, "OK, I suppose so," so we signed the contract and faxed it off to Canada. It was good to know we had somewhere sorted to live.

We arrived on a Saturday morning so I had prebooked a hotel room for the weekend. We did a few touristy things on the weekend, signed the documents on Monday and moved in on Tuesday.

That is what we did. DON'T do what we did. Mainly because within a couple of weeks Mrs. JonboyE found where she wanted to live, and it was half an hour down the road.

I posted upthread what we did the first time we arrived in Toronto, with meagre resources and absolutely no knowledge of Canada, let alone Toronto.

The second time was a good deal better organized. I had what in those days was called an Approved Offer of Employment and a letter from my future (and present) employer stating salary etc. I was in almost daily contact with the Canadian Consulate in Bonn about progress in renewing our PR status and it all looked good. So I took a minor risk (it would have been a major risk under today's circumstances at CIC).

By this time the internet had been invented and, of course, we knew about Toronto and environs from the first time, so we set up meetings with some realtors and banks and...and...and... and came over for a 10 day house hunting recce at Easter time in 1993.

I put an offer in for one property which was (unrealistically IMHO) refused but then scored big time on a house in Richmond Hill which we'd identified remotely but considered unaffordable. We'd first seen it advertised for $xxxK but due to the happy confluence of the owner having to sell (having already bought another house elsewhere) and the fact that we had a pre-approved mortgage and made a take it or we leave tomorrow and will come back to try another recce later poker face, we bought it for 28% less than the asking price.

We still live in the same house 21 years later.

Is there any possibility that your employer will cover accommodation for the first month? My OH's did. If you don't ask...... We were provided with a furnished apartment for a month.

We live in Coquitlam, so if you have any questions about the area feel free to ask!

I moved into my wife's apartment. (we are now divorced so no longer my wife.)

What brand do you have? I have never seen a fridge with a plastic front. (and I've been in North America for 35 years now.)

Lucky, Novo. Nice tale of good fortune