Hurlabrick

Landed as settler 2 years ago. Actually for me it was a return to Canada for good after nearly 50 years in the UK. Although I had visited Canada in the interim many times, certainly for my lady wife a very big move! No regrets, loving it here. I can't say I miss the UK, in fact I almost resented visiting the UK last year and could not wait to get back, strange! We stopped 'comparing' after a few months.

I would echo others advice which is to rent in your chosen area for a good 6 - 12 months before buying. We didn't do this as we were convinced we had found the right area, only to sell a year later and move to where we are now (London ON). Visiting is not the same as living. No regrets though as it still worked out financially over simply keeping the money in the bank due to property price increases (despite the much higher Realtor charges here in Canada). Love the weather, especially the real and very big difference in the seasons, personally, I am quite OK with the cold.

Slow to make friends, especially as neither of us work (so no work social scene). Oddly my wife has made a friend recently who is also a British expat (it is so easy to spot a British accent)!

shelley748

Congratulations!!

caretaker

Congrats from me as well! I think I still have relatives in London.

BristolUK

Congrats!
Mind if I ask where you were previously?
We didn't rent first either. My wife was already Canadian resident in Montreal when we met and when I moved over we lived at her parents' apartment.

Once we decided which city in NB we were going to move to, we did some on line research, including a list of properties to look at over a four day visit. On the 2nd day we agreed the purchase of a newly listed house (not actually listed yet, we saw a for sale sign across from 2 houses on our list) and relaxed for the rest of our visit.

Just wondering if rent before buying might be good advice in general but less so for smaller places. After 14 years here, of all the houses/ areas we looked at back then, there's only one I'm glad we didn't move to and that was simply because it wasn't well situated for non drivers.
Yes, that could be a consideration. I remember in the two months between agreement and completion date, the £ fell and it cost $3000 more just from that.
Of course it could go the other way too but house prices are more likely to go only one way and after renting for a year, one might see a significant house price increase in one's desirable area in addition to money spent on renting.

Heads they win, tales you lose.

Hurlabrick

Not at all. Wed bought initially in Manotick, south of Ottawa. I was fine with it, but my wife started to really dislike it. Found it 'small and small minded' and too far away from Ottawa to be truly an evening out. Also under-whelmed by what was (i.e. wasn't) going on in Ottawa, found it punched well below it's weight - maybe a civil servant thing? I mean no offence to anyone who loves Ottawa, this is of course our personal experience and opinion.

The fundamental problem is that I would be happy to live in a log home miles from anywhere, but my wife would be happiest in a downtown condo - so finding something we can both agree on isn't easy as you can imagine!

We both like where we are in London. London has a huge amount going on for the size of town and punches above it's weight. We are in a leafy, quiet suburb but it is still only 4.5km from the city centre and a very easy bus or Uber.

BristolUK

Ah, yes, a bit too small then. Not far from Ottawa but maybe not too many buses to get there.

Siouxie

Congrats on your Canniversary!

Largo

Congratulations! I beat you by 60 yrs.
I came to Canada in 1957 on ' The Empress of Scotland ' from Liverpool to Montreal and t hen overland on 'The Canadian' first of all to Alberta ( Medicine Hat.) , but since then many other places.
i had a job with a two year contract before I left UK
I am now 85 + a few months old.
Very Best wishes for your future

Hurlabrick

Congratulations! Good on you Sir!

Largo

Thanks , but make that Ms.