ladymoose

Hi there

We arrived in 04 and bought an acreage in 05 - now thinking of moving again. We've caught the land bug and want more (but a smaller house)! but also want to be a bit more self-sufficient in terms of food, energy and potentially some livestock.

All this means more upheaval - but we feel that this house, though lovely, has tied us over rather than being the forever home (if there will ever be one!).

Just wondered how many of you bought a home on arrival in Canada and then moved again relatively quickly, and the reasons why. It might be useful for those in the process now.

Thanks

Piff Poff

Hi Ladymoose,

We arrived in June 2005 bought a house that was waaayyy to big, didn't settle in it, we sold it and moved into our present house in May 2006 and we love it here.

However hubby came home the other night and said 'Oh I thought maybe we might be buying an acreage just out of town.'

He had just gone to pay for R.V. Storage when the little old lady said that she has just had the realtor out to do a valuation....Thankfully from my point of view it was for her next door acreage that didn't have a house. Hubby was hoping it was the one with the house - acres of land to fill up with cars I'm sure he would like to buy a scrap yard

So no I don't think it's unusual to buy something, sell it and move else where in a short space of time. Hope you find what your looking for

ladymoose

Thanks for your reply Piff Poff I think quite a few people new to Canada will buy something which suits them at the time (when they still have UK heads on) but once here start thinking "Canadian" want something different. Either that, or they are buying under stress (like we were) or even only one partner chooses it.

I'm a real-estate junky and if I see something for sale am always after finding out how much etc! That's why this is so unusual - it is hubby saying maybe we should look for something else (for a change).

We're starting to turn into that couple on the Goodlife - looking for a self-sufficient lifestyle as much as possible. We already buy our meat from farmers and are starting now with local fruit and veg but we'd like to grow our own, keep a few animals, chickens etc. I'd like to say its all to save the planet - but the driving force for hubby is more to reduce our monthly bills. Also to get more peace and quiet (we're now well into that isolated rural scene that drives so many people nuts!)

This is a way of living that would never have been possible for us in the Uk so we want to make sure we give it a go here if we possibly can. The house we've seen is tiny and would need extending but its on loads of land that we can subdivide and sell off a bit to pay for the extension. Its only and hour from Edmonton too so hubby can still work in city if necessary until some other projects take off. It's also already set up with solar power, wood stove etc. We're going to see it at the weekend. Oh well - we shall see

GavinR

Funny that, we're thinking of doing the same thing!

ladymoose

Hiya - do you wanna share a quarter?

GavinR

Ha, maybe, where are you thinking of moving to?

ladymoose

We're looking at place on Saturday up near Westlock.

(Sorry for the delay I disappeared for a while, hubby just got home with news that CIC Buffalo have finally sent out our PPRs - they confirmed it today to him on email - champagne has been had (well cheapo fizzy pop anyway) we completed medicals June 1st so this has been an age coming! And while we've been waiting our work permits have just about expired and we've had to just spend out for new ones! so we've had a bit of a stressful time of it of late waiting, waiting and more waiting...

Anyway, getting back to subject, we will be in touch about a meet up soon - promise - it may be better for you guys to come to ours initially - then sprog issues don't arise... but anyway, I/Brian will get back to you soon.

GavinR

Westlock eh? Never been up that way, we'd been thinking of Lake Isle, maybe we'll take a run up there for a look-see. I'd like to know what you think once you've seen it.

Congratulations on the PPRs, bet that's a relief, you can breath a bit easier now. Citizenship next!

Sure, just let us know where and when. Wends is off work next week so unless she decides we're heading off somewhere for a couple of days we're easy for the next 10 days or so.

Calgal

We are on our fifth house in 14 years...lol The first one being less than a year due to finding ourselves in a less than desirable area. After that, no real reason - other than a bit like you; "real estate junkies" and wanting to move up. Then OH decided he wanted an acreage. So - here we are on our second acreage, which has a fabulous unobstructed view of the Rockies from the rear deck.

The down sides are the mowing, and the wind....lol

Good luck with finding your next home!

kate white

good luck in finding your new home and if you get that load of land do you think you could section off a wee bit and take on a mad cow(moo moo) that is I would just walk around nice and quiet no bother to anyone PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE

ladymoose

Hi all - thanks for your replies, if we find the space we're looking for there will be room for all Kate!

Calgal - if it wasn't for hubby's need to be near Edmonton - we'd probably be going a lot further West too. To wake up and see the mountains would be a big incentive to get out of bed in the morning.

Gavin - will be in touch

Our big problem is to not get carried away when choosing the next place. The idea is that we buy smaller so that we can afford to live for a change. However, all those quarter sections beckon as we've got so many ideas. If we overstretch again though, we'd have to subdivide and share it - though I guess just a couple of families on 160 acres wouldn't be tooo bad

Steve_P

It can get a tad breezy out Springbank airport way, they have been known to have aircraft blown over (with student and instructor on board).

Calgal

LOL - I actually don't mind the aircraft - as they are only the little'uns (and it's more like every five minutes these days).

We even chose this location because one of our sons wants to be a pilot, and it would be close for him. He did ground school, and even works at the airport. However; he now lives in the city and hasn't been near flight school in ages! Kids, eh?....lol

maddhobs

Hi, when we originally arrived we spoke about getting acreage but ended up buying a house on a sub-division so that our children could meet friends in our neighbourhood. After they started school and made friends we realised that none of our childrens friends lived on our sub-division, they were all within a 5 mile radius so we ended up driving the kids everywhere. We decided that it didn't matter where we lived in our area (the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island) driving the kids around to friends houses is the norm so we sold that house and now live more rurally on 3 1/2 acres and thoroughly love it!

ladymoose

Yep Maddhobs - my hubby keeps saying what about our son if we live more rurally - where will he find friends etc. In reality he already goes to school 20 kms away, does fun hockey 40 kms away, soccer - all over the place etc etc. There are families in our subdivision, and he does play - but no more with them than anyone else further afield. Just seems par for the course here to drive them around!