Is it time to put your Riverdale Toronto house for sale and move out west to a nice piece of real estate in Victoria BC? Lots of people are considering this move, as our city offers some of the most unique real estate opportunities in Canada. However, before you move from one province to another, there are some things you have to keep in mind to make sure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
First of all, forget what you may believe about the Toronto real estate market. People who complain about the high price of a Toronto or Mississauga home for sale are guaranteed to be shocked when they start browsing the Victoria listings. Houses here are no cheaper and they are constantly going up; the demand for the Island lifestyle combined with the amount of old money floating around have driven prices up here steadily.
Of course, the flip side of that is your Victoria property will always increase in value. A real estate broker can tell you it's one of the safest areas to buy, price-wise, in the whole country. It's just part of living in a province many consider to be a playground.
Another thing to keep in mind as you move from one province to the next is that the available properties aren't always the same. You may be used to seeing hundreds of Toronto Ontario condos for sale in the listings every single day. The fact is that there are probably more condos in Toronto than in all of British Columbia combined, even including the big city of Vancouver. You also won't find quite the amenities that people in back east take for granted in their buildings.
As you switch from one province to the next, you may also have to get used to a whole new way of driving. Every one of Canada's provinces seems to have unique road conditions. Here in BC, you can expect a lot more hills and mountain driving than in Ontario. On the other hand, most of the roads are better maintained and allow better traffic control. This is one of those things that an Annex real estate agent doesn't really talk about during the home sale.
Finally, make sure you know which of the services we enjoy in Canada are controlled by the federal and which the provincial governments. Education and health are not always exactly the same from one province to the next. Look for any disparities so you aren't caught by surprise when you need these services.
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