Canada Guide To Living, Working and Property in Canada

Advice for British People Moving to Canada

Published on Monday, October 12th, 2009

Moving abroad to live, work or retire to another country can be both exciting and significantly scary all at the same time!  After all, emigration is not your typical short holiday abroad is it, and relocation is a huge decision - one that no doubt will have had a huge amount of thought put into it even before you get to the practical planning stages.

Therefore, if you’re seriously thinking about moving to live in Canada specifically for example, we’ve produced the following guide for you, with the help of Global Visas.  It contains advice that is pertinent for British people moving to Canada, but it also contains some generic top tips for anyone thinking about moving anywhere abroad!

We appreciate that planning a relocation is a massive undertaking, so we hope that the following wisdom and advice will truly help you to make your move a successful and a smooth one.

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Can’t Afford to Expatriate? You Can if You Escape to Canada!

Published on Monday, May 11th, 2009

With the British pound having been bashed into submission by the US dollar and the euro thanks to the dire state of the British economy and the lack of international confidence in the UK, some Britons who have wanted to leave Great Britain have been scuppered in their planning because of lack of affordability.

However, if you thought you couldn’t afford to expatriate, you need to know that you probably can if you consider escaping to Canada.  According to currency experts, the value of the Canadian dollar in relation to the pound has not increased dramatically, therefore Canada still remains an affordable possibility for expatriating Britons.

What’s more, the cost of property in Canada has fallen in real terms, and instead of this loss of value being written off for Brits because of the loss in value in terms of the pound’s buying power, in Canada we Brits can still bag a property bargain.

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Canada’s Property Market Conditions in 2009

Published on Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Whilst property market news for the UK continues to be all doom and gloom, there are other first world property markets that have yet to feel the full effects of the global recession you know!

Property in Canada saw growth of around 10% per annum between 2002 and 2007 for example, and whilst property appreciation has slowed and buyers are becoming scarcer because of lack of financing, the market in Canada continues to remain relatively stable with price falls of only around 5% being predicted for 2009. 

The falls are being viewed by Scotiabank more as a cyclical downturn relating to the fact that there is currently greater supply of property stock than demand from buyers, rather than the fall being linked to recessionary fears or sub-prime lending problems.  What’s more, the current down cycle is predicted to be less severe than other down cycles in the last few decades.  Here we provide a review of Canada’s property market conditions for 2009 for prospective buyers, vendors or investors.

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Moving to Live in Canada - What to Ship

Published on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

If you’ve decided to jump ship and bail out of Britain before you’re asked to bail out Britain, we don’t blame you.  Canada is one of the most popular locations that British émigrés focus on when looking for a country that will suit their needs abroad – after all, it is so similar to the UK in many ways, but in all the ways that count it is satisfyingly different!

If you’re moving to live in Canada there is one big question that may be eating away at you, and that’s what to ship out there for your new life.  The fact of the matter is, you don’t need to ship anything as Canada is first world and full of all sorts of goods and possessions…however, there may well be items and perhaps even pets that you want to take with you.

In this article we’ll look at everything from taking your extended family with you to shipping your sideboard or even your dog…

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Canadian Property Market Dropping But Not Crashing

Published on Monday, December 22nd, 2008

According to a leading economist and property strategist, the state of the Canadian housing market differs significantly from that in the UK and the US, and as a result it’s apparently fair to say that the Canadian property market is dropping but not crashing.

This is good news for would-be expatriates thinking of emigrating to live in Canada, and also excellent news for would-be investors who are aware that in certain Canadian cities the vacancy rate is almost impossibly low – meaning that Canada is a top choice for investors.

As prices rose over the last decade however, fewer investors and speculative buyers were entering the market because they were aware that higher prices would reduce the overall rental yield achievable.  But now if the expert from Scotiabank is right, it could just be the best time ever to look more closely at purchasing Canadian real estate assets.

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Living Abroad in Canada

Published on Tuesday, December 09th, 2008

Even though there is so much about Canada that is familiar to us in the UK, (and even more so for Americans of course), actually going to live in Canada still requires a considerable transition!

There is much to learn about the country, there are many pieces of paper and permissions to have in place, and as a result, a country that seems so close to our own in many ways can suddenly become very foreign indeed.

Which is precisely why you need an excellent guidebook to help you with moving to live in Canada if you’re in the process of planning a relocation!  We’ve found a fantastic title from the Moon Living Abroad range that will be perfect for any Britons or Americans thinking about exploring their options of a brand new life in Canada.  Living Abroad in Canada by Carolyn B. Heller guides you through every single element of planning, preparing and enjoying a new life.

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Property Prices Falling in Canada Great News for Expats

Published on Friday, December 05th, 2008

The latest news from the Knight Frank Global House Price Index is that property prices in Canada have started to fall quite fast, and their findings are backed up by the Canadian Real Estate Association which is currently showing that median values have dropped from CAD 312,024 in October 2007 to CAD 281,133 in October 2008.

If property prices are falling in Canada then this is great news for expats!  Because despite the fact that Canada is being impacted by its export exposure to the US and declining commodity prices, upon which the strength of the nation’s economy is largely built, the country remains a top choice with relocating Britons who are attracted to the stunning country, the laidback lifestyle and the opportunities that basically abound in Canada.

And if a relocating Briton with a weak pound can now make their money go that much further in Canada’s housing market, so much the better!  If you’re contemplating a move to Canada we will explore how you can get on the housing ladder and why property prices falling in Canada really is great news for expats.

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Finding a Property to Rent in Canada

Published on Monday, December 01st, 2008

Whether you’re emigrating permanently to Canada or you’re moving to the nation on a fixed term contract, it can make a great deal of sense to rent a property before even considering purchasing a home.

At Shelter Offshore we always advise that expatriates consider renting a home before buying, no matter where in the world they are moving to, in part this is because it takes time to get to know a country well and therefore decide on where to live, and in part this is because you really need to try and test a nation before you can be 100% certain that it is right for you.

In this article we’ll look at finding a property to rent in Canada so that you can be well prepared for the process before you make the move, and perhaps have even found somewhere to live at least for the short-term before you get on the aeroplane!

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Five Reasons Why Canada’s Property Market Won’t Crash

Published on Friday, September 05th, 2008

Apologies in advance and all round for producing another article about property in Canada just a day after our report on the transparency and fundamental strength of the nation’s real estate market, but there were five other salient points that really needed to be made.  These are five reasons why the experts believe Canada’s property market won’t crash.

Far be it from us to guess the market, but we felt that these expert opinions on the state of Canada’s property market were actually very valid and certainly worth sharing with anyone contemplating an investment purchase or perhaps a relocation to Canada.

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Canada’s Safe and Transparent Property Market

Published on Thursday, September 04th, 2008

If you take a moment to think about the following, you will find it is surprisingly true – in the face of news about crashing housing markets all over the world where the likes of the UK, the US and European countries such as Spain are heavily cited, there is no mention anywhere of ongoing issues of any sort in the Canadian real estate market.  No one is talking down property in Canada or even the Canadian economy as a whole, so could it be that there is a corner of the world where the global fiscal crisis is having no impact at all?

Well, no, that’s not strictly true.  As the leading trading partner with the US, Canada is certainly impacted by America’s woes, however Canada’s economy is also blessed by rock solid fundamentals and has been well taken care of by sound economic policy it would seem.  What’s more, for those seeking a market where there is maturity, ongoing demand and yet where one still finds pockets of emerging potential, Canada’s safe and transparent property market is proving oh so popular.

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