The Canadian dollar has again slipped against the major global currencies today and as a result the British pound is now in a stronger buying position than ever in Canada’s hot property market. As you’re probably already aware, Canada offers Brits a far more affordable prospect when it comes to real estate…and one location in particular is starting to come onto more people’s radars, namely Nova Scotia.
You can find a whole host of affordable property in Nova Scotia in Canada, even in the most popular summer holiday destinations. In fact, with desirable and well proportioned properties starting from just GBP 140,000 in the most fashionable Nova Scotia neighbourhoods such as Chester and prices dipping as low as GBP 30,000 if you step off the beaten track, Nova Scotia has homes available for sale for every taste and every budget.
Because of the harshness of the Nova Scotia winter it is one of the provinces in Canada that has long been overlooked by the expatriating set seeking a more affordable overseas location in which to retire. It has also fallen outside the spotlight of summer or winter holiday makers from overseas because of accessibility issues and poor marketing of the delights of the province, and because the population density of this province which is of a similar size to England is so low, (Nova Scotia is home to just under a million permanent residents), it is also not a popular relocation destination for those seeking a working visa to move to Canada with…and Nova Scotia is all the better for these facts!
Yes the winter is harsh – temperatures can regularly drop as low as minus ten degrees centigrade and remain resolutely below freezing for weeks at a time – yes, the employment prospects are limited and yes, until recently it was not the easiest location to get to in Canada from the UK…but the beauty of the landscape, the friendliness of the people, the unspoilt nature of the quiet, eastern province and the attraction of the pretty and typical clapboard homes against a backdrop of lakes, forests and pristine beaches is picture perfect and makes exploring Nova Scotia so worthwhile.
Thanks to an improvement in accessibility with direct flights now available from Glasgow, Belfast, Heathrow and Gatwick in the UK to Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, it is highly likely that word about this incredibly attractive Canadian province will spread. In part this is great news because it means more people will discover Nova Scotia and in particular its more than affordable property market. But in part it is certainly a shame as an increase in demand will of course inflate prices.
As stated, one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the province is Chester; summer holiday makers from across Canada and the US are drawn to Chester in the south of the province for the exceptional sailing, the pleasant nature of the town, the welcome they receive each summer and for the fact that local residents pride themselves on the fact that Chester is still a town where back doors and car doors are left unlocked. Property prices in Chester are the most expensive in Nova Scotia – but they aren’t that expensive! You can find lake front houses from GBP 140,000 for example…but if you want more affordable property still, just head north and back from the coast.
For wilderness lovers, those who embrace outdoor living and anyone wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of working life almost anywhere else on the planet, Nova Scotia’s smaller communities and countryside is paradise on earth. You can pick up properties with land from as little as GBP 30,000 in rural areas or pay a slightly more expensive GBP 50 – 70,000 for a spacious family home with an expanse of gardens within a small Nova Scotia community.
In terms of those who have already made the purchase – Canadian property in Nova Scotia appeals to those wanting a second home abroad…after all, summer in Nova Scotia is very pleasant with warm, dry days the norm. It has also appealed to a few who want to get away from it all and retire to a peaceful community where the now old-fashioned values of consideration and community remain dominant. There is a growing community of expatriates in their late thirties up to early fifties who want to escape the over expensive British housing market and have a chance of establishing their own businesses. Most of these have set up seasonal businesses facing the summer holiday set who fly in from across Canada and America already and who we predict will soon be joined by their British counterparts who read it here first – that Nova Scotia is THE place to visit in the summer and THE place to find affordable, desirable property.
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