Canadian Property and the London Canada Market

Examining the appeal of the Canadian property market with focus on Canada’s city of London near Toronto

If you dream of a slightly different pace of life in a country that’s unique yet distinctly familiar, Canada might prove to be the ideal location to settle down in whether you’re a family group, a retiree or even someone wanting to buy a holiday home.

With its beautiful natural landscapes, bustling cities and vast expanses of untouched and rugged terrain, Canada is universally popular and it has fast developed a very hot real estate market off the back of its international appeal!  If your desire is to find a mid-sized metropolitan area close to the action of Toronto for example, London might be the place to look for real estate and in this article we explore Canadian property and the London, Canada market in particular.

London - named after its famous British sister - is found aptly enough along the Thames River.  It is about halfway between Toronto and Detroit, Michigan in southwestern Ontario and visitors and expatriates who move to this region of Canada will find London is nowhere near as large as its British counterpart, but that it does have its own bustle and strong and lasting appeal. 

The city is home to more than 350,000 people with nearly a half-million living in its metropolitan area.  Initially settled by Europeans in the early 1800s, London became an incorporated city in 1855.  Since that time the city has developed a strong manufacturing, educational, tourism and economic base meaning it has a healthy property market built on strong fundamentals.

Visitors to London will find the city is home to a number of historic sites, natural wonders and a bounty of freshwater beaches.  It is noted for its theatrical scene as well which includes the hosting of an active summer theatre season.  The city’s John Labatt Centre also plays host to a number of international acts and big-name musicians throughout the year – so if you want to buy real estate in Canada in a lively yet not overcrowded location, maybe you should be considering London.

The London property market is alive with activity.  Buyers here will find a number of condominiums, apartments, freestanding, single family homes and much, much more.  Prices start under CAD 80,000 and rise through the roof depending on the site and elaborate nature of the property chosen!

If value is what you’re seeking then London in Canada really represents that – for example it is possible to find large, four bedroom family homes for under CAD 250,000 within the city itself.  The Canadian property market in London includes a variety of older homes and buildings along with a fair amount of brand new and attractive construction.

Most property for sale in Canada in London is considered on the “reasonable” side of the price scale - especially compared to the popular retirement destinations within Europe such as Italy and Spain for example.

Living in London will likely represent a change of pace for you and a change of lifestyle however – especially if you’re not used to the extreme cold!  Canadian winters do dip down in terms of temperature quickly, and the area around London does tend to receive more than 200 cm of snow a year.  This is due to the lake effect caused by Lake Huron.  Summers are considered relatively comfortable in the London area – though they can get a bit hot and humid at times.

The Canadian real estate market is still considered to be on a bit of an upswing - especially when you compare it against its stagnating southern neighbour America!  In spite of this the prices for real estate in London in Canada remain affordable and the location puts buyers in the thick of some of Canada’s biggest vacation and cultural attractions as well – maybe a great reason to consider an investment into Canadian real estate in London?