An Expat Talks about Moving to Edmonton, Canada

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Edmonton

Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.

More childrens books - most are American here. More shoes! A credit rating - you start afresh here! Cookery utensils Laptop - much cheaper here Winter coat

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Traveling Mailbox

Traveling Mailbox serves thousands of travelers, expats, digital nomads, businesses, individuals and others in over 47 Countries by scanning their postal mail so they can view it online anywhere in the world. They provide customer service 7 days a week so if you need assistance, it is just a phone call away. Traveling Mailbox works with Evernote, Bill.com and Dropbox. And, there are Traveling Mailbox apps available for iOS and Android devices.
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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

What advice would you give someone preparing to move to your area about the actual move, choosing a neighborhood and finding a home?

Driving around is not necesarily a good indication. Properties in Edmonton and surrounding areas are timber build and look almost temporary. You will rarely find the bricks and mortar you are used to in the UK.

You must be able to drive. If your partner or spouse cannot they will feel isolated even in urban settings.

Remember renting or buying on 'a bold corner plot' means you have more snow to clear and you will get fined if you don't keep your side walk and access clear.

What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?

Single story bungalow with a large basement. Quite large, the basement has a laundry room, a bedroom and recreation room.

Gardens or should I say yards are bigger in older neighbourhoods and obviously extensive in areages. New properties often have just decks.

How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?

I looked at the Fraser Institute website giving school ratings as they operate a catchment area for entry to schools. This was my criteria and we found a bungalow in this area. Found it in a local newspaper and had to move fast.

Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?

We are renting in a 'nice' middle class area but property is expensive to rent and becoming increasingly expensive to buy, by Canadian standards. An very average property costs around 2000 CAD per month. Saying that we could buy a nice home for 250,000.

It is also difficult to find expats most either settle for good and love it or stay a relatively short time.