So this is what we was up to at the weekend.
On the move again.
And this is where we moved to just three streets down closer to the water
The place we was saying at, we just rented till it sold, as it was up for sale. A really nice house but not big enough for us. It was a 3 bed. We could have used the large family room down in the basement as a forth bed but it was not pratical. It had been on the market a while then the owner moved back to British Columbia. They was English too. So they thought they would rent it out so we could look after it till sold. We had not even opened the boxes when it sold two weeks later. Which gave us 2 months to find something suitable. One of the reasons why we left the UK, was we had out grown our house with 3 kids, and with the recession we would not be able to afford a bigger place. Here in Canada houses are much bigger than the ones in the UK. Plus so much cheaper too. £100,000 can buy you a brand new house with acreage. That was one of the reasons for choosing Canada to move to. The house we rented was over twice the size as the one I had back home. But the layout let it down for us. The basement had already been finished which left it no more scope to expand within the walls. So after been there a few days we new it was not right for us. As we had to move fast, and with me always on the road. We litrally had days to find a new place. Then Emma notices a For Sale sign go up in the window of a brand new house just three streets down from where we was. It was not finished but still in progress and would be finished by the time we wanted it. Well that was till the builder fell off the ladder round the back and broke his ankle. So he has had to get his two brothers back to finish things off. Only finishing’s and bits and bobs, nothing major.
Anyway we got the keys Friday night. I hired the truck for the weekend as I need to pick up a lot of firewood too that our landlord had given us. Three winters worth. Now we just need the wood burner to use it on, lol as there is not one fitted in the new house, but that’s just a technicality lol we picked up my new chainsaw that Saturday morning before picking up the truck. I just told the shop assistant with it been Halloween, I was just going to chop anyone up that came knocking on the door for candy. There was loads come. But I was too busy loading the truck up, so they got away this year. Our kids missed out on the trick or treating with us moving that day. We will make sure they get to go next year as Canadians and Americans really do go to town on it.
The weekend was very long. Up till early hours the following morning each day. I only expected to take a couple of hours to collect the wood. It took six hours just to take two thirds of it, as it was dark by then. So I will have to collect the rest in the spring next year. I still had to get home and unload it all. It was just a pile of tree logs on someone’s land. Luckily he said there was no rush for the rest. I had to chop up what I needed just to lift them into the truck. I will have to chop them down to the right size when I get chance. I think it was 230am Monday morning by the time we had got the kids to bed and us. After getting everything moved in and taking the truck back etc. tired and acing was not the word.
Now we have this lovely brand new house on an acre and a quarter of land. With un interrupted views of the St Johns River in our back garden. It is even bigger than the one we rented. Both built by the same builder. On the main floor we have an open plan living room, dinning room, and kitchen. Three bedrooms two bathrooms and double garage. Then we have the unfinished walk out basement. Which is plumbed for a further third bathroom plus two more bedrooms, large storage room and large ‘L’ shaped games/cinema room. So more than enough space for us and extra for family and friends to come and stay.
On that note I will leave you with some pictures of the house etc, and i would just like to take this opportunity to thank my very good friend Paul for what you did. Thank you from all of us.
This was taken from just outside our boundry. I just have to landscape it all now lol
These two pictures was taken a few weeks ago before it was finished
view from the decking at the back of house. which faces west so we get to see the sunset each night.
Living room now
By the time this picture was taken i had chopped loads and put in the truck
6 comments:
Good luck in your new house Dave.
Drive safe.
Thanks Mick.. Not that i get to see it much lol
dave ive just been intouch with ayr for a job are they a good company to work for you hear so much bad reports of companies in canada.
cheers
popeye
yes they are a very good company to work for, as long as you are not a slacker and good hard worker getting on with the job. They are well know for been an aggressive company and thats why they are getting bigger by the day when other companies are getting smaller because they get the job done on time. If you don't mind hard work, this is the place for you and you will earn excellent money. If you like to take it easy, Ayr is not for you. Like right know we have another 20 odd trucks at Freightliner and International waiting to be delivered. Plus new trailers been added to the fleet all the time. They are been added to cover the work we have so you will get plenty of miles if you join. The only down side at the mo, is Canada have clamped down on issuing LMO's as like you say, there are some bad companies out there, mainly in the west, promising one thing to immigrants and giving them something else. The government have stepped in to sort it out, so getting that LMO at the mo is hard. You can not work here without it. Good Luck hope you succeed
hi,
just been spending the evening reading your blog from start to finish, intrested in more so in the house buying part, how easy it it to buy out there, did you get a mortgage etc, was that an easy process? we are 'trying' to sell our home here in the uk, was hoping for it to be sold before i left for my new job in PEI, but not one bite yet, I was reading you put your house up for rental, would you say that the better way forward for me, but then that would leave me without a deposit for new home in canada, urghh to many questions sorry mate.
Hi Hensons
Buying a house was an easy process here compared to the UK. Some banks don’t find it easy to do mortgages for immigrants and others do. We used BMO bank as they are very good with immigrants. From start to finish took about 10 days. Things move very fast here when buying an house. What did help was we brought a reference from our mortgage company in the UK along with a mortgage statement. Or you could do your own credit rating and bring that with you too. They cant check it for you here. It all helps. For a deposit, you been an immigrant would need 10%. Canadians only need 5%. We was not looking to buy when we did. We would have liked to wait a little longer, but rentals just do not exist around Woodstock. Admittedly we have a lovely house three times the size of our UK houses in a beautiful location. Back in the UK, to be able to afford the same, we would have to be millionaires. So we did well, but still would have liked a little more time before we bought
If I was you, I would rent your place out for a year, and rent something in PEI for the same time. That way you have chance to see if you want to settle here in Canada. It is a very different way of life here. You or your family may decide its not for you and want to go back to the UK. Least you still have your house then. My wife finds it difficult here a lot of the time. Not having her friends and family around her, and me been on the road all the time. There is no where near as much to do here as there is in the UK. Canada is very behind the times. So go down the rental route for now and see how you go. Any other questions you have, I’m happy to answer. that’s one reason why I do the blog as I learned so much from other blogs, I wanted to help others from my experiences.
Good luck in your move.
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