Relocating from Abroad

We can understand why people from all around the world want to live in Nanaimo. With our stunning natural beauty, mild climate and endless outdoor playground that these factors provide, we can’t think of many places that would be better spots to live. If you are not an ex-pat and are planning on spending more than six months of the year here, you need to go through the immigration process. You can obtain information on that process from the Government of Canada at www.cic.gc.ca. Another useful link is at www.victorialaw.com . It is neither quick nor easy to emigrate here, but all of our clients who have come from abroad are thrilled to be here. As you get into the immigration process, we may be able to link you up with clients already here who have gone through all the hoops and can provide some moral support as well as practical suggestions. Health care workers are in high demand on Vancouver Island; we have worked with a number of clients coming to work in this field. The Vancouver Island Health Authority (www.viha.ca) is regularly recruiting abroad. If you work in the healthcare field, check out this link at www.healthcarematchbc.org. Having a job lined up in Canada certainly speeds things up for getting here.

British Columbia’s Real Estate System

Whether you are a potential immigrant or an ex-pat coming home, if you’re planning on buying a home, you’ll need to know how the real estate system works in BC. It may be quite different from the system where you are currently living. The real estate system here is regulated by the Province of British Columbia. Although there are a small number of people who choose to buy or sell property privately, the vast majority of transactions occur using real estate agents or Realtors as they are known in BC. Realtors must have passed rigorous university courses before getting their licenses, and they must continually upgrade their knowledge and skills to maintain that license. To view any property (that is not being sold privately), you will need a Realtor. It is best to have your own Realtor representing your interests as a buyer, rather than relying upon the Realtor who has listed the property and therefore essentially represents the seller. You can find a Realtor through word of mouth or through an Internet search. While you can switch your Realtor if you find that the two of you don’t work well together, it is best to decide on one person to work on your behalf (Realtors get paid only when a sale goes through, so it is unfair to expect someone to put in significant effort on your behalf if there is not a reasonable expectation that they are going to be paid for it eventually). It is becoming more common for a Realtor to ask you to sign a Buyer’s Agency Agreement so that he or she is your exclusive agent in a given area. All of our clients who have come to us through our website have remained as clients and become friends once they started working with Gary. We like to act as your “eyes and ears” in place, helping you to get here and settled in any way we can.

A huge plus of our real estate system is that we use MLS, or Multiple List Service. You can go online to www.Realtor.ca and, by entering the desired parameters for location and type of home, find virtually any property that is currently for sale, along with lots of information about that property. The listing will be shown with contact information for the listing agent, that is, the Realtor who is acting for the seller. If you want additional information about the property, it is best to contact your own Realtor to get the information for you, as that person will be working with your interests, rather than the seller’s, in mind.

The process of buying involves negotiating with offers, counter offers, conditions or subjects as they are known in BC, and so on. The Real Estate Council of British Columbia provides an excellent reference for the nitty gritty on buying, including all the terminology involved at www.recbc.ca/pdf/Buyinghome.pdf. We highly recommend that you take the time to print this document out, read through it, and keep it on hand.

Relocating with Children

If you are relocating as a family, you should know that we have an excellent public educational system and several private schools in the area. Information for the Nanaimo area school board (School District 68) can be found at www.sd68.bc.ca. Children generally start school at age 5 in Kindergarten, but there are both public and private pre-school programs available as well. Elementary schools run from Kindergarten to Grade 7, and secondary schools from Grades 8 to 12. Students can then continue their education at colleges or university. Nanaimo is home to Vancouver Island University, which offers both college courses and diplomas and university programs and degrees. The school year starts in early September, has a two-week break at Christmas/New Year’s, a one-week in mid-March, and finishes in late June. College/university terms generally run September to December and January to April. All of our clients who have arrived with children report that the kids have settled in easily and quickly at all ages and stages!

Relocating with Pets

Moving to a new country is complicated and stressful. Bringing a pet with you makes it more so, but as always, the more research you do and information you have in advance, the more smoothly things will go when the time comes. Rest assured though, that pets are a huge part of the Island lifestyle, and after a settling in time, your pet will be as happy with the move as you are. [...]

CLICK HERE to read all PET RELOCATION INFORMATION.