Soooo…I’ve been watching a lot of House Hunters lately. And, of course, the sister show House Hunters International. It sort of amazes me at the number of people buying homes abroad, and their reasoning for doing so. I’m in the minority, I’m sure, but I don’t really want a home on a tropical island.
There are many reasons you might like to consider purchasing a second home over the next couple of years. For most people, an additional property means cheap holidays and better prospects. If you come from an English speaking country, we think the one of the best locations on Earth is Canada.
We’ll explain a little more about our choice in a moment, but we’d also like to discuss legal matters. Buying a property in a foreign country is not a simple process. In most instances, it will take at least six months for all the paperwork to go through. So, you need to start the ball rolling as soon as possible if you want to spend your summer vacation or Christmas in your new home.
Prices are better in Canada
Whether you’re looking in Alberta, Nova Scotia or Port Moody homes for sale, you’ll get a lot more for your money in Canada. That is because the housing industry is not overrun with requests, more space to build, and a weaker currency. When there is less competition in any marketplace, prices begin to come down. For the price of an average home in with an acre of land, you could get something double the size in Canada. That is the main reason people select this great nation.
There are more things to do in Canada
Presuming you come from somewhere like the UK or Europe, you will be happy to learn there are lots of activities available in Canada. The country is huge, and so you just might have to travel a little further to get involved. If you like the city, there’s great nightlife. You could venture into the woods and check out bears, head to the mountains and enjoy clear lakes, or find a good restaurant and eat the biggest steak you’ve ever seen.
The outdoor sports, like snowboarding and skiing, are fantastic. And, of course, we can’t forget the twin national treasures of curling and hockey. I’m partial to hockey myself.
Buying property is simple in Canada
As we mentioned above, the paperwork involved when purchasing a home in Canada can take up to six months to go through. However, it is much simpler than what you would have to do to buy a house in the US. The Canadian government are actively trying to encourage people to emigrate to their country, and so they have removed a lot of red tape.
It’s easy to relocate to Canada
With that last point in mind, it’s worth mentioning that anyone who buys a home in Canada can move there permanently. Indeed, even people who don’t have properties get the same deal. So long as you have enough money or a desirable skill, they are more than willing to let you apply for citizenship. Don’t think that means you need to be a banker or computer programmer though. At the current time, even painters and decorators are in high demand.
Having learned about why you should buy a second home in Canada, we hope you will take a leap of faith over the next few months. One of the other reasons it’s a good idea relates to inflation. Over the last twenty years, the average home has almost doubled in price. That means you could see a healthy return on your investment.
Dennis Jarvis
photo credit: Striving IMG_2929 via (license)