8 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Victoria, BC

8 Reasons Not to Move to Victoria, BC

Everyone seems to know that British Columbia's capital city is a great place to live while enjoying the mildest climate in Canada. Surrounded by the ocean and view of the Olympic Mountains in the south to our neighbours while having endless year round outdoor recreational opportunities. Victoria's downtown is a great place to explore with it's old town charm history and ghost stories with clues of it's history left behind from old Fort Victoria to Canada's oldest China town. Famous attractions like The Royal BC Museum, buskers at the inner harbor, symphony splash, Fisherman's Warf, various festivals and more. I could go on about the growing food and craft brew scene, but then I wouldn't be leaving any surprises to be discovered.

Most Victorians would probably agree that the Capital Region is one of the best cities in the world and according to a new survey, they aren’t the only ones.

• Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards ranked Victoria as the 17th best city in the world.
• Condé Nast’s Reader’s Choice Award ranked Victoria as the 2nd best small city in the world, outside the USA.
• Victoria has been named both the Most Romantic City in Canada and one of the top 15 Friendliest Cities in the World.
• Named as Canada’s Best City to Live in for Women
• Victoria is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country
• Some of the most moderate weather in Canada
• and more...

Are you thinking about making the move to Victoria, BC? Is Victoria the perfect Canadian city for you? Well, maybe. 8 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Victoria, BC is to give you forewarning that it's not the perfect city without any problems or considerations to it's natural environment. I personally love living in Victoria for the past twenty years and generally accept the way of living as part of island life and am grateful to live here. There are many great things about living in Victoria, but there are some parts of Victoria you need to know before moving here.

1. Cost of living, house prices, rent, groceries, gas, used cars, child care, etc. To make matters even more difficult. The competition for buying a housing, getting a rental, or getting approved for assisted housing is difficult because of the demand for housing. If there is any chance of moving or getting transferred to Victoria and you will be requiring day care for your children, get on the waitlist as soon as possible. Now the high demand of all types of housing might be great for investors and home owners in Victoria with a continued positive net migration. Overtime, the pressure of rising cost of living have left many with little choice than to leave our beautiful city to more affordable areas.
2. The Tourists. Going downtown Victoria during the summer months will be busy and some areas might feel like you're at Disney Land like Victoria's inner harbour, The Royal BC Museum, Butchart Gardens, and most of the shopping district downtown. Even outside of downtown there are main attractions like Butchart Gardens, whale watching tours, and the campsites, lakes, beaches. Then there's cruise ships that dock in James Bay which a short horse drawn carriage ride away from downtown. There hasn't been as many lately, but when visiting naval ships arrive and you'd like to spend an evening at your favourite pub. Expect longer wait times for just about everything as restaurant and pub staff try to keep up with new visitors. There might be and air show or fireworks display on the day you made plans to go downtown for a bite to eat and find yourself caught in bumper to bumper traffic because an air show or fireworks display just finished.
3. Traffic. You might have heard a local say "It only takes ten minutes to drive anywhere in Victoria." Well, it's a lie and It might be laid back and the most bike friendly city, but becoming a local you will realize the rest of the population values their time and they don't want to spend it in rush hour traffic. Being restricted by the surrounding ocean means there's only so many ways to get around and traffic will funnel through the major arteries. Now, it's not so bad if your coming from a metropolitan like Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, bet here if your commute to work or home is longer then 30 minutes then it becomes a major gripe.
4. Shopping and entertainment choices are limited. Every April fool's it seems that someone will make the joke that Ikea will be opening a new location on Vancouver Island to no avail. If your hoping to have access to all the big retailer that are common to metropolitan center's you will be disappointed with your choices. On the other hand there are so many antique and local artisan opportunities to find unique furniture and decorations to add to your home. If you're into rock concerts, live theater productions, and major league sports teams. Victoria tends to get overlooked by the many of the big names in the industry which Victoria and Vancouver Island has grown to be very supportive of local talent and artists.
5. The Big One. According to seismologists, Vancouver Island is overdue for a magnitude 7 earthquake and has entered a period of time where an additional magnitude 9 mega-thrust rupture earthquake, likely to cause a tsunami, can be expected. Vancouver Island is located on the Cascadia Subduction Zone with level 9 earthquakes happen every 200 to 800 years, and the last one occurred 300 years ago. Thankfully British Columbia's stringent building code, structural collapse is not expected in magnitude 7s. Magnitude 8 or 9s have the same severity of shaking as a 7, but their duration lasts longer, often over 2 or 3 minutes. They cause structural building damage and ruptured gas lines, often causing fire. Having an earthquake kit and supplies to last in any given emergency is a good idea.
6. The Weather, well the winter wet and cold, but not freezing. Yes, it does snow on occasion, but just enough to remind Victorian's to appreciate the rest of Canada. Some find the winter rain a little gloomy and depressing at times. The summers do not normally get too hot expect in 2021 we experienced a heat dome of unusually hot period of weather. For the rest of the summer outside of the heat dome you can be kept cooler with the ocean breeze can make for chilly summer evenings near the coast. Victoria falls within the Olympic Mountains rain shadow leaving the area with much needed rain in summer leading to water watering restrictions and risk of forest/brush fires. Wind from neighboring states and mainland BC wild fires can blow over in our direction and affect air quality sometimes.
7. Homelessness and Drugs have become an increasing problem in the downtown core as the overall population grows and so does the number of people on the streets. There are many services, churches, and community groups supporting our vulnerable population located downtown and surrounding areas. In the past few years "tent cities" have emerged and been a point of contention between city officials and local residence which have ushered the "tent city" form one location to another. Currently, the City of Victoria has permitted overnight stays in Beacon Hill Park.
8. Traveling. Welcome to island life where you are more susceptible to the whims of mother nature affecting your travel to and from Vancouver Island. Long waits at Swartz Bay BC Ferries terminal have become so well known that the local radio station produced a little diddy "In The Ferry Line" or limited international and direct flights from the "international" airport YYJ. Other options include seaplanes, helicopters, and personal watercraft for getting to and from our pacific northwest paradise. Unfortunately, the only direct downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver options other than Helijet located in James Bay. Always consider more planning, time, and expense when traveling to an from Vancouver Island. A family of 6 and a mini van one way from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta, BC (Greater Vancouver Area) one way will cost about $167.95 plus taxes (4 over the age of 12, 2 under). One adult and normal sized car one way is $95.40 plus taxes. Don't forget to factor in the hour and half sailing time, arrive 30-60 minutes prior to sailing to your travel time.

Even though the city of Victoria is not without it's problems or challenges. It's always best to be well informed prior to making big decisions, leading to more realistic expectations and avoid eventual disappointment.

What Professionals Will I Need to Help Me Buy Real Estate in Canada?

To buy a property in Canada, you will normally need a real estate agent, a real estate lawyer, a home inspector, an insurance agent, a property manager and a lender. If you buy with my help, I will connect you to the best in the industry.

I want to buy a property in Canada, but not in Victoria. Can you help?

I only sell real estate in the Victoria area, though I am happy to recommend an agent in in your desired location that can help.

If you still feel that Victoria is the right move for you or if you have any other questions about moving to Vancouver Island. I'm happy to help feel free to DM, call/text at 250-858-0288.. or email info@patricksellsvictoria.com to start a conversation.

Patrick Novotny eXp Realty Victoria, BC 250-858-0288  www.patricksellsvictoria.com

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