Saturday 13 November, 2004
House search starting
So, we've settled in enough that we've started looking for a real flat now. The temporary accomodation we live in right now is free (as in paid by Dragon's employer), but that's really the best of it, and I really want my own space. (Ok yes, cleaner twice a week is nice, too.) So this morning before Dragon woke up I had a look at the available properties on the net, and after he woke up we went for second breakfast in a nearby cafe to read Vancouver Sun's property rental section.
There is a secred code language thing going on here... For example, look at these:
2BR grnd lvl ste 12th/Main, np/ns w/d incl, refs req'd
2BR grnd flr in new hse ns/np, suit fam/cpl
Mm... ok? After googling for some abbreviations we were in, then circling in the possibles, then more scribling... We came up with around six favourites, of which we're seeing one today and one tomorrow.
Renting a property is something that's very different in different countires. In England for example, High St is full of estate agents who manage rentals for private landlords, and security deposits are typically 4-6 weeks' rent. In here there seem to be few agents (and those that exist manage whole apartment buildings that offer all amenities) and most of the landlords seem to rent the flats themselves. Also security deposits are very low, typically only couple of weeks' rent or couple of hundred dollars.
All in all, there seems to be quite a lot properties available, in places that we want, even in prices that we want. Certainly there seems to be a lot more options here than... well, anywhere else I've ever lived, so I'm not expecting us to take too long to find something.
Later: house was nice. It's always a bit exciting when they desrcribe the house as having character, but this one actually had: it was a wooden house built in 1920s in a very peaceful residental area. Reminded me of Finnish wooden houses, just the feel of it and creaking floorboards. I think it's slightly too small for us, although everything else was ok, it even had a mountain view from the living room.
Search continues.
Posted by kolibri at 13 November 15:36, 20042BR grnd lvl ste 12th/Main, np/ns w/d incl, refs req'd
2 Bedroom ground level suite. Near 12th Ave and Main, no pets, no smoking, washer/dryer included. References required.
2BR grnd flr in new hse ns/np, suit fam/cpl
2 Bedroom ground floor in new house. No Smoking, No Pets, suitable for families or couples.
Have a nice day :)
# 2 - kolibri (on November 14, 2004 08:21 AM):
Yeah, we figured it out after some googling :)
# 3 - Jaana-Mari (on November 14, 2004 11:40 AM):
What, a house or a flat? I assumed youŽd be renting a flat but you write about a wooden house with creaking floors. Are you seriuously thinking about a separate house (omakotitalo) of your own? Pushing snow and garden work included?
# 4 - kolibri (on November 14, 2004 12:13 PM):
This was kind of both at the same time :)
Detached houses here (closes word for omakotitalo that I can think of in English) are much bigger than in Finland - so this one had been divided into three flats. The flat that we saw was the whole upstairs of the house, about 80 m2 so fairly sizeable (but not big enough for us). So it a house, but it was a flat too, and it had creaking floorboards :)
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