Experience... the Vancouver housing market
Firstly and briefly, I was going to keep all posts consecutive and matching what happens but I can't be bothered writing a big one for some stuff. You'll just have to put up with small, frequent posts - probably more interesting too.
So I need to find a place to live in Vancouver. The hostel I'm staying in is fine, for a hostel, but at CAD 30 a night it gets expensive quickly.
CraigsList is the flat hunters site of choice so I start working through that. I've seen two places today and it certainly is eye opening.
I turn up to one place: downtown Vancouver very near a big forested park. I had arranged to meet somebody outside the building. However, I get there, wait a few minutes and then call the guy to find the room has been taken. Grr...
I then walk across the bottom of the peninsula to my next appointment. Apartment in a nice building with a nice view. Building itself is right on the water. Turns out the tenant is Turkish, manages a pizza place and can't afford the whole rent so he's put up a cloth screen across the living room and has a sofa bed and TV setup. In the sole bedroom is the place he's letting. He plans to put up another cloth drape here to allow both of us access to the bathroom.
So, a 1 bedroom place now sleeps two people - something that doesn't appear to be uncommon on CraigsList. However, to give you an idea of how tough the market is, this room was advertised for CAD 790 (=NZD 1173) a month (all expenses included).
I politely back out of that and start walking off to the library for some peace and quiet when I get a call from the first place. The guy who took it has backed out because he doesn't have enough money and would I like to be picked up and shown the place. Sure! I say.
Get to see the place and find that it's a variation on the previous one. However, for CAD 700 (=NZD 1039) a month (all expenses included) I could have the sole bedroom of this apartment while not one, not two, but three guys sleep in the living room. Mattresses on the floor and everything.
Consider my expectations reset - I shall now look a lot further afield!
So I need to find a place to live in Vancouver. The hostel I'm staying in is fine, for a hostel, but at CAD 30 a night it gets expensive quickly.
CraigsList is the flat hunters site of choice so I start working through that. I've seen two places today and it certainly is eye opening.
I turn up to one place: downtown Vancouver very near a big forested park. I had arranged to meet somebody outside the building. However, I get there, wait a few minutes and then call the guy to find the room has been taken. Grr...
I then walk across the bottom of the peninsula to my next appointment. Apartment in a nice building with a nice view. Building itself is right on the water. Turns out the tenant is Turkish, manages a pizza place and can't afford the whole rent so he's put up a cloth screen across the living room and has a sofa bed and TV setup. In the sole bedroom is the place he's letting. He plans to put up another cloth drape here to allow both of us access to the bathroom.
So, a 1 bedroom place now sleeps two people - something that doesn't appear to be uncommon on CraigsList. However, to give you an idea of how tough the market is, this room was advertised for CAD 790 (=NZD 1173) a month (all expenses included).
I politely back out of that and start walking off to the library for some peace and quiet when I get a call from the first place. The guy who took it has backed out because he doesn't have enough money and would I like to be picked up and shown the place. Sure! I say.
Get to see the place and find that it's a variation on the previous one. However, for CAD 700 (=NZD 1039) a month (all expenses included) I could have the sole bedroom of this apartment while not one, not two, but three guys sleep in the living room. Mattresses on the floor and everything.
Consider my expectations reset - I shall now look a lot further afield!
posted by Edward Sargisson at 12:42 pm
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