neuroscience_nerd Posted March 26, 2018 Report Share Posted March 26, 2018 I recently interviewed for a residency position in Vancouver. I'm considering lifestyle factors and cost of living for my rank order list. How much can I realistically expect to pay in rent for a place that is (large) dog friendly? Is it even possible to get a place with a private backyard? Is renting a small house out of the question? I have heard that rent is very expensive, and am worrying about whether it is doable for me as a single person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchpress Posted March 27, 2018 Report Share Posted March 27, 2018 It really depends where in Vancouver, or the broader lower mainland, you are thinking of renting? What's your budget? Most people I know who have lived in the city for awhile pay in the $1100-$1500 / month range for a 1 bedroom apartment, or in the $700-1000 range for a room/large section of a house (e.g. their share of a 2bd basement suite). But I also know an increasing number of people paying close to $2000 for tiny apartments, as affordable places are becoming very hard to find. The range in prices is kind of nuts. A lot of the rentals on craigslist are condos, and those tend to have the highest rents (I assume because the owners are trying to cover their insane mortgages?). The best rents seem to come from apartments in dedicated rental buildings or from sharing rooms / floors of a house in certain parts of town. Renting a room / floor / basement of a house or renting a laneway house is likely the only way that you'll find a yard -- there are not a lot of townhouses in the city and they tend to be expensive. A lot of apartments don't take pets, which will narrow down your options quite a bit. But there are pet friendly places out there. The eastern side and southern parts of the city generally have cheaper rents than the west side and downtown. If you're able to live outside of Vancouver, say Port Moody or New West or parts of Richmond or Burnaby, you're may have much more affordable rent options and types of places. Edit: Vancouver does have a increasing number of these things called 'laneway' houses, which are tiny houses that people can build in their backyards. The rules around rentals are changing in the city to try to motivate owners to rent suites long term (rather than on air bnb), so more seem to be popping up for rent than in the last few years. There aren't a tonne of them, and they usually rent ~$2000+. But it would be the closest thing to a 'tiny house' all to yourself that you're likely to find! Try searching 'laneway house' on craigslist, and a few should pop up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clever_smart_boy_like_me Posted March 27, 2018 Report Share Posted March 27, 2018 Rent in a nice place out in the suburbs is high too... I've heard $2k+ for some 2 bedrooms. I'd say take a look at craigslist for the vancouver area and anything in richmond, surrey, burnaby, port moody, and maybe coquitlam... the farther out you go the cheaper it is but then more commute... good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly_ Posted March 27, 2018 Report Share Posted March 27, 2018 Private place with a small back yard in Vancouver, definitely $2300+. Not to mention, gas prices are now $1.50/L and an average meal out at a restaurant with drink is $50. Better prices out on the suburbs aka Surrey, Coquitlam, Mission etc, but it may be an 1 hour+ commute if you’re doing residency at VGH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted March 30, 2018 Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 You may be searching for a while if you have a pet. Most places don't allow pets, and even fewer allow dogs specifically. It's a struggle. There is a facebook group you can request to join that posts pet friendly rental listings users find for the area: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=pet friendly rentals vancouver%2Flower mainland%2Ffraser valley bc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 On 3/27/2018 at 6:55 AM, Butterfly_ said: Private place with a small back yard in Vancouver, definitely $2300+. Not to mention, gas prices are now $1.50/L and an average meal out at a restaurant with drink is $50. Better prices out on the suburbs aka Surrey, Coquitlam, Mission etc, but it may be an 1 hour+ commute if you’re doing residency at VGH. Not sure what kind of restaurants you're going to but usually going out to something like Cactus Club for some food and a drink would cost me around $30. Also, Mission I wouldn't classify as a suburb. It's not in the same regional district as Metro Vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly_ Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 14 hours ago, Mithril said: Not sure what kind of restaurants you're going to but usually going out to something like Cactus Club for some food and a drink would cost me around $30. Also, Mission I wouldn't classify as a suburb. It's not in the same regional district as Metro Vancouver. I find many restaurants in downtown/gas town/yaletown have increased their prices, that’s why I rarely eat out any more. A main is like $25 and a drink is at least $8–12, with tip it can easily go to $50. Of course, there are less expensive restaurants to visit in town: however, I feel that I used to be able to order much more for the same cost. I mentioned Mission because it’s still commutable to Vancouver. I have friends transiting from Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack to work in downtown everyday. It’s long and not ideal, but doable. All in all, I personally find that it is a struggle to live in Vancouver as cost of living here is certainly one of the highest in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGrisham Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 23 minutes ago, Butterfly_ said: I find many restaurants in downtown/gas town/yaletown have increased their prices, that’s why I rarely eat out any more. A main is like $25 and a drink is at least $8–12, with tip it can easily go to $50. Of course, there are less expensive restaurants to visit in town: however, I feel that I used to be able to order much more for the same cost. I mentioned Mission because it’s still commutable to Vancouver. I have friends transiting from Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack to work in downtown everyday. It’s long and not ideal, but doable. All in all, I personally find that it is a struggle to live in Vancouver as cost of living here is certainly one of the highest in Canada. Abbotsford? Chilliwack? That sounds like a bit of hyperbole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 16 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said: Abbotsford? Chilliwack? That sounds like a bit of hyperbole. Mission and Abbotsford are both largely bedroom communities for people working in Vancouver. That's partly why the West Coast Express commuter train exists! When I lived in Mission both my parents commuted daily into Vancouver, driving both ways! (I also used to know someone that commuted from Chilliwack daily to downtown Vancouver.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiynadoll Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Can't offer too much insight on to which program would be better suited for you, but for sure if your budget is less than 1.5k for rent, go far out away from Vancouver main... My parents rent out a 3br townhouse in Guildford (city centre ish) of Surrey for $1500. Complete with a small yard and playground for kids. The S/O currently pays $1350 for a 1br apartment near VGH. Pretty sure its also not pet friendly? That area of Surrey is about 45 min drive, 1-1.5 hours transit to VGH/BCCH, but a 15 minute drive to Surrey Memorial. There are many fairly convenient bus routes though, I used to commute from there to UBC everyday for 5 years. Wouldnt recommend, but if thats what budget allows (and you prioritize the furchild to have plenty of space at home) I would say thats a better bet) I know of a few friends of friends who ranked abbotsford as their top choice (and matched). Bought their first home there already and are all set for residency (and I guess their future overall). But that far out you'd definitely have to drive in to Vancouver, and TBH I would not ever do that commute on a daily. Too stressful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly_ Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 4 hours ago, JohnGrisham said: Abbotsford? Chilliwack? That sounds like a bit of hyperbole. I'm sorry if you find it so, but I don't have a need to lie or exaggerate. During high school, I constantly commuted from Langley to Vancouver. 4 hours ago, Persephone said: Mission and Abbotsford are both largely bedroom communities for people working in Vancouver. That's partly why the West Coast Express commuter train exists! When I lived in Mission both my parents commuted daily into Vancouver, driving both ways! (I also used to know someone that commuted from Chilliwack daily to downtown Vancouver.) Thank you for your support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGrisham Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 10 minutes ago, Butterfly_ said: I'm sorry if you find it so, but I don't have a need to lie or exaggerate. During high school, I constantly commuted from Langley to Vancouver. Thank you for your support Hah no offense intended. But Langley is a bit different than chilliwack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly_ Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 58 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said: Hah no offense intended. But Langley is a bit different than chilliwack No hard feelings . And yes, completely agree about the difference. Chilliwack easily adds 30-40 mins to the commute. I personally think a Chilliwack commute too far and stressful; however, I did know two people that did it for a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGrisham Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, Butterfly_ said: No hard feelings . And yes, completely agree about the difference. Chilliwack easily adds 30-40 mins to the commute. I personally think a Chilliwack commute too far and stressful; however, I did know two people that did it for a few years. Odd. The gas alone would make up for rent differences. I suppose different story if you own a home etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 10 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said: Odd. The gas alone would make up for rent differences. I suppose different story if you own a home etc Some ppl drive to Mission, park at the train station and take the commuter train in. I don't know what the cost balance is, but ppl do it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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