Here in Alberta, we've seen a huge amount of out of province buyers in the last couple years and a big portion of those have been from British Columbia. Now that many of them have made the move and lived here for a while, what do they really like about Alberta in comparison to life in BC? Well, I reached out to a bunch of past clients of mine, as well as various Facebook groups to find some answers and these were the top 5 most common things that people love about Airdrie and Alberta in general.
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1. AFFORDABILITY
This one is probably pretty obvious, as Alberta is one of the most affordable areas in the country. So, it's a big plus especially in terms of cost of housing, whether that be renting or buying, and the tax savings you'll find with purchasing in Alberta instead of BC. Airdrie specifically is one of the most affordable cities around Calgary for housing prices.
A few other things people mentioned were more affordable was insurance, as you can actually shop around for insurance here, gas, and even vet bills.
2. SUNSHINE
Calgary is the sunniest city in Canada, with about 333 days of sun per year. So, whether you're moving to Calgary or any of the other surrounding towns, you're going to experience a lot of sun light. This will especially be appreciated if you're coming from the Vancouver area or Vancouver Island. Even though you have to deal with the cold weather here in the winter, most people said it was worth it, because even on those cold days the sun is still shining bright and it's not dark and gloomy outside.
3. FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
A lot of people mentioned they loved how friendly everyone was as compared to where they came from. They've been surprised at how many smiling faces they see when they're walking down the street or people holding the doors open for others. Just a general better mood is what people have experienced here in Alberta. Also it was said that it seemed like in BC, everyone was just living to survive and pay their bills versus living with a little less stress.
4. LESS TRAFFIC
This will be very true if you're coming from the greater Vancouver area, is that you will love how little traffic there is here. Those who have made the move, enjoy how many route options there is when they're going somewhere around Calgary or Airdrie. In the Vancouver area, there is really only one main highway and if there's a crash or during rush hour, it can get pretty horrible with no alternative. Here, there are typically multiple ways to get to where you're going, but also there is simply less population which massively helps with traffic.
5. HEALTH CARE
This one kind of took me by surprise, people really love our healthcare system here in Alberta compared to British Columbia. I was completely unaware of how hard it is to get a doctor in BC right now.
So, when people arrived in Alberta, they said it was very easy to get a family doctor with multiple offices around them accepting new patients. So, if good access to healthcare is important to you, then that's definitely something to consider.
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- Brad Walker
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