# Insurance & property tax???



## debz12 (Mar 29, 2009)

Hi
I have been browsing the real estate for Abbotsford/Chilliwack area in BC. At the bottom of each listing is property tax, is this payable every year or is it just a one off payment when you buy the property? Here in NZ we pay rates every year, for a modern 3 bed, 2 bath we pay roughly $1800NZ ($1300CAN) per year but I noticed that the houses I looked at were $2000 - $3000CAN for property tax? If thats yearly it seems an awful lot? 
Also house/contents and car insurance? At the moment we pay $100NZ ($70CAN) per month for all three. Could anyone give me a rough average what it costs in Canada? 
At the moment I am trying to work out whether it's worth making the move to Canada with my husband and two kids as we both have jobs here and a lovely home but have always fancied Canada. We don't want to give it all up here in NZ if we are worse off!!! 
Cheers


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

debz12 said:


> Hi
> I have been browsing the real estate for Abbotsford/Chilliwack area in BC. At the bottom of each listing is property tax, is this payable every year or is it just a one off payment when you buy the property? Here in NZ we pay rates every year, for a modern 3 bed, 2 bath we pay roughly $1800NZ ($1300CAN) per year but I noticed that the houses I looked at were $2000 - $3000CAN for property tax? If thats yearly it seems an awful lot?
> Also house/contents and car insurance? At the moment we pay $100NZ ($70CAN) per month for all three. Could anyone give me a rough average what it costs in Canada?
> At the moment I am trying to work out whether it's worth making the move to Canada with my husband and two kids as we both have jobs here and a lovely home but have always fancied Canada. We don't want to give it all up here in NZ if we are worse off!!!
> Cheers


In R/E listings the property tax shown would be annually and, depending on the municipality is usually paid in 4-6 installments. Some (most) will allow you to pay it monthly, usually over 10 equal payments for the year. $2-3k annually would be in the ballpark. For my 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms I pay $4,000 per annum.
For house/contents insurance expect to pay $400-700 annually. Auto insurance is very expensive in Canada, and one of the major complaints of immigrants from the UK is that they receive no credit for their no-claims status. Depending on the value of the car you could be asked to initially pay $2-3k annually. As you develop Canadian driving experience it would reduce somewhat but it is expensive here. Auto insurance in BC is a Provincial Government entity and here is its website for further information. ICBC - Insurance Corporation of British Columbia - Autoplan Insurance I'm not too familiar with wages/salaries in NZ but I am led to believe they are substantially lower than in Canada. If so that may account for the fact that life "appears" more expensive here.


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## debz12 (Mar 29, 2009)

Hi
Wow thanks so much for the quick answer! My husband is a contracts supervisor for a joinery company here and averages $26NZ per hour plus a company car - converts to around $18.50CAN. I work for an insurance company of all things! My hourly rate is $19NZ - $13CAN. I have quickly looked at salaries but not sure what to expect for our jobs? Is petrol expensive? And what about power, phone, food etc: 
Thanks for what you have told me already, it's great to get an idea of expenses etc:


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

debz12 said:


> Hi
> Wow thanks so much for the quick answer! My husband is a contracts supervisor for a joinery company here and averages $26NZ per hour plus a company car - converts to around $18.50CAN. I work for an insurance company of all things! My hourly rate is $19NZ - $13CAN. I have quickly looked at salaries but not sure what to expect for our jobs? Is petrol expensive? And what about power, phone, food etc:
> Thanks for what you have told me already, it's great to get an idea of expenses etc:


Just as I previously mentioned incomes in NZ are considerably lower than in Canada. Unfortunately I don't know the Canadian equivalent job title for your husband but assuming he's a qualified joiner and supervising, I would think he should be on $60-80k p/a here. Assuming you're a general office worker you could expect to earn $25-40k p/a. You should be aware that company cars are the exception rather than the rule in Canada. Now, if your husband were required to travel on behalf of a joinery company here a pickup truck may well be supplied. If he was required to use his own can then he should expect to receive a mileage allowance.
If I can answer anything else for you I am happy to do so.


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## debz12 (Mar 29, 2009)

Thank you so much for all your helpful information, judging by the wages I think we are severley underpaid here in NZ!! I always tell everyone that you don't move here to be financially better off. Going by the wages then I suppose the property tax would be affordable - still trying to get my head around the car insurance!! 
Well it has certainly given us something to think about and I'm sure I will have a million other questions to answer too!
Thanks again


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

debz12 said:


> Thank you so much for all your helpful information, judging by the wages I think we are severley underpaid here in NZ!! I always tell everyone that you don't move here to be financially better off. Going by the wages then I suppose the property tax would be affordable - still trying to get my head around the car insurance!!
> Well it has certainly given us something to think about and I'm sure I will have a million other questions to answer too!
> Thanks again


As I am sure you know, everything is relative. IMO the best way to measure the cost of living in a particular country is by calculating how much work it takes to purchase something such as a house, a car, a TV etc, etc, etc. 
If I may ask, what is driving you to emigrate from NZ? I have been there and, like most, was entranced by the place. Of course being on vacation is more that likely to give a person a rosy picture of everything. One is visiting all the tourist traps and usually is throwing money around like a drunken sailor. In many respects the west coast of Canada is similar to NZ. Mountains and the ocean but a somewhat wet climate. It is a spectacular place to live, there's no doubt.


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## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

Hi Debz12

Which insurance product do you work with? I worked with vehicle insurance here in BC and may be able to give some info regarding wages. Feel free to send along a PM my way.

Oggy

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## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

The provincial gov't has a corporation called ICBC that deals with vehicle insurance in BC. They will acknowledge your previous history, but it has to be provided in a way that they will accept. It's difficult for countries, such as in the UK, where many people change their insurance providers yearly and that makes it difficult later to get the coverage history from each company. Each year that I insure my vehicle, I receive a coverage document that I keep in my vehicle... if you can provide something like that, it will certainly help in getting your discounts. 

What the corporation wants to see is a letter from the insurance company (not the broker that sold it to you) stating who was the insured/principal operator on the vehicle, the dates of coverage (January 13, 2007 to January 12, 2008 for instance), your policy/plate number and if there were any claims made. A letter simply saying "no claims" for a certain period won't suffice, as what may not have been considered a claim in your prior country, MAY be considered one here, or visa versa. 

I do know of people who have successfully received their discounts when arriving from the UK... so hopefully you'll be able to get the NZ paperwork they request to obtain yours too.  

Here's an ICBC link for new residents to BC...
ICBC - Autoplan Insurance - Basic Autoplan - Moving to B.C.


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## debz12 (Mar 29, 2009)

Auld Yin said:


> As I am sure you know, everything is relative. IMO the best way to measure the cost of living in a particular country is by calculating how much work it takes to purchase something such as a house, a car, a TV etc, etc, etc.
> If I may ask, what is driving you to emigrate from NZ? I have been there and, like most, was entranced by the place. Of course being on vacation is more that likely to give a person a rosy picture of everything. One is visiting all the tourist traps and usually is throwing money around like a drunken sailor. In many respects the west coast of Canada is similar to NZ. Mountains and the ocean but a somewhat wet climate. It is a spectacular place to live, there's no doubt.


Well it's a long story! A few years ago we holidayed in BC, arriving in Vancouver and leaving via Calgary. We had a fantastic time, saw all the sights, drove through the Rockies, encountered bears and mountain lions etc: and really didn't want to go back home! As soon as we arrived back we got the relevant forms and decided to apply as we had enough points. Then I fell pregnant with my son and we decided to put it on hold for a few months during which time the points had changed and we were no longer eligible, we were so disappointed. We had enough points for NZ or Australia but I didn't want to go to either, it was Canada or nothing! After much discussion we decided to come to NZ for a couple of years with a view to going back to the UK if it didn't work. 11 years on we are still here but still have that yearning for Canada. Looking at THE LIST it seems my husband is now in demand, but we have built a life here and it's like do we really want to go through all that again as it's so difficult those first few years. Plus the family thing is playing a huge part in our desiscion, at the moment we are lucky to see them every 3 years as flights are so expensive and the flight time a horrendous 28 hours. We went back 4 years ago at a massive cost to us so visits home are few and far between. So the closer proximity and cheaper airfares are a big drawcard.
NZ is a beautiful country and we have a good life and many friends but still there's that pull!


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

debz12 said:


> Well it's a long story! A few years ago we holidayed in BC, arriving in Vancouver and leaving via Calgary. We had a fantastic time, saw all the sights, drove through the Rockies, encountered bears and mountain lions etc: and really didn't want to go back home! As soon as we arrived back we got the relevant forms and decided to apply as we had enough points. Then I fell pregnant with my son and we decided to put it on hold for a few months during which time the points had changed and we were no longer eligible, we were so disappointed. We had enough points for NZ or Australia but I didn't want to go to either, it was Canada or nothing! After much discussion we decided to come to NZ for a couple of years with a view to going back to the UK if it didn't work. 11 years on we are still here but still have that yearning for Canada. Looking at THE LIST it seems my husband is now in demand, but we have built a life here and it's like do we really want to go through all that again as it's so difficult those first few years. Plus the family thing is playing a huge part in our desiscion, at the moment we are lucky to see them every 3 years as flights are so expensive and the flight time a horrendous 28 hours. We went back 4 years ago at a massive cost to us so visits home are few and far between. So the closer proximity and cheaper airfares are a big drawcard.
> NZ is a beautiful country and we have a good life and many friends but still there's that pull!


You of course know that you have done all the hard work associated with emigration? Are you sure you want to do it all over again? If your life in NZ is good then moving to Canada does not make a great deal of sense to me. I do understand the pull of family in the UK and the cost/time of flying back and forward there but your/partner's parents will not always be there, unfortunately. You sounds like ensconced Kiwis now. The upheaval and the emotional/financial cost would be substantial.
There's no doubt Canada is a spectacular country and has provided countless opportunities for millions, but so is and has New Zealand. With the money you'll save by not changing your country you'll be able to go back and forward to the UK in comfort (Business Class) and even be able to help your family in the UK do the same.


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