From East to West

Over the past three decades, the population of Surrey has boomed. The city has become a bit of a magnet for people not only from other parts of the Lower Mainland (Kitsilano real estate agents blame high prices in Vancouver for this exodus) but also from other parts of Canada and all over the world.

The international population of the city makes a lot of sense. After all, if an individual or family is going to move from one country to another, they will naturally want to go to where their own friends or family have gone before. Surrey is in another country, but at least they will feel more comfortable knowing the changes in store.

For the Canadian resident from the east, however, the culture shock moving to Surrey can be a bit more than they bargained for. It's a big country, and the west coast is a lot different from the country east of the Rocky Mountains. After putting up your Markham house for sale, it is important to understand the differences you will run into in Surrey.

First of all, there is the difference in price. Depending on where back east you are coming from, this may come as a huge shock. If you thought your Toronto condo was unreasonably priced, you have never been house hunting in the Lower Mainland. While not quite as outrageous as those in the city of Vancouver, Surrey condos command high prices due to demand. The entire region has been called one of the most unaffordable in the country, so keep that in mind as you look for a house.

Next, you can't expect quite the variety of housing in Surrey as you could find in Toronto or even in Vancouver. While the city population is predicted to outstrip that of Vancouver over the next decade, that has not been reflected in the developer's perspective. You won't find anything like the Fashion House Condos in downtown Toronto. Surrey's complexes are much more utilitarian, eschewing modern amenities in favour of more units.

You will also find that traffic is worse in the Lower Mainland than it is back east. That's right, Toronto commuters; we said worse! Once again, development in the area has failed to keep pace with reality, and the results are highly congested roads and outrageously long commutes. Surrey, and most of the Lower Mainland's thoroughfares, lack the ability to contain this many vehicles and government appears to lack the will to begin work on already crowded streets.

All that aside, you will certainly find that Surrey, like other parts of the Lower Mainland, is cleaner and safer than many of the larger cities back east. Heavy industry is not as prominent, and where it has been developed it has done so in recent years. This means that the overall pollution of the area has been monitored, resulting in better air quality and cleaner water.

A Toronto condominium, North York or Etobicoke based, is a home in a high density area where crime may be a problem. For whatever reason, crime is less of a problem in Surrey than it is in many similar sized cities to the east. You will hear of similar crimes being committed; the main difference is in the degree and the frequency with which these crimes take place.

Don't move out west expecting most things to be the same. From culture to infrastructure, Surrey is a very different place from Burlington, Toronto, and other eastern cities. Knowing that beforehand can help to reduce the culture shock when you arrive!