Visitors
will find lush vegetation and few, but absolutely delightful, people.
A Yukon Prospectors
finding gold in Rabbit Creek a century ago must have experienced the same
excitement as modern day property seekers first landing in Nova Scotia.
To say this small Province of Canada is the new Klondike is an understatement,
for here you will find nuggets of opportunities just waiting to be picked
up and exploited. Not just in real estate but also land and potential business
ventures.
The time
however, is now. Following the Attack on America tragedy, many US citizens
feeling a little vulnerable are purchasing second homes resulting in a
stirring of prices.
So where is
Nova Scotia, most would ask. Well it’s a quick five hour flight from the
UK, three from Iceland and a mere two and a half hour ferry trip from Maine
in the States.
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Resembling
rural England but with forests, it lies on the eastern seaboard of Canada,
much like an island connected by an umbilical cord to the Motherland. The
climate and seasons are much like the UK but with slightly more extreme
temperatures, not at all what most imagine the Country to be.
Visitors will
find lush vegetation and few, but absolutely delightful, people.
You would be
hard pushed to find more courteous, laid-back and helpful English
speaking folk, only to pleased to welcome you to their Paradise. The air
is crisp, clean and bracing.
As a holiday
destination it has so much to offer in the way of national parks, wildlife
and natural leisure pursuits. Canoeing and all water sports, hiking, biking,
climbing, horse riding ... whatever your needs, it’s here and unspoilt.
UK tourists will be delighted to find petrol at 29p a litre, food and clothing
at anywhere between 33% - 50% less, plus hosts of low-cost restaurants
to eat out.
The exchange
rate between the pound and Canadian dollar is, normally, exceptionally
good making a vacation break cheap and property ...... well it will blow
your socks off!
For first
timers, there are few visual shocks in store. The houses for the most,
are timber framed and they come without fences, your neighbours garden
blending in with yours. As land is aplenty there isn’t the territorialism
found back home, just space with a big “S” between dwellings. Another notable
oddity are the roof tiles. Unlike Europe these are not slate or cement
but either asphalt or wooden shingles (square thin slices). Your eyes will
be drawn to these as they give the impression of the homes being cut-out
models from the backs of cereal boxes.
The final strange
encounter will be “dirt roads”. Formerly used for logging, these
are wide, well serviced year round highways with power & phone lines
that the constructors appear to have forgotten to tarmac. There is a huge
network of these criss-crossing the Province and these are vital not only
to the Nova Scotians but to anyone searching for a bargain home.
Whatever your
budget, there is an investment here for you. Whether it’s just a small
building plot or a hundred acres, a cabin or a mansion, you will find it
here. Major points to watch out for are the fundamentals.
Is the potential
purchase on a municipal water and sewage system? If not, then you
will need to have the well and septic systems checked out by a professional.
A drilled well is far superior to a dug one, the water being of higher
quality and more plentiful. If possible check the water levels in late
August as this is when the water table is at it’s lowest.
Septic systems
can be interesting. Commonly these consist of two interconnecting large
chambers in the ground that hold the waste material till it degrades.
From this, leads a giant fork made out of plastic pipes covered in drilled
holes. This lies under the lawn which feeds from nutrients distributed
through it. It works well, however the tubes can be blocked up, so make
sure that the grass is always greener and taller where the grid lies.
Beware. All
Nova Scotians are handymen and it’s not unusual for them to wake up at
a weekend and decide to extend the house.
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A few calls
to kinfolk of a promise of a Potluck Supper, the pick-up trucks suddenly
appear and everyone beavers away to build a deck or extra bedroom or two.
Unfortunately enthusiasm can’t always be matched by professional abilities,
so have the prospective home looked at properly.
Inspection
is not expensive and could make the difference between a good and bad buy.
Also have the building surveyed by an independent inspector cost around
£100 - £200. Well worth the outlay. Any good realtor (real
estate agent) will arrange these for you. As far as labour costs go, for
repairs, maintenance & improvements, this is half the rate of that
in Great Britain and there is no shortage of skilled craftsmen.
House prices
vary according to location and water. Sea frontage is the most prized followed
closely by sea views, then lake frontage and finally in town or rural.
Added to this is the amount of land that comes with your new adventure
base.
As Nova Scotia
is fairly small, buying anywhere in the Province means you can still be
within a day’s striking distance of most towns, amenities and stores. Cheap
and ample properties can be discovered in the interior along the old logging
roads, which in most cases are superior to ordinary highways.
Someone once
stated that “...land is a great investment because they ain’t making it
no more ...” Very true. If you are not ready to go for a holiday home,
then land is a must. Again, like real estate, this varies in price according
to location, services, size and quality.
An uncleared
but logged 100 acres can be bought for as little as £10,000 but then
there’s some real physical work involved in preparing it. Apart from removing
tree remnants, roots, brush etc, there are boulders left from the last
ice age everywhere and these work their way to the surface.
If meadowed
the price would be around £20,000 or forested £45,000.
Small wood lots can be had. Say a 5 acre plot with young trees and building
potential would cost just £5,000.
Points to watch.
Make sure the property is dry and drains well. Seek out land that has power
lines at least along one of it’s borders and is on either a dirt or paved
(tarmac’d) road. It may be a romantic notion that canoeing in to your landlocked
haven will be fun, but to be sure, the novelty will wear off quickly! If
you pick an estate with a river, large stream or lake, bear in mind that
in general Canadians (and Grizzlies!!) have the right to fish anywhere
that takes their fancy within 30 feet of the bank. The upside is that it
equally applies to you. Absolute heaven if you are a keen angler.
Building in
Nova Scotia is the exact opposite experience of the UK. The Planning Authorities
here are really helpful and will go out of their way to assist you with
you project. You’ll find them very practical, down-to-earth folks and a
refreshing pleasure to deal with.
The local builders
merchants will sell you a book of house designs. Simply select the one
you desire and they will produce a set of working plans for you, supply
you with all the materials to construct it or organise contractors to build
it for you. This could be just the shell or a turn key state. You could
always have a go with the old D.I.Y, why not?
Local taxes
(rates) are much low than the UK adding to the many reasons to book a flight
out and investigate, yourself, this incredible and yet fairly unknown little
goldmine.
A free 400
page full colour guide to Nova Scotia is available. Send your postal
details to; Free Guides PO Box 125 Penryn TR10 9YG UK
- or log on to our web site http://www.acres.info
-
