Here at MAC Furnished Residences, we have helped relocate countless individuals and families to Toronto over the years. Many of these people had only visited Toronto briefly before their official relocation date, or not at all. For some, this doesn’t seem like an issue whatsoever, however; more often than not, once arrived in Toronto, it dawns on them that relocating isn’t as easy as they first thought. This is exactly why we always recommend visiting Toronto prior to their move! Below we discuss some of the main reasons why a pre-visit is strongly suggested before you make the big move.
HOUSING COST
Typically, when people relocate to Toronto, they end up renting for their first year until they find their feet and decide on their ideal neighbourhood to settle into permanently. You will no doubt have done some research on the cost of renting before you relocate, but there is only so much available information online. Your research will likely show you that renting is indeed quite expensive, however you will have hopefully found some gems online that you believe will be the perfect fit for you and your family. The problem isn’t finding these gems, but rather that the online photographs only paint half the picture.
Photographs are great at making spaces look bigger and concealing any unattractive neighbouring properties. Occasionally, when we show people places to rent, they are always amazed at how the property are almost completely different to how they pictured them based on the photographs. This can be particularly disheartening when you realize that your budget doesn’t stretch as far as you had hoped.
Not only this, but the rental market in Toronto is incredibly competitive. People are often surprised to hear that even with good credit, and offering the listed monthly fee, you will likely be competing with other potential renters who are ready to offer an increased monthly rent and willing to put down 6 to even 12 months of rent to secure the property.
Visiting the city before you relocate will give you a more realistic idea of what type of property you will be able to rent and will help you set your budget and expectations accordingly.
NEIGHBOURHOODS
When thinking about what neighbourhood you would like to live in, it’s important to ask yourself if you’re looking for the hustle and bustle of downtown or the peace and quiet of the suburbs. Rosedale has prestigious schools, Trinity-Bellwoods is the capital of small-batch picklers, Etobicoke has low crime rates, Scarborough has lush parks, and downtown has the most transit. Your choice will likely depend on proximity to work, public transport, schools, and ultimately budget.
We encourage you to do as much research as you can before coming to Toronto as seeing the neighbourhoods in person will paint a greater picture of your new home before committing to a property virtually. Although maps are helpful, they can only show you so much detail, whereas actually driving the streets and walking the neighbourhood is the only way of really knowing whether the location is right or not for you and your family. In addition to the mentioned above, the rental market is extremely competitive here and you should be prepared with second and third choice neighbourhoods and properties in the event that you are unable to secure your top choice.
COST OF LIVING
Another additional factor to consider is the cost of living. The cost of living in Toronto is relatively high, however the effect of this on you will very much depend on your personal economic circumstances and where you are relocating from. If you are relocating to Toronto from a major city, you may find that the difference in cost of living is not that great, whereas if you’re moving from a more rural place, you will no doubt think that there is a significant difference in cost of living in the city.
Depending on your salary, living in Toronto could be unaffordable to you. This is why it is so important to visit Toronto before relocating. Even if you only visit for a few days, it will give you a chance to see how much essentials and utilities cost. This is much more difficult to do remotely.
CULTURE
Toronto is a vibrant, happening, and multicultural place to live, so there is no wonder why so many people choose to relocate to our great city. Toronto is incredibly diverse with people from all over the world calling Toronto their home. With over 200 languages spoken here, wherever you are relocating from, you can be sure that you will be welcomed with open arms and made to feel like you are right where you’re meant to be.
MAC AREA ORIENTATIONS
Our team of Registered Real Estate Salespeople are available to familiarize you with the city along with residential neighbourhoods based on your lifestyle needs and budget.
What’s great about living in Toronto is that every neighbourhood has its own unique bragging rights. Every neighbourhood has something going for it and our specialists can help you find the perfect one for you – either east versus west or downtown versus suburbs.
If you are considering relocating to Toronto or the GTA, there is no doubt that you will need help navigating and managing many things other than just the weather. MAC Relocation Services are able to help! Not only are we able to provide furnished suites once you arrive to Toronto, we offer many other relocation services:
- Toronto and GTA Area Orientations – We will personally familiarize you with the city and neighbourhoods.
- Move Management (Global) – We arrange the mover, survey your home, take care of customs clearance, and all of the other details from origin to destination.
- Destination/Settling in Services – We can help you organize things such as your Social Insurance Number, Health Insurance, Driver’s Licence, Banking, School, Cars, Pets, etc.
- Rental and Residential Re-Sale – As experts in the rental and home purchases in Toronto and the GTA, our licensed Toronto realtors can help you find your perfect new home.
- Temporary Accommodations – We offer furnished suites and luxury furnished apartments whilst you wait for your permanent real estate accommodation.
- Departure Services – We also help those leaving Canada through home sales, lease termination, closing of utilities, etc.
If you are considering relocating to Toronto or the GTA, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with someone on our team. All of our real estate agents and brokers are licenced with OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) and TREB (Toronto Regional Real Estate Board). We can assist in individual relocations, family relocations, and corporate relocations. For more information or to chat about our services, please email info@macsuites.ca or give us a call at 416-222-0025 / 1(877)-239-0025.