The Moving Process From Vancouver to Kelowna
How Far is Vancouver from Kelowna?
The driving distance between Vancouver and Kelowna is just about 400 kilometres, which is roughly a 4 hour drive, taking the highways; Trans Canada, BC-5 and BC-97C.
Moving from Vancouver to Kelowna is a simpler process than many other destinations, as you are not moving provinces, or even worse, countries.
Moving From Vancouver to Kelowna Average Cost
What is most important is that you work with a trusted moving company. If you’re working with a good company, moving from Vancouver to Kelowna will cost $2,500-$4,500+ on average from start to finish.
Although giving a quote requires information that can only be found through a phone call, we can give ballpark estimates. The final price will depend on how much cargo you’re transporting, whether or not there are elevators involved, and many other factors.
Average Cost to Move a Studio
If you live in a studio, it will cost roughly $2,500.
Average Cost to Move a 2 Bedroom
If you live in a 2 bedroom home, you can expect this move to cost $3,500.
Average Cost to Move a 4 Bedroom
And lastly, a 4 bedroom home will cost $4,500+ on average.
Doesn’t That Seem a Little High? I Just Got a Quote for $1,000
If you are taken aback by these ballparks, I totally understand why you would be. Maybe you recently got a quote for just $1,000?
However, this is one of the well known moving company “scams”. You get a quote for an incredible deal, “Just $1,000 to Kelowna? Sounds good, let’s do it.”
However, come moving day, you could be in for a surprise. That “$1,000 quote” was based on 1,000 pounds.
Any additional cargo is, you guessed it, an additional charge.
To put it into perspective, each room in your house is roughly 1,000 pounds worth of stuff. If you live in a 400 square foot apartment this could be a good deal, otherwise, beware!
With our above ballpark quotes, this is what you will pay when all is said and done, and you’re sitting in your new home in Kelowna.
Is it Smart to Move From Vancouver to Kelowna?
Living Costs Compared
One advantage of living in Kelowna is that, surprisingly, their cost of living is substantially lower. According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Vancouver is actually 19.9% higher than Kelowna’s. If you have a job offer in Kelowna, make sure that you are keeping this 19.9% cost of living decrease in mind.
Crime Rates
In terms of crime, Vancouver is actually the safer city, of the two. Vancouver has a safety scale rating of 63.36, making it 26.4% safer than Kelowna’s rating of 50.13. These numbers come from the Numbeo database of ratings.
Vancouver is the clear winner in terms of safety within the city, both cities are relatively safe to live in. The safety of each city is especially dependent on the neighbourhood that you are living in.
Public Transportation
Comparing Vancouver and Kelowna’s public transportation systems is like comparing apples to oranges, because of the sheer number of people living in Vancouver.
Vancouver has a “TransLink” Skytrain system, which is absolutely state of the art. It consists of 3 lines, which total 79.6km of Skytrain rail. With 53 Skytrain stations, using public transport in Vancouver is very efficient.
Kelowna, on the other hand, has a vast system of bus routes connecting the city. They do not have any train system, because the population and city size does not demand it.
Overall, both Kelowna and Vancouver’s transit systems are fantastic in their own ways. If you are requiring the use of public transportation often, you should look into your situation to determine whose system works best for you.
Weather
There are pros as well as cons to the weather in both Vancouver and Kelowna. In order to figure out which city’s weather you would prefer, you need to know the differences.
Living in Vancouver you experience constant (seemingly never-ending) rain, which you may find annoying. But you also experience a more mild winter, with temperatures not dropping much lower than negative single digits celsius.
This is the reason why Vancouver will typically see a lot of rain, but not a lot of snow. It does not usually get cold enough for there to be extreme snow fall (very often).
However, if you plan on moving to Kelowna you should expect colder winters. Kelowna will typically drop to below 0 degrees celsius, while Vancouver will usually stay above freezing in the winter.
On the flip side, Kelowna will usually have warmer summers than Vancouver, by about 4-5 degrees. You’ll need to pick your trade-off!
Buying a Home in Kelowna
These are some of the top neighbourhoods in Kelowna to live in, according to Kelowna Real Estate Pros.
Upper Mission
Upper Mission is a beautiful neighbourhood in Kelowna, nearby to the Okanagan Lake. Upper Mission is a great place to raise a family, as it consists mainly of beautiful single family homes and townhouses. The average home price is about $1,222,000, and with good reason.
Kettle Valley
Kettle Valley is another great neighbourhood for smaller families and anyone looking to get into the Kelowna real estate market, as this neighbourhood also has a beautiful view of Okanagan Lake. The average home price in Kettle Valley is about $1,277,000, and the average townhouse price is $579,900.
Southeast Kelowna
If orchards, wineries, and golf courses are up your alley, you will love Southeast Kelowna. Featuring the beautiful Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Resort, this is a beautiful neighbourhood for young and old alike. Home prices in Southeast Kelowna are sitting at just over $1,000,000 right now.
Selling Your Property in Vancouver
If you’re moving to Kelowna, you may need a realtor to help sell your property in Vancouver. Look no further than working with Josh Kepkay, of Vancouver Real Estate Today. You can get ahold of him at (604) 313-9805. He can help you with getting the most money for your home, condo, apartment, or even acreage! Working with a realtor, especially Josh, will usually help you sell for your asking price when you put it on the market.
Finding a Job in Kelowna Before You Move There
The best thing you can do before moving to Kelowna, is to get a job, or at least job prospects, secured. There are many different sources that you can find and apply for jobs in Kelowna before even arriving. Here are some of the best ones.
City of Kelowna Jobs
Because Kelowna is not a huge city, they do not have too many jobs available at any given time, but you can see what is available here.
Indeed
When it comes to your job search, make sure that you are not neglecting Indeed. They are the leading job site in Canada, and there are currently more than 2,000 open positions on Indeed in Kelowna alone. This is the best place to go if you are looking for a specialized job.
Word of Mouth
Blow the dust off of that LinkedIn profile! Another fantastic way to learn about job opportunities is by utilizing your current connections, both in Vancouver and in Kelowna. Reach out to current and past connections, and see if they know of any opportunities in Kelowna. You never know who knows who!
Full Checklist for Moving From Vancouver to Kelowna
Before you even begin packing, you should sort out exactly what your moving budget will be, and shop around until you can do your best to stay within that budget. But remember, there are many unethical movers out there. Find one that you can count on, by reading reviews.
Try to find a reputable moving company that can help you with your move from Vancouver to Kelowna for a competitive price and high quality service, while staying within your budget. If this turns out to be an impossible task, look into cheaper alternatives such as a portable moving container or U-Haul. Although these will be much more work, if your budget will not allow a moving company, these can be okay alternatives.
The last situation you want to find yourself in, is one where you and your kids are stranded, with nowhere to stay. Make sure that you have your housing situation figured out before you get to Kelowna.
If you need assistance buying a property in Kelowna, make sure you reach out to Mrs. Jane Hoffman, who is heavily connected in the city of Kelowna and can help you find the home of your dreams! You can reach her at 1-888-535-6962.
Don’t leave your school planning to the last minute. Let you current schools in Vancouver know of your departure, and figure out where your kids will be going in Kelowna. Here is where you can find public schools in Kelowna.
If you would prefer to go to the private school route, you can find an exhaustive list of all of the private schools in Kelowna here, courtesy of Kelowna Homes.
Use this Government of Canada website for your guide to changing your moving address for most of your required address changes. Remember that this is only the beginning, and you will likely need to change your address in other spots, but this is a good start. For example, you will also need to change your address for many of your financial products.
Do not neglect anyone from your “past life” here in Vancouver, reach out to everyone that you can to reconnect before you head out to the Okanagan!
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