Hidden Gems: Benefits of Buying In A Less Popular Location

Given the price of housing in Canada today, it’s not surprising people are willing to consider less sought-after locations in search of affordability. But in addition to saving money, many buyers are finding these “hidden gems” are great places to call home, as they typically have benefits they hadn’t even thought of before they made an offer.

Buying on a Bus Route or Busy Road

If you’re willing to compromise on location, you can get a newer home, a larger lot, and lower property taxes for the same money as a more ‘ideally located’ neighbourhood. Noise concerns and traffic are now being trumped by several benefits:

• Shorter Commutes: Living on a bus route or busy road often means quicker access to public transportation, reducing your commute to work or grocery stores.
• Priority Snow Plowing: Your road will likely be plowed first after every snowfall, ensuring that you’re never snowed in.
• Environmental Impact: By using public transportation more frequently, you can reduce your environmental footprint by leaving the car at home.

Proximity to an Airport

If you’re okay with the hum of airplanes departing throughout the day, living near an airport can offer unique advantages:

• Time and Stress Savings: You’ll save time and reduce stress when it comes to flying, as you’ll be just a short drive away from the terminal.
• Income Potential: Increase your income potential by renting out part of your home to short-term business or holiday travelers. The convenience of your location can be a huge draw for guests.

Up-and-coming Neighbourhoods

These often overlooked areas usually give buyers more home at a lower price and can often see:

• Pride of ownership: Those who can see the vision of where a neighbourhood is headed and have the ability to jump in now can ride those home values up over the years together with neighbours that take care of one another;
• Investment Opportunity: Gives the buyer the ability to invest in renovations that add real value to their home; and
• Above-average Increases in Property Values: Up-and-coming neighbourhoods are often the best investments as the neighbourhood becomes more popular.

Being next to a school, hospital, or fire station

Families, listen up! If you have younger children, buying next to a school can save a lot of time and money as they can walk to school and gives them a sense of responsibility. However, people who like peace and quiet tend to prefer a home that isn’t too close to a school, hospital, or fire station. But living across the street from some of these facilities can make life a lot easier for busy families when you think of features like:

• Close proximity: the density of parks, playgrounds, libraries, and daycares are much more nearby schools;
• Lower Home Insurance: Proximity to a fire station reduces your insurance premiums;
• Potential for Higher Resale Values: As population density continues to drive demand for schools and bus routes, future buyers with families of their own one day may pay more for this accessibility; and
• Emergency Response Time: Quick access to fire or medical services in the event of an emergency, response times are significantly decreased.

Remote or suburban areas

Many buyers previously steered clear of remote and suburban areas, opting for more central locations. However, there has been a shift as some buyers now actively choose these neighborhoods for a slower, more peaceful lifestyle.

In a world saturated with constant stimulation, numerous buyers are opting for rural living to enjoy a more peaceful environment. Suburban areas offer additional space, bigger houses, and greater affordability.

Apart from tranquility, rural living offers benefits such as:

• Lower property prices: Compared to urban regions
• Strengthening of Relationships: A strong community bond
• More Space: Greater lot sizes and living spaces suitable for growing families

Concerned about missing the conveniences and activities you are accustomed to in the city? Remote areas may be a wonderful place to raise children, with easy access to nature and a close-knit community.

In conclusion, while less popular locations may come with perceived downsides, the upsides can far outweigh them. From financial savings to lifestyle improvements, these hidden gems offer more than meets the eye. So next time you're in the market for a new home, consider looking beyond the usual hotspots—you might just find your perfect match in an unexpected place.

Want to Know More - Go To Neighbourhood Guide Here

It seems only poetic to start my neighbourhood insights with the one in which I grew up.

With Kelowna expanding, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a quiet neighbourhood that still lies within city limits. 

Look no further. Ellison, a neighbourhood with rural community charm on the edge of a bustling city. The Ellison community is founded upon a heritage of agriculture, rural acreages and scattered residential neighbourhoods within scenic valley terrain.

Time seems to slow in this community just 15 minutes from all of the downtown action, and reflects within the tight knit community of retirees, empty nesters, working farms and families, all of whom work together to keep the agricultural vibe alive!

Ellison is home to large lots featuring extensive outdoor spaces and Ellison Elementary, which make these homes perfect for the littles in your life. They are moderately priced, even with the larger lot sizes. Ellison is on the east side of the airport and the northern end of Kelowna. The wandering streams and arid grasslands support many small farms, wineries, and agritourism. 

When picking your community, it is important to consider your lifestyle. Ellison is perfect for the family who wants a country lifestyle with close access to city amenities, the airport (Kelowna International Airport), and the educational opportunities offered by the University. The University of British Columbia Okanagan and Kelowna International airport are both within a 10-minute drive and are both greatly expanding each year. UBCO welcomes over 12,000 students each year and Kelowna International Airport has become one of Canada’s busiest airports. Therefore, if you’re looking for a potential rental or investment opportunity, Ellison may be the perfect choice for you. 

For the outdoor enthusiasts or those who want to bring a little adventure to their lives – Mill Creek Regional Park holds space to many of my childhood memories. From hiking trails, horse back riding, mountain biking to waterfalls, there is something for everyone. 

Choose Ellison today – your welcome oasis from the hustle of city life.

How strange the word sounds to ‘downsize’. In a culture of bigger, better and more, this concept is foreign and opposing to the majority of society’s beliefs. 

Society has taught us that big houses filled with new and shiny toys means that we are successful and have made something of ourselves; and this should make us happy, right?

As we shine a light onto mental health now more than ever, we have started to look at what comes with the bigger, better, more complex and the toll it actually takes on our life satisfaction and overall happiness. 

So, what would really happen if we gave ourselves permission to pursue smaller? Maybe we could find contentment with what we have and meaning in simplicity. 

Downsizing has the potential for many benefits – haven’t you heard, ‘less is more’. Owning a smaller house can be mentally, physically and emotionally freeing and is a core concept of minimalism. Minimalism is a way of life that enables you to live with less obligations and stress, giving you more time and energy to dedicate to the things you truly enjoy.

While these all sound like positive rewards that would be desirable to many people, we must overcome mental obstacles and emotional barriers. The sentimental values we place on things greatly hinder this evolution. It can be difficult to enact downsizing when certain items and spaces hold memories we don’t want to forget. 

Now I’m not saying to get rid of every sentimental item you own. If it is useful or brings you real happiness then it could be worth keeping. Words I like to live by are ‘save the best – toss the rest’ and ‘keep one to represent many’. While a group of objects may remind us of a person, place, era, or feeling, other kinds of reminders are present in our lives that will bring about these feelings and memories as well. It doesn’t mean that we’re rejecting people we cared for by letting these items go. Your home and items are mere triggers of the memories and that’s what gives us that feeling of reminiscing. A way to help cope with any guilt or sadness when choosing to discard a sentimental item would be to give sincere thanks to an item. Take a moment to soak in the feelings and memories it may trigger and then let it go. For those items that you just can’t bare to let go, take pictures of the item, place the photograph in a photo album that you can display. Finally, give thanks to that item and then again, let it go. 

Go ahead, give yourself permission to live larger in less space.