3 reasons to ditch Vancouver for the suburbs

With social distancing as the new norm, living in close proximity to the bustling city is no longer as appealing as it once was. While city-living prices in Vancouver have always been a deterrent, those who choose to live in the city regardless may be second guessing their motivation. Here are three reasons you may want to consider migrating south of the Fraser River.

1. Moving to the suburbs no longer means fighting with traffic

The main downside of moving to the suburbs has always been the commute back to the city for work. Heightened flexibility in telecommuting may allow you to move outside the city and avoid long commutes, taking advantage of a previously rare duality. Now that telecommuting is being favoured by more companies and employees, you may be able to opt to work from home and save in both commute and housing. This allows those who may normally only branch out to the Tri-Cities or Burnaby to explore even less expensive or more spacious options South of the Fraser River. 

Not having to contend with traffic in and out of the city makes suburbs more desirable than ever. With bigger spaces costing less, homeowners can also designate more (and better) space to work from home. Homes with more natural light and outdoor space contribute to higher productivity levels, making suburban homes ideal for working from home. 

2. The perks of the ‘city life’ are more limited than ever

Lifestyle and an abundance of things to do is a major reason to live in Vancouver. Now that distancing mandates have affected public perception of bars and busy shared recreation or outdoor spaces - many of the lifestyle perks of city-living seem less appealing than pre-COVID. 

Now, the more spacious private and public outdoor spaces and higher prevalence of indoor recreation spaces in suburbs may be the more attractive option. In MacLean’s 1954 “Why Live in the Suburbs” they touched on the charm of the suburbs being the escape from high taxes, dirty cities, and noise pollution to find fresh air and space to raise children. These perks still exist, but are compounded with the COVID induced downfall of the city lifestyle.

3. Get more value from your dollar

Until 2019, Vancouver was ranked the most expensive city in Canada for three years in a row. In 2018, Urban Planner, Dr. Yan found that Vancouver had the largest gap between home prices and median household incomes in all of North America. It’s no secret that Vancouver house prices are exorbitant, but those who spent weeks holed up in Vancouver homes with limited green space or fresh air may rethink what their money is getting them, other than location.