Best places to retire in BC

[cori]

Questions from an Expat couple planning to retire soon in BC, only knowing the place through internet search.
Of course the images of Kelowna are appealing, but what about some other places around Vancouver?

What would be, for you, the 3 best places for a couple to retire in BC,
with a 3000/3500$ per month budget after having bought the house?

Taking in account climate, health facilities, supplying/shopping, nature, leisure, etc.

Thank you in advance for sharing your opinion and experience

[Relentless]

Personally, I wouldn't consider anywhere near Vancouver, I'd look for a nice place in the Kootenays!
But if you want to be part of a circus, look around there.

[Rosemary1]

If you have the money, there are no shortage of nice places in BC. You just need to decide on how much rain or snow you can handle in the winter.

[NotNorthAnymore]

Questions from an Expat couple planning to retire soon in BC, only knowing the place through internet search.
Of course the images of Kelowna are appealing, but what about some other places around Vancouver?

What would be, for you, the 3 best places for a couple to retire in BC,
with a 3000/3500$ per month budget after having bought the house?

Taking in account climate, health facilities, supplying/shopping, nature, leisure, etc.

Thank you in advance for sharing your opinion and experience

We have been in Lumby for 5 years now - if you want a really quiet life - not a bad place to be.
Decent middle of the road prices for housing and Vernon is only 25 min away.

Just IMO

[MAPearce]

Qualicum Beach.....

Aaahhhhh !

[Dizzy1]

Victoria - great climate, much easier to get around with public transportation then most of the interior, right by the ocean, lots of character ... only real downside is the fact it costs you your left kidney to get off the island ;)

[Static]

If housing does not come out of your budget you should check out the Sunshine Coast. This is a popular spot for Vancouverites.

[Ka-El]

I'd tell you but I don't want anymore people moving there.

[V-Rated]

^^^Exactly^^^

Personally, I wouldn't consider anywhere near Vancouver, I'd look for a nice place in the Kootenays!
But if you want to be part of a circus, look around there.

Vancouver is perfect, nice and mild for retired peeps.... I would totally avoid the Kootenays...well the west anyway. Go East!
~V~

[Glacier]

How much you want to pay for housing the big one. Housing prices will come down significantly in the future in my opinion, but if you don't care about that because you're selling at the same time as buying, then look probably Victoria is the best spot. It has the mildest winters in Canada and gets the most sunshine in British Columbia.

[Static]

^^^^ the only negative I've heard about Victoria is many people do not like being stuck on an island and relying on ferries.

[Glacier]

^^^^ the only negative I've heard about Victoria is many people do not like being stuck on an island and relying on ferries.

Nothing wrong with that. Once you're there, there's no reason to leave.

[Catri]

It really depends what your priorities are.

If you crave the mild coastal climate (ie. rain rather than snow in winter), lush greenery and proximity to Vancouver are important to you, I'd look at Maple Ridge.

If you don't mind a relatively mild climate, but still a bit of snow in winter and want a hot, dry summer definitely consider coming to the Okanagan. Bear in mind that all the photos you'll see that show the Okanagan as lush and green are taken in the spring, in summer the hillsides turn yellow and only irrigated areas stay green. Having said that, much of the valley is irrigated and we have those big, lovely lakes, lots of golf, wineries and senior's amenities. The same dry summer climate is what you'll find up and down the Okanagan and along the US border over to Grand Forks, which is also a nice place to retire, about 2.5 hours from the amenities in Kelowna, but a much smaller town, if that's your thing.

Personally, I would probably choose the Shuswap. It's quite a bit greener than the Okanagan, but with a similar mildish winter. From Salmon Arm a day trip to Kelowna, Vernon or Kamloops for some of the bigger town amenities is very easy. It's a good half day's drive to Vancouver or Calgary from there as well, if you don't mind that.

I think that with $3000 per month for income, you can live relatively comfortably in any of those places if you're a bit thrifty. You don't say what your housing budget will be though and that will make a difference. What you'll get for $500,000 in Kelowna or Maple Ridge will be much, much less than what you'll get for the same money in Grand Forks. You might want to have a look at prices on http://www.realtor.ca to get a sense of what's available in your price range.

[Static]

100 Mile House area is very affordable. A little isolated but it's not hard to find a waterfront home that is reasonably priced home. It's not for me but I know a few who have already purchased their retirement home up there.

[cori]

Thank you very much for all your suggestions.

At the beginning of my search, I was only attracted by Kelowna and the plush green pictures of the around. But now, (and with the instructive and very helpful comment from Catri) I hesitate between K, Victoria and somewhere like Maple Ridge or around Coquitlam.
For housing, I would be looking for a kind of condo (1200 Sqft) that I expect to find for less than 300,000$.
Being in my active 70th’s, I don’t want to be lost in the wild and to look after a garden.

A “quiet” middle/small city feeling, but close to everything (:>) is what I am looking for (with no need for theatres, cine, cultural things). Internet and a good gym nearby and martial art club and I am happy.
I would prefer some snow and less rain, but my wife is a real frog, she is full of energy as soon as it starts raining. So the situation is that I could accept Victoria ( because there is some sun shine between the drops) and she could survive in K ( because she loves me) this is why we are hesitating and also integrating the possibility of Victoria… and why not the Maple Ridge / Coquitlam area.

With a good Internet search, google map and Wikimedia + internet search, it is possible to have an idea of where we would like to live in Kelowna, but Victoria is so large and has so different parts that I hardly can grasp an idea of the places to be. Any suggestions?

Anyway, thank you for All your helpful answers which I really appreciate.