Tips for settling into a new neighbourhood

Moving to a new neighbourhood can sometimes leave us feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Fortunately the Matt Henry Team has compiled our top 3 tips that can help ease you into your new space!  Whether your Vancouver Realtor has helped you into a condo on Main Street, a Laneway in East Vancouver, a Coachhome in the Fraser Valley, a townhouse in Mount Pleasant or a home in the Cambie area, these helpful hints can get you settled in and feeling at home in no time!

1)     Be a tourist (on foot) in your new neighbourhood!

The “on foot” is the key part of this step as walking is where we really get that birds eye view of our surroundings and we can literally stop and go as we please, with no hassle of finding parking! Take notes as you go to create a list of funky shops and new eating spots you and your family can try out.  Once a week choose a new place from your list to explore and before you know it familiarity will quickly bring comfort.

2)     Throw a party!

Inviting your friends and family to come celebrate with you in your new space is a great way to begin forming new memories that will last a lifetime! Cherish these firsts’ as they will add to the joy you feel in your new home.  It is proven that the places in which we experience moments of happiness are places we want to return to time and time again.  Beginning with a celebration is a sure way of laying a foundation of vibrant energy in your new space. Who doesn’t want to go home to that!

3)     Ask, ask, ask!

Talk to the locals in your new area.  Ask them their favourite cafés, watering holes, best produce markets, fish shops, florists.  Then go see those places for yourself.  We are creatures of comfort and the more we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings the quicker they begin to feel authentically like our own.  Plus, with all that conversing you might just make a new friend or two!

As we specialize in Main Street Real Estate in East Vancouver our team is always happy to share our favourite spots and tips. If you’ve recently moved, re-located, or are looking into a new home in this area please feel free to reach out to The Matt Henry Team at Remax for some great local knowledge!

The upside of having a Realtor who lives where you’re looking to buy.

Perhaps when it comes to choosing a Realtor we should consider one who actually lives in the area(s) of interest we are considering.  This often over looked benefit could provide heaps of valuable insight during your information gathering phase that you do during your search of where to live and where to buy.

A Realtor who lives in your area of interest could offer invaluable information to your house hunting process, as they will have personally vetted the neighbourhoods in question.  They will know the creature comforts like good restaurants, parks, cafes, places to shop, what schools are in the area, and so much more.  It is something worth considering when choosing the person (or team) who will help guide you in one of life’s biggest and most exciting choices.

Matt Henry, a Vancouver Remax Realtor, specializes in Vancouver’s Main Street homes for sale and he also happens to live in the area.  He feels the added benefit he can offer people looking to move to the area is essential during their hunt as he went through the process personally so he firsthand understands the questions his clients have about the area, and he can provide honest answers from his own experience.  “People appreciate a personalized experience, and what more personal than sharing how I came to be in my home I love, right in the area that they too are looking to buy,” he says. 

So in that regard, Vancouverites looking to move to Vancouver’s Main Street area can take comfort in having Matt on their side, as he truly is organic to the area and also happens to know his stuff when it comes to Real Estate!

-Matt Henry Team

"Let’s talk density in Cedar Cottage.  Or lack thereof.  In many areas of the city there is a “missing middle” in housing availability, which consists of housing options such as duplexes, town-homes, multiplexes, laneway homes, coach homes and live/work spaces.  Action has been taken to address this need with recent focus being in East Vancouver’s Kensington-Cedar Cottage area.  

The City of Vancouver has proposed the “Making Room Housing Program” which is set to rezone the Kensington-Cedar Cottage area, thus allowing dwelling options that fit into that “missing middle” sector. 

This is great news for people who have outgrown their midrise units, but aren’t yet ready to get into a single detached home.  This approach not only offers affordability options and increased housing choices in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage property for sale market, but also encourages more community living which is great for an already community focused neighbourhood.

East Vancouver Remax Realtors see this upcoming rezoning as an excellent move by the city to increase supply and diversity in housing options and also increase opportunity to provide secondary rental housing options by way of new builds with locked off suites, multiplex builds, and laneways or coach homes for sale.

Kensington-Cedar Cottage is soon to be no stranger to density and diversity in housing availability and the Matt Henry Team looks forward to providing more dwelling options for our clients wanting to invest, reside or relocate to this thriving East Vancouver neighbourhood.     

-Matt Henry Team

MAIN STREET

The poster child for City Living with a young family Main Street.

An eclectic art hub, fused with an abundance of educational options from pre-K right into College. A culturally diverse delight for your taste buds with no shortage of emerging chef’s, craft breweries, café’s and wine bars. Not to mention the vast amount of green space for exploring, dog walking, picnics and playtime. Main Street succeeds in blending its independant spirit with emerging new families and young professionals.

Main Street grows with you, without asking you to forget who you are.

Fuel up at one of the over 25 coffee bars Main Street has to offer before embarking on your own walking art tour, as Main Street is home to the highest number of multicultural and incredibly vast murals in the city. Continuing your outdoor exploration, you will quickly get a feel for each of the 8 distinct neighbourhoods that Main Street encompasses (Downtown Eastside, Old JapanTown, Chinatown, Strathcona, Mount Pleasant, Riley-Park/Little Mountain, Punjabi Market, and Sunset) as you investigate the rich culinary flavours, the unique blends of old and new, and the individual personalities of each area.

Main Street also offers an abundance of preschool, elementary and high school options. It is abundant in playgrounds and parks. Main Street continues to meet a balance of city living and family dwelling, which is why we are quickly seeing it become one of the fastest growing communities for thriving young families!

-Matt Henry Team