Over the next 3 weeks, I’ll be writing about the 13 municipalities in the Greater Victoria area and their best attributes.

While many refer to the entire area as Victoria, we are actually broken up into 13 unique and beautiful municipalities, each with its own characteristics and communities. 

North Saanich

The District of North Saanich is located at the north end of the Saanich Peninsula approximately 25 kilometers north of Victoria.

North Saanich exists within the Traditional Territories of Coast Salish peoples. Specifically, the Pauquachin First Nation and Tseycum First Nation are an active and vital part of our community

Local neighbourhoods which include Ardmore, Deep Cove, Curteis Point, Cloake Hill/Green Park, Dean Park, and the South East Quadrant are on the periphery of a rich agricultural interior which is protected by the Provincial Agricultural Land Reserve. Agriculture is very important to the municipality, as evidenced in the number of farms, and roadside produce and flower stands.

Sidney

Nicknamed “Sidney by the sea”, the picturesque town of Sidney is situated within the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ People on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The community is located along the shores of the Salish Sea on the Saanich Peninsula, amidst the Gulf Islands with Mount Baker standing in the distance.

Sidney boasts many attractions and amenities including a scenic 3.6 kilometer waterfront walkway, a historical museum, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea Aquarium, enchanting street statues and murals, a 420 ft. Fishing Pier with a thriving marine life Artificial Reef, a vibrant downtown boutique shopping district, and much more. Sidney's waterfront location allows for many other water-related activities such as boating, sailing, kayaking, diving, and fishing.

Central Saanich

Central Saanich is a friendly and active community spanning the middle of the Saanich Peninsula and is home to the Tsartlip and Tsawout First Nations.

From Island View Beach on the east to the Saanich Inlet on the west, the region includes fantastic parks, beaches, and amenities. Central Saanich has the highest concentration of agricultural production in the region and is dedicated to celebrating and preserving our agricultural roots and the bounty of green spaces.

Juan de Fuca

The Juan de Fuca (JdF) Electoral Area encompasses the southwest coast of Vancouver Island from the community of Otter Point to Port Renfrew and includes the geographically separate communities of East Sooke, Malahat, and Willis Point.

It also includes the Chatham and Discovery Islands, which lie off the east coast of Victoria, near Oak Bay.

Juan de Fuca is home to countless parks, hiking trails, beaches, and excellent shopping and amenities. 

If looking for the perfect location for your next home, Greater Victoria and one of its many municipalities will definitely have what you’re looking for! 

As they say in real estate “location, location, location!”.

When choosing your next home, location is an extremely important factor to take into consideration.

The Victoria area has everything you could want and much, much more! Here are a few of the top reasons to choose this area for your next home: 

Weather

Victoria has one of the best climates in the country!

The area regularly enjoys temperatures in the twenty-degree centigrade range in the summer and hardly dips below freezing in the winter. You’ll rarely see snow in this area and when it does make an appearance, it’s very short lived before temperatures warm up again and melt it away.

Shockingly, Victoria has an annual rainfall that is half of what the City of Vancouver receives, due to its location in the rain shadow of the US Olympic Mountains. 

Lifestyle

Whatever your interest may be, Victoria and the surrounding area are sure to have it.

Within the Capital Regional District, you’ll find countless beaches, parks, gardens, hiking opportunities, shopping, and it's one of the worlds most bike friendly cities with bike lanes throughout.

Just a few hours north of Victoria you’ll find Mt. Washington where you can spend your winter months skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. 

Travel

With the Victoria International Airport just 25 minutes from downtown Victoria, you’ll have easy access to worldwide destinations.

Within the downtown area, you can find floatplanes and helicopter access that will take you to downtown Vancouver and other nearby destinations within minutes.

There are numerous ferry terminals in the area, offering access to downtown Seattle, the mainland of British Columbia, and even harbour ferries that will shuttle you between local hotspots right here in Victoria. 

Education

Victoria is home to some of Canada’s best educational institutes.

With the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, and Camosun College are all in the Victoria area it’s no surprise that nearly 72% of the population has some tertiary level of education behind them.

Just one hour north of Victoria, you’ll find Vancouver Island University which hosts campuses in both the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo. 

Sociable and fun city

Victoria is a leading artistic, cultural and historic centre.

It’s home to countless annual festivals that vary from cultural to musical to artistic.

The city has museums, golf clubs, yacht clubs, marinas, fitness centres, ice rinks, tennis courts, stadiums, arenas, and more – proving you’ll never be bored living in Victoria.

Victoria has the second highest number of restaurants per capita in North America, second only to San Francisco. You definitely won’t go hungry here, but you may have trouble deciding which delicious restaurant to try next! 

If looking for the perfect location for your next home, look no further!

When touring potential homes, buyers often want to ask plenty of questions and tend to make numerous comments about their likes and dislikes in each home.

Having personal opinions on each property about your preferences is, of course, completely expected and normal.

However, this could work against you throughout the purchasing process. 

Nearly 1 in 3 vendors across North America are now setting up cameras in their homes and can see how you react to every feature and hear all your comments.

This rarely works in the favour of buyers, particularly when it comes to negotiations.

If a seller is aware that you absolutely love their home, they may be inclined to play ‘hard ball’ during the offer process and may not be as flexible with requested repairs and such.

On the opposite end, sellers will also be aware of anything you do not like about their home and could feel offended or hurt by your comments, in turn, making them less likely to cooperate with you throughout the negotiation process. 

Buying and selling a home can be extremely emotional for many people. While many feel this is simply a business transaction, for others it’s much more. Selling your home can bring up many memories and leave sellers feeling guilt or even sellers remorse, whereas for buyers may be envisioning creating special moments for years to come, these feelings tend to deter people from making logical decisions.

For these reasons, it’s best to save your questions and comments until after the tour and speak to your agent about any concerns you have once you’ve left the home.

We suggest taking notes in your phone or bring a pen and paper so you can keep track of any questions or comments you may have.

Once you’ve left the property, you can freely ask your agent about any of your concerns and speak to your partner/co-buyer openly about your thoughts on each home.

Asking general questions is always encouraged, however, we recommend taking the conversation outside when it comes to specifics about the home and your preferences.