Vancouver, BC People

[Eliza Rain]

May I ask - on avg what you make a month

as I've mentioned so some of you, in 2011 I'm hoping to move to BC - It'll just me my son (who'll be 8 by then, who plays hockey), 2 cats, a puggle, a python, and myself) in a 2 bedroom apt - From what' I've researched I'm going to need $2000 CAD a month (my vehicle will be paid for)

Doing portraits (kids, outdoor work) at their place, or at my apt and some theatre work *crossing fingers I can do that* - would it be possible?? I know I won't be ready to do weddings for quite a while - so I'm not counting on that

[TheHoff]

Just the 2bd apt in downtown will be $2000 / month; is that what you meant for rent or for all of your living expenses? Food -- restaurants or groceries -- is expensive here, too. You can get a 2bd basement suite outside of the city for $1500+. (Also be aware that we don't have any pet-friendly rental laws and the pool of rental units that accepts dogs, or multiple animals, is like 5 to 8% of the total rental pool so you're really limited on where you can rent.)

So if you're asking if you can make that doing photography, I would ask how are you going to get business? Also realize that since it rains (and is cloudy or cold) for 4 to 6 months of the year here, it really limits how many people want family portraits in the fall and winter seasons. Everyone wants their sunny family portraits in the spring or summer, so what would you do in the off-season?

But getting the work would be rough to start; it is a crowded market here with lots of cheapos on Craigslist and even lots of freebies working for their portfolio because of the art schools.

Now if you have a great style and are really awesome, then I'll be quiet because you could work anywhere :)

[Karl Johnston]

http://www.rentbc.com/ here's a link that may come in handy. Lots of listings under 2000, though I'm also looking hard into moving to Vancouver so I'd be at a loss to tell you which are good and which aren't.

I think the northern end is the more expensive part of Vancouver.

[Eliza Rain]

Hoff I've found apts outside the city for around 800 (found 'em on craigslist) Which they are pet friendly too oh and I know about the rain - I don't plan on going out to eat - not often anyway - you don't do that as a single mom unless you have the money - I'm just checking into things- wondering how to get things rolling before I do the big move and what the odds are of making the money necessary to survive (my son's father wants to do before he gives me custody and permission to take him out of the country)

[TheHoff]

Well there is downtown Vancouver, which is the peninsula of land attached to Stanley Park, and then there is everything else. Vancouver proper does extend outside of the downtown peninsula but is still pretty expensive. Everything downtown, except for the west end and beaches near the park, is a new glass highrise tower.

Outside of Vancouver, to the east, you'll hit Burnaby, New Westminster, and Coquitlam. They are cheaper but you'll probably get a basement suite or maybe a unit in one of the new highrises. Units there are generally older except for the new towers that are built to look like downtown's.

To the north is North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and they are separate cities. There are two small bridges and a water taxi system between there and downtown. The rents there are still pretty high but it will more likely be a mid-rise tower and not part of a house.

To the south is Richmond, Delta, Ladner, etc. It gets cheaper going south but not much.

[TheHoff]

Hoff I've found apts outside the city for around 800 (found 'em on craigslist) Which they are pet friendly too

Not to dishearten you but there are a lot of scams and dumps on Craigslist when you look at the lower end around here. There are a lot of old, old, old houses in the east side and outside of the city that have been broken up into rental units and they are gross. Seriously, anything that is 2bd for $800 is not likely very nice for a child until you really get an hour outside of the city like in Abbotsford or Chiliwack.

Now there are basement suites for $900 or $1000 in Surrey or Cloverdale that are probably pretty good but they're not likely legal suites (the owner doesn't have the permits and doesn't pay taxes on them) so it is touchy to live there as you could get kicked out at anytime. So many people have them here, called 'mortgage helpers', and those are most of the low priced basement suites you'll see on CL.

About dogs... I always have one and it can make it tougher. If I like a place and they say no pets or they don't mention it, I'll still ask. If the landlord thinks you're trustworthy (a good tenant) they can make exceptions.

[Eliza Rain]

But seriously Hoff - do you think I can make enough as a photographer to survive up there - I dont need to be living the high life - Just the basics.

[TheHoff]

Well photographers definitely live here, and survive, so it is possible. But there are a lot of them. And you're wanting to move to one of the most expensive places to live in the world. Especially when compared to what people make in those cities, Vancouver is up there with Tokyo, London, NYC, and San Francisco. (Cheaper than the first three but more expensive than the last one). So it is not an easy place to make it working on your own. If you had a roommate or a working partner or a part-time job, it would be easier than trying to move here and make it just doing portraiture without any referrals.

How will you attract business?

[Eliza Rain]

well, to be honest, that is one thing I was gonna ask on here - what is the best way to advertise in a city that big - I want to make it work out there.

I plan on focusing on maternity, birth photos(water births, natural births) "baby's first photos", showers, kids, parties, theatre (I know a few people who do theatre there) kids sports games, kids recitals things like that

[TheHoff]

If you center yourself in downtown Vancouver, there are people non-stop for a 45-minute to an hour driving radius... so there are lots of suburbs and connected small towns where families live, probably more so than in the city (though it is a very lived-in city core, too). Most families, to afford bigger places to live, go outside of Vancouver to the surrounding areas, so you will find lots of business there.

Advertising either costs money (magazines, local papers, etc) or Craigslist, which consists mostly of free to almost-free gigs and people looking for those type of rates. Really, just like any other city, I'd assume. You can also look at paying for Google ads but you need a good website for people to land on (and of course, a good portfolio). I suppose if you have a great portfolio, work will come to you once you get a few shoots. Facebook referrals are always helpful.

How do you get business without word of mouth? How do you get word of mouth without having business? Common questions, right? I follow some of the established local pros on Twitter and it seems they're doing 2 and 3 shoots a day, even in the slow season, but mostly through word of mouth referrals.

[LeuceDeuce]

I count myself lucky every single day that I live here. If I didn't already live here when it was more affordable, I couldn't move here today. Property values here have totally gone out of whack in the last 10 years. My wife and I were looking into a place in the new Olympic Village, but wow the worst view, smallest appartment starts at $400K :(

Be sure to put up the locations of appartments you find, and we'll give you the lowdown on the area.

[LeuceDeuce]

Pet friendly is going to be your biggest headache as well.

[thumper 8]

FWIW, rentals in the City of Vancouver itself run around $2.00 per square ft - $1,000 sq ft unit will be approx. $2,000 per month. In the outer areas, $1.25 to $1.50 per sq ft is typical - depending on age of building and amenities.

Most of the very reputable landlords I deal with advertise on Craigslist - but as noted, there are plenty of scams. Never, ever give money to a 'rental finder' firm - absolute scam, and an unnecessary service.

Good luck, and I have found that my friends in photography who do well in Vancouver have specialized and found a very succesful niche. It ain't easy, but it can certainly be done. General 'hire me for anything' photo services can be a tough slog.

We all look forward to seeing you and your pink brolly soon :p

Edit: bring references from past landlords re: your pets - plus some cool photos of course. You will find that many buildings and landlords here are not that pet friendly... past references will definitely help.

[-g-]

There are some inexpensive "Coach House" rentals that are brand new in my area that are going for $700 to $800 per month. Transit service sucks so you need a car. I'm a long way from anywhere. :)