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Petawawa Thread- Merged

There has been more than a few problems with leaking basements and shoddy workmanship in the new housing developments here...guess that happen when you are throwing houses together to make a quick buck.

I have a friend who was subcontracted to install cupboards in one of the new divisions...in one house the kitchen was 1 1/2" out of square in an 8' fott span....all he was told was make it fit
 
riggermade said:
...in one house the kitchen was 1 1/2" out of square in an 8' fott span....all he was told was make it fit

That's kind of funny, "Make it fit." versus Holmes "Make it right."  I've packed a couple of kit bags like that.
 
riggermade said:
There has been more than a few problems with leaking basements and shoddy workmanship in the new housing developments here...guess that happen when you are throwing houses together to make a quick buck.

I have a friend who was subcontracted to install cupboards in one of the new divisions...in one house the kitchen was 1 1/2" out of square in an 8' fott span....all he was told was make it fit

It's all who builds the house.  I own a home on Limestone Trail and along with being structurally sound and dry, the workmanship and finishing was above par.  There are a few reputable builders in the area and those are the only people I would buy a home from.  I'm not going to name name's in an open forum, though.  PM for more information.
 
Anyone's Grunt said:
It's all who builds the house.  I own a home on Limestone Trail and along with being structurally sound and dry, the workmanship and finishing was above par.  There are a few reputable builders in the area and those are the only people I would buy a home from.  I'm not going to name name's in an open forum, though.  PM for more information.

So true.  I have a friend who built off of Civic Centre Rd and within 4 months they had huge cracks in te walls and ceilings...definately want to do yourhomework and talk to people
 
Thanks everyone, there is some really helpful information here.

I noticed some of the new houses (as in BRAND new) are selling with finished basements.  Anyone here who has worked construction knows anyone who finishes a basement right off the hop and not allowing the concrete to cure is a fool.  I can't believe people are buying these places.  It's still like this, and stuff like rigger mentions, that makes me feel ill at the thought of buying new construction.

At the very least, IF I could find a house that is a few years (up to 5) old and I could either finish the basement myself (something my wife would not like as she is done with renos) or it was recently finished that would be idea.

There must be some areas that are a bit older and still in demand?  Like another poster mentioned, location is important… I assume the closer to the base the better?  Do the townhouses in Vermont Meadows tend to sell quickly?

It can't be out of town because the wife doesn't drive (rather cant drive) and has to be able to walk to a few amenities at least.

We are considering putting the cash from the house we currently have when it sells into solid investments (they pay less but if it's a GIC or high interest savings account chances are it's guaranteed) and move into a Q.  Moving into a Q after owning though would be really tough to do – especially moving from a house with three bathrooms, a huge soaker tub, separate shower… !
 
I've checked kijiji which helps a bit but I would like more first hand knowledge.  Can anyone here give me an idea if there's high(er) demand for 1 bdrm suites or even room rentals in Pet?  Say we were to buy a house and rent out one bedroom or a 1 bdrm basement suite as a mortgage helper.  We don't mind having renters, we're used to it, just not sure if there's enough demand for it in Petawawa.
 
Talked with 9er domestic and our view is yes / one bedroom suite.  Just some random thoughts; the price of Qs is high and not sure about apartment availability in the village.  If you can target someone on IR to Pet, that would be good.  Likewise there are always civilians looking for decent rentals.  Into Pembroke you could target the College crowd for 1 br / parents paying the bill etc.  Perhaps discuss intent with local real estate agent.  All the best.
 
Thanks cdnleaf & D9'r, great info.  Will talk to RE agent.  Does anyone know the process for offering an apt up for IR?  I can't find anything online but I have heard from others that you need to register somehow.... anyone here have more information for me?
 
Thanks downhillslide, I emailed IRP but they don't seem to have a clue what I'm talking about.  Do you happen to know a contact there I can speak with?
 
My DH has been on IR for quite awhile in Petawawa. He had to move out of his rental for TF 1-10. Now that he's back he's being told he has to stay in barracks or pay rent on his own. He had a huge home rented for 1600$ a month, now he has no choice but barracks. I was told this happened to a lot of people on this tour (maybe all) and so those people are not longer eligible to rent off base. Hope that helps.
 
Nix said:
Thanks downhillslide, I emailed IRP but they don't seem to have a clue what I'm talking about.  Do you happen to know a contact there I can speak with?

I would call the Base Orderly Room and ask to speak with the IR RMS Clerk / or RMS Clerk who processes the IR Claims.  They will be in touch with the latest rules and regs concerning IR in Pet.  Good post from Liams Mom above; in Ottawa you are still entitled off Base rentals as there are no SQs available there etc.  Was unaware that Pet had gone the way mentioned.  IMO wouldn't let that deter me from looking for a rental property as there is still a market there.  All the best, Dan.
 
Would this be the right forum to ask questions about a posting we've moving to?  Things like employment (for spouse) etc?  A lot of questions have already been answered for me from the PMFRC (they are great) but a few questions are still outstanding, or a few questions I would like additional information on if possible.  Is it okay to ask here?
 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40540/post-344981.html#msg344981

There are several, here is the main one and if you use the search function several others will come up.
Bruce
 
We are moving to Petawawa.  I want something with a finished basement. Is it bad to buy a brand new house then?

I find a lot of the houses in the 300,000 price range still have awful kitchens, but I guess thats all you get now a days is chip board cupboards and cheap laminate counter tops in a cookie-cutter house.  There's a custom built 70's house that I think I would really like the quality of but it needs a new kitchen and I'm not sure if it's worth it.  I have a cousin who could do the carpentry work and my dad can do the electrical but I'm still not sure if its worth it because they are asking well over 300,000 for the house, closer to 400,000. 

Seems the nicer homes are pushing 400,000, at least the ones listed on MLS.  Is this because it's not posting season? Do a lot more houses open up during posting season?  What months generally are a lot of houses on the market?
 
From what I've seen and heard from friends that just recently posted to Pet, find a house outside Petawawa in Deep River. Far cheaper.
 
When we were posted to Pet in 2006, we were shown about 20 homes in Pet and Pembroke. Their prices were very high for the quality of home we were getting and the size. I asked to check out a house in Chalk River. The real-estate agent was VERY reluctant but eventually gave in. For $127k, we got a five-bedroom house, partially finished basement, double-lot and a 25-foot above ground pool with taxes that were reasonable. It's only a 15-minute drive max to the base....

We were very happy with the area, lots of military families/lots of AECL families and the such....

We were shown a house for $250K in Petawawa with a double-car garage that was FILLED up to the top with garbage (literally, hundreds of bags) with four-layers of carpet in some places... disgusting. We saw homes with water marks in the basement up to the 6 foot level... flooding.

We had not a single problem with our home. It was only 25 minutes to pembroke, 5 to Deep River (where they have over 80 clubs you can join along with any kids, all the amenities you need, etc).

So, don't discount that area... and don't let the real-estate agent dictate where you look/don't look. Homes don't last long on the market in Chalk River either so you won't have a problem selling them, especially in a regular posting season.


 
Thanks for your posts puckchaser and armychick.  Are there any grocery stores in Deep River or Chalk River?  I couldn't see any on google when I searched.  Even if they are small, just something to pick up things in a pinch.  I checked around Chalk River on MLS and it brought up a lot of houses in Deep River, are they side by side?  The houses I saw were either very old and inexpensive, or new and expensive, still cheaper than Pet but not by much. 
 
A lot of the older homes in Deep River are actually recycled military housing from Nobel, from when the nuclear reactor was first built. Those will be the 'oldest' houses. As the reactor was nearing completion, the management then built their own homes (around early 1960's) .... and then you'll have some newer homes from the 1980's.  The most recent homes are built on the outskirts of town. Deep River has a grocery store (it's a tad on the expensive side but what we did was our main shopping once every two weeks in Pembroke or Petawawa... and then whatever we really needed inbetween, at Deep River). We got a lot of our meat at the Canex in Pet, it was the cheapest we could find anywhere. Plus, hubby/wife can pick up stuff in Petawawa at the grocery store there before they come home from work, if necessary.

Chalk River did have a really awesome butcher place/convenience store but it burnt down this past year. There is now one convenience store which comes in handy for late-night cravings, along with the truck stop with a 24/hour restaurant (which also comes in handy, when you don't feel like cooking... they make the best burgers!)


Chalk River and Deep River (known as "chalk" and "deep" in the area because saying "River" is just too much damn work), are only about 5 minutes from each other. The hospital is in Deep River and is a big asset. A lot of people will drive from Pembroke (30-min) or further because it's much less busy than the pembroke hospital.  One night when I had pneumonia, I was the only patient in the emerge for over 7 hours!

You'd have to define "expensive"... because overall it's WAY cheaper than Petawawa... we had an awesome house by Petawawa/Pembroke standards (was built in 1994, 5 bedrooms, CLEAN, hardwood floor, beautiful kitchen, jacuzzi tub, pool) for $127 and to find the same house in Pembroke/Petawawa, we would have had to spend at least $300 000. I think you need to get out and look and do not go by what your real-estate agent says.

I haven't checked MLS lately but... I just took a quick look a second ago. Only 4 houses for sale in Chalk River.... which doesn't surprise me. They get sold pretty quick these days because people are realising it's not too bad to live at. If you can wait until posting season, it'll go up to about 20 homes or so and you'll have better selection.

The big difference between Pet and Chalk will be your taxes... water & sewer.... size of land.... and # of rooms/size of house overall.
 
Anny, I went to the employment seminar that the PMFRC gives to the spouses when they arrive. Essentially they said it'd take up to two years before a spouse will gain employment in the area, unless you are in the healthcare field.

I thought it was a load of crap.

But, essentially? It's true. I tell you this because it's VERY difficult to find a job in the area. If you don't mind service-industry work at minimum wage, you'll be fine at finding something. If you have a degree or diplomas and the such, it can be very, very difficult to find something in your field.

I don't want to rain on your parade but sadly, you have only two main industries in the area (AECL - nuclear stuff and The Military)....if you aren't one or the other, then there's not much else left!! However, I did work at an employment agency down there before I left to join the forces... if you have any questions, feel free to PM me and maybe I can help you steer into a direction that will put you (or hubby or whoever) into a better position when you arrive!
 
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