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I know this topic has come up before, but I am wanting to talk about it again (lol). I have a young family and we are in the market for buying a house (currently renting). We have really nothing really keeping us here besides a job and kids extra curriculars, but that can be found in BC too. Since we have no real roots here, we are considering maybe moving over to BC.  
 
I don't really know what my question is, I'm just apprehensive of uprooting. Any advise? Thoughts?  
 
Thanks in advance!

Hard to answer a question that really has no question lol. I’d say just go for it. If you are planning on buying, are you aware of how much more expensive BC is? (depending on location, but 80% will be far more expensive than Brandon)  
Do you have the type of jobs you can get there no problem? Or will you be fighting for a job with tons of other people since there’s been mass lay offs.  
 
I moved to Brandon and have regretted it every single day, husband and I are counting down till we can get back to BC in a years time. Oh, and we won’t bother moving our furniture with a moving company etc. By the time you pay that, it’s cheaper to get all new stuff.. and less stressful. We did that dance and learned a lesson.. had a lot of damage done to our furniture and transported vehicle.

We moved to BC a few years ago. Picked up and moved to the island and it was the best decision we could have made.  
We said to ourselves “if not now, then when?”  
No regrets for sure.

Thanks for all the responses! I have been to BC a number of time back in my single days. Victoria (and northern island), Vancouver, Kamaloops and the like. I loved it. I'm just apprehensive of moving. I've lived in other countries before, but never had a family depending on me. I work in healthcare, so Job won't be hard to get, I don't think lol

Best move we have ever made.  
 
Yeah, I was freaked because cost of living is supposed to be so bad out here, but other than the first year with ICBC over MPI, everything is about the same. Oh, and rent is bad - but getting better given the COVID disaster. I've noticed rents coming down recently. We are a few years away from buying a house, but yes, real estate out here is bad right now, but again, coming down. They predict the end of this year and into next will be the best time to buy as the bubble is coming down.  
 
Food - about the same if not better. We eat better now because of all the small local farmers markets and amazing small businesses selling fruits, veggies, fish, etc (hope they make it through this!!). We no longer pay MSP (health care), so that's another plus.  
 
Gas price can be bad, yes, but we have actual competition out here. The closer you are to downtown Vancouver, the worse it is. You drive a few minutes down the road and can have your pick of gas price.  
 
We uprooted out family when the kids were 16 and 13, so I was freaked about how they would deal with it. But they are flourishing. Seriously. My eldest got a job with Olive Garden when we moved and she is still there. My son was doing terribly in his former school, but has really blossomed since we came here. I have teachers call me to update me on how WELL he is doing rather than to complain about things.  
 
As for quality of life, no doubt about it - there is a better quality of recreation, paid and free stuff to do, so many parks and beaches and trails. We are in Langley, so midway between Vancouver and the mountains basically. We have driven up to Chilliwack for the day, or Harrison Hot Springs - but this past weekend we toured dog friendly beaches near Vancouver. If we want to fly anywhere, Abbotsford airport is about a 20 minute drive depending on traffic, and it is an awesome little airport to come and go from. Similar to Brandon's airport, but far more flights.  
 
Jobs - you say you are in healthcare - well there are literally HUNDREDS of postings within this area. all depends on where you end up living and how far you want to travel (traffic CAN be a bi-otch - no lie). My hubby hates when he gets jobs in Vancouver because it means he is sitting in traffic two hours of each day, but then, my commute each day is shorter than when we lived in Brandon. Not bad at all....  
 
When we moved out here I got an instant $10/hr raise, simply because wages are better here and there are so many companies, there is room to grow and move.  
 
Feel free to message me if you have more specific questions!