Moving Up

By Kathy Flaxman

Ever since she was a small girl, Gail Ursulak has been fascinated with houses, drawing pictures of them and dreaming of what her home could be. Would hers be something grand, in the tradition of Tara, the plantation from Gone with the Wind? Or a home that's tiny and cottage-like. In the past 10 years Ursulak has indulged her fantasies in the real worlds of Milton, Streetsville, Bellefontaine, and Georgetown. She's a mover, in the most literal sense of the word, and she relishes the experience.

A luxurious new home can boast such salivating perks as a dramatic cherry kitchen or an astounding entrance hall. But moving up is a change: new neighbours, new shopping, and new community services. How best to get an introduction to a new home and environment.

Armed with a sunny and friendly disposition, Ursulak conducts reconnaissance, unearthing the best and diving in with enthusiasm. "There's always something completely different to appreciate in a new area," she points out. "Before I move, I scout the area and find out what's what. I like to work on my garden and spend a lot of time outdoors. I meet my neighbours that way, since I'm a real chatter, it's easy."

A community club is an excellent access point to recreation, friends, and local politics. Use tennis as an example, and join a local club before the move to get your foot (or racquet) in the door, and a circle of friends to build on. Carol Roycroft, whose life reads like a manual on moving up (rental accommodation to condominium, to this year a full-scale home in Clarkson, Mississauga), is busily investigating opportunities for learning experiences. "I'm planning to get involved in night school and hobby-type things," she says.

Roycroft works as a project manager at a broadcast centre in Toronto and uses the GO Train. Travelling time was factored carefully and successfully into her planned move. "I didn't want to be too many stops out," she says. "I have enough of a trip each way as it is. But I enjoy my life?I enjoy it thoroughly. Being a homeowner gives me a lot of freedom and pleasure, and my work is great too."

In an established area, services and amenities are ready made. In a new subdivision, moving up may mean starting with a fresh palette. A proactive stance such as forming a residents' neighbourhood association will build a network. Volunteering is an excellent way to contribute and become a participant. Find the closest hospital or place of worship and offer services. Join the library or the community centre. And if none exist, be the catalyst that gets them started.

Sue Dalhoff, who lives in an Oakville subdivision, recalls that initially there was nothing there. She bought her property from builder plans and visited regularly to watch the development take shape. When Dalhoff, her family, and neighbours moved in, they quickly banded together, united by the process of building fences and finding the best air conditioning systems to keep cool air in, while keeping fine red clay out. Soon, they became a community, holding street parties and comparing notes on gardening and children. "I moved from the Kingsway, a very established neighbourhood. Here, the homes are larger and more spacious inside, and there is much more green space. It's wonderful being near Lake Ontario and enjoying the magnificent bike paths and parks."

Moving up, everyone agrees, is excellent. Moving in, with a bit of preparation, can be excellent too.