Where is the best place to live in Winnipeg?

BY SCOTT MOORE, REALTOR

I love this question and I’m happy to answer it! Of course to give the perfect answer I need to get to know you a bit— factors like age, where you work, if you have kids or pets, ages of your kids, income level, and personal priorities are all important factors.

Here are some suggestions I’ve made for emails I’ve gotten in the past; if you want a personalized recommendation, email me your situation and I’ll be happy to answer.

“I’m a young professional moving to Winnipeg for a great new job. I’ll work from home a lot, but I’ll go to the office (located in True North Square) about once a week. I’m single and I have an adorable dog named Ruby that’s 6 years old. I want to live somewhere safe, with a little yard, and lots of great places to walk and explore— as well as meet new people as I don’t know anyone in Winnipeg!”

I would definitely recommend checking out areas like Crescentwood and River Heights. Both are mature areas with lots of parks, and both are really walkable areas, with pubs, restaurants, and shops all within easy walking distance. Both are known as really friendly areas, and should be good places to meet new friends. Both areas are centrally-located; I bet you could bike downtown in less than 15 mins. 

There are lots of housing options in both areas that would work for a single person with a dog—the classic “starter” would be a 2 or 3 bedroom bungalow built in the 1940s with hardwood floors and original molding, maybe a fireplace and updated kitchen and bathroom. Obviously a fenced backyard would be key for you, possibly a nice deck for hanging out with the dog outside— both should be easy to find. You could expect to find a home like this in these areas for $400-$450k.

If you like the area but prefer newer construction, new homes in these areas are available — but they are in hot demand. Pricing for something of similar size but built in the last 5 years or so would be in the $800k+ range. 

“We just got married. We are both in the hustle phases of our careers and regularly work 60+ hours a week, mostly from home, so we can really live anywhere. Currently we live in an apartment off Pembina, which we like, but we want to get into the real estate market so we can start building equity. We like the idea of a condo as we just don’t have time to deal with any maintenance, but ideally we would each have our own home offices, plus a large bedroom with an ensuite and an extra bedroom for guests— and I’m not sure whether condos come that large.”

You’re right that 4 bedrooms isn’t typically available for an apartment condo but have you ever heard of a condo house? Usually they are bungalows, some are detached and some side attached. There are some lovely, quite high-end detached bungalow condos in East St Paul in the $800-900k range, there are new ones that you can build to your own specs in Oakbank in the $550-$600k range, and there are resale options in St Vital, Linden Woods and Charleswood—average pricing is probably around $400-$450 for something built in the 1990s with some updates.

The nice thing about a bungalow condo is that you also have a full basement—perfect for a guest room or office.

As for a traditional apartment-style condo, there aren’t any currently on the market today with four bedrooms, but there are over a hundred with three bedrooms at every price point. Maybe you could make one of the offices double as a guest room with a murphy bed or a pull-out couch?

If you’re open to all areas, the thing to do would be start with budget and bedrooms and then go out and see some choices. If you can narrow down a few homes that you like, maybe the neighbourhood ends up being the deal-maker. 

“My husband bought house in Fort Garry when he was finished university. It's a 1200 soft three bedroom bungalow. Eventually I moved in, we got married, added a black lab, and now we have two kids with a third on the way. Needless to say we are bursting at the seams!! We love the area but we need more space and we need it now!! We’d like four bedrooms at least, a large yard for the kids, a good school for when my oldest starts kindergarten next year. We don’t really want to leave Fort Garry, but we need more space and we need it now. Please help!!” 

I totally get it. In fact, I was basically in the same situation myself after my third was born. Fort Garry is a fantastic area filled with great parks, and active community centre and great neighbours. There are a handful of larger houses, but most are the type of post-war homes that it sounds like you’re in now.

The first step would be to see what we can find for you close to home, but if there’s nothing big enough and you don’t have time to wait for something to turn up, there are so many great family areas that can offer everything you’re looking for nearby.

Sage Creek and Bridgwater are both suburban areas with lots to offer young families, including the larger homes you’re looking for. You’ll also find good sized yards, plenty of walking paths & parks for the kids, and both offer newer construction— mostly since 2010. A 2000 sqft+ home with 4 bedrooms would likely cost in the range of $600-$700k in these areas.

Linden Woods is another very popular nearby area for families offering many of the same amenities, just a little more central but with most of the construction from the 1980s-1990s. St Vital is also not far away and offers pretty much every type of house for every type of budget.

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If you want a personalized recommendation, email me your situation and I’ll be happy to answer!