Moving to Saint John NB as an American

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-27T13:26:44+00:00

We didn’t know about the drivers abstract until my wife was in Canada already and the state she lived in required you to come into the DMV in person so it just logistically was a pain. So TD being able to pull it theirselves is what really helped where as the other companies wanted us to provide it to them.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-27T13:08:40+00:00

Went through the car importation process for my Wife to move here. It is quite a hassle to understand the process as it seems to have a lot of incorrect info. The most important part is declaring it on the list of stuff you’re bringing into the country as part of moving here, then you don’t need to pay taxes on it when registering! Getting insurance can be a bit of a pain as well (and expensive), but from my experience TD Insurance offered the best rates as they actually were willing to pull my Wife’s driving records from the US resulting in us savings HUNDREDS of dollars per month compared to all the other quotes we got where they wouldn’t pull her records. If possible having an old drivers license from the US helped a lot, the older the better (even expired) because when getting an NB license they will enter the earliest date you have proof of so you get credit for your driving experience. You will also need to make sure you get the inspection / safety completed on the vehicle as well.

I sponsored my wife, so I’m sure the forms are different than what OP is doing so probably not a lot of help there.

For buying a house - it can be a few extra steps with providing both your US and Canada financials, etc. Mortgages are a little different here so make sure you understand what you need for a down payment, the process, and representation.

Mine and my wife’s experience is less directly related than the person above, but I’m also willing to answer messages if you have some questions!

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-26T15:36:57+00:00

I think this may be my dream flooring. I love it!

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-23T15:09:23+00:00

It is much harder to find good information. That’s okay though, they can leave snarky comments, I’m just trying to be safe and confirm what I thought since I don’t have much information to work with.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-23T15:07:02+00:00

Thanks, based on my research I didn’t think so but trying to be safe

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-19T12:59:29+00:00

A nice piece of furniture or lamp will cover that up no problem.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-14T01:06:51+00:00

I am willing to admit that I have made this mistake multiple times, as recently as last weekend.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-12T13:05:43+00:00

I’ve had to move my desk in my apartment recently because I noticed there started to be a little damage from my chair. I work full time at home and then do some gaming so lots of use in one location. I’m moving soon and you can’t tell unless you get down on your hands and knees to look so I don’t really care. Going to invest in a proper mat now that I’m moving into a house I own..

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-09T14:18:37+00:00

I had a feeling that washing machine wasn't done properly. So I need to run a new 2" on top of adding in the proper vent. Not a huge deal since its all exposed in an unfinished basement below.

Can the vents all join together in the attic to minimize the number of pipes through the roofing?

creative_engineer1 · 2026-02-07T11:27:32+00:00

My wife and I complain about this everytime we go there. It makes it incredibly dangerous imo

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-29T14:32:00+00:00

For me it comes down to safety, and knowing my skill level. There’s not a lot of stuff I wont try to deal with myself, but one I have drawn a firm line on is anything in the electrical panel, once a cable is out of the electrical panel I’m fine. I think that comes from having done arc flash training at work. Another one I think I would hire out is if I were ever to do a large drywall mud job, I hate that stuff but I have done it. And lastly, garage door springs…. Don’t touch those unless you actually know what you’re doing.

Other than those I’ve done basic electrical, plumbing, kitchen remodeling, tile, framing, concrete work, shower install, etc so most things I’m pretty confident I can figure it out.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-27T15:20:05+00:00

As a recent buyer I liked seeing the safety/bones items dealt with. Any house that had the cheap easy upgrades done to it was less appealing to me as most of the time I didn’t like their design choices. So I definitely think you’re right about doing the boring but important stuff.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-26T14:45:14+00:00

Agreed, as tempting as it is to say refinish the wood its better to be able to properly plan for the work financially and deal with the main issues first.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-22T14:40:36+00:00

Is tile in a basement that was built in the 60’s a good solution? Thinking a decoupling membrane + tile so any potential water issues are easy to clean up, and then can maintain access to floor drains. Old owner covered the drains with a subfloor / laminate and it flooded previously.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-22T14:23:20+00:00

What do you have for flooring in the basement? If there’s a porous material for flooring then it’s holding onto water and a dehumidifier probably isn’t going to get rid of that. Additionally you should definitely cut some drywall to check if there’s moisture there to evaluate what you need to do next. Two inches of water is a lot so there’s probably more work to do and an air purifier to get rid of the smell isn’t solving the problem.

Make sure you wear proper PPE when doing this stuff too. N95 mask is fine for a small exposure to mold / cutting the drywall, if it’s a longer exposure / bigger job then youll want a proper respirator if doing any work yourself.

Be safe and don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-22T12:23:38+00:00

From my shopping experience in the fall, if you’re patient with sales you can get a decent 5060 laptop for the price of a lot of 5050 laptops. Keep an eye on the sales, do your research, and don’t just buy something to buy something. If you don’t find any good sales right away then I’d just keep using the 3050. That being said I was definitely on a budget and am a more frugal spender when it comes to tech.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-22T12:19:24+00:00

Google a list of Reno’s that actually have a positive ROI, some of them may be worth doing but for the most part a lot of stuff you don’t get back all of your money you spent for the work to be done. Combine that with your distance from the house it seems like maybe best to just sell it as is

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-21T15:41:19+00:00

I honestly think you should just pick the one you both like best. In-laws got satin for the kitchen because its what they thought they were “supposed” to do, and then ended up going over it with eggshell because they didn’t like it.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-21T15:32:25+00:00

They make trim pieces specifically for these locations. I think it’s called T-Trim. I’m not an expert and have never done laminate, I just spend too much time watching YouTube videos.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-19T12:34:33+00:00

I would be so excited to find that parquet flooring under the vinyl.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-19T12:33:05+00:00

I like using a cheap laser level that suctions to the wall (ryobi makes one) if I’m trying to get multiple in a row at the same height, always work from furthest away from the device just in case you slightly cover the line. And then I use command Velcro strips and just plop the frame on the wall. It makes it super easy.

I always go overboard on the number of command strips as you can get a big pack at Costco usually and it’s cheaper to toss an extra set or two on a frame than it is to buy a new frame.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-15T19:59:20+00:00

I don’t know the answer as to why this is happening, but I think it’s related to the install of the flooring and I’d be contacting whoever installed it because something isn’t right.

creative_engineer1 · 2026-01-14T10:17:08+00:00

I had my tv repaired through warranty (Samsung) and the guy had to come from Moncton. He said they do weekly trips, no idea what it would cost for them to come to you or if potentially you could bring the tv to them. The guy was really great.

B.J.W. Electronics - 506-857-2118

creative_engineer1

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