My husband Stuart and I moved to Vancouver in June 2005 when Stuart's job was relocated here. We were put up in a rented apartment for our first 8 weeks by Stuart's employers, but since we're not renters by nature, we were very keen to buy our own place as soon as possible after this period was up.

I found Sue through the Brits2BC website [now relocation2bc] (which is a great reference for all new residents in the area, as well as an excellent service for those planning a move). Having a real estate agent who understands the differences between house-buying in the UK and BC was a real plus for us, and Sue explains the process in a way that's easy to understand for newcomers.

The process is much better than in the UK, and as a realtor acting solely on the behalf of the buyer, Sue's services didn't cost us a penny. I found this hard to believe given what a tremendous asset it was having our own expert guide us through the system. I felt like I was on an episode of "Location, Location, Location" [British TV property programme] and Sue was our very own Kirsty Allsop!

We had a pretty good idea of what we were looking for from the outset - we wanted to live in an apartment downtown, with as nice a view and as many amenities as possible. Sue kept us updated with new properties coming on the market, and arranged and accompanied us to all the viewings. Sue has access to lots of additional market data, so she can give great advice on exactly what a realistic offer price is. We found a place that was perfect very quickly, and unbelievably got the keys within 3 weeks of making the offer! Sue also recommended mortgage brokers and lawyers to help get the deal done so quickly.

We're now in our new apartment, and even had a week of overlap to move from the company rental to our new home. I can't believe we own our own place and we've only been here for two months! Sue has been a fantastic help to us through this process, as well as introducing us to other British expats in the area and becoming a friend to us herself.

I used to dread house-hunting, but going through the process with Sue was a real pleasure, and we're delighted with the result.

Thanks Sue!

Stuart and Debs, originally from the UK