Moving every 5 years

[Soldier 007]

The CF relocates you every 5 years.

Q1: Is it possible to own a house while in the military or if it's too much of a hassle to buy/sell every 5 years then should I wait until I retire?

Q2: The east coast living cost is less expensive than the west coast. (rent, mortagage, food..)
Does the CF compensate you for the differences in living costs?

Q3: How are the houses/singles quarters on base for the military personnel? (I heard stories from members here that some are badly maintained and poorly insulated for winter time)

Q4: x factor - i have a parakeet bird and i count on having a dog. I dont know if pets are allowed in military housing.

Thank you for you help answering my questions.
I'm sorry if these questions are repeated, i've done a search and havent found my answers...

 

[MikeL]

Soldier 007??  If you are naming yourself as something similar to James Bond,  he was a Sailor not a Soldier 

The CF relocates you every 5 years.

You could be relocated sooner, or you could be at the same place far longer then 5 years.  Also,  for the postings, you could be posted to different units on the same base. This is dependent on  your trade, career goals, what you and the Career Manger want, etc.

Q1: Is it possible to own a house while in the military or if it's too much of a hassle to buy/sell every 5 years then should I wait until I retire?

Yes, it is possible to own a house.  Many members do.

Q2: The east coast living cost is less expensive than the west coast. (rent, mortagage, food..)
Does the CF compensate you for the differences in living costs?

Some areas qualify for PLD

Q3: How are the houses/singles quarters on base for the military personnel? (I heard stories from members here that some are badly maintained and poorly insulated for winter time)

Some are better then others.

Q4: x factor - i have a parakeet bird and i count on having a dog. I dont know if pets are allowed in military housing.

You can not have pets in single quarters/barracks.  They are allowed in PMQs though.

Thank you for you help answering my questions.
I'm sorry if these questions are repeated, i've done a search and havent found my answers...

All of these questions have been asked/answered before.

 

[PAdm]

Skeletor has provided a very fair answer. A thesis would be required to afford a better answer.

My comment is my usual one when ever anyone opens this door - my daughter will turn 10 this summer in her 6th house and enter grade 5 in her 4th school.  So your opening line is already way off the mark. You need to cope with the unexpected.

 

[dimsum]

Skeletor has provided a very fair answer. A thesis would be required to afford a better answer.

My comment is my usual one when ever anyone opens this door - my daughter will turn 10 this summer in her 6th house and enter grade 5 in her 4th school.  So your opening line is already way off the mark. You need to cope with the unexpected.

Then again, some folks have spent over 10 years in one place (Cold Lake, Greenwood, Trenton, Shearwater come to mind) while some of us seem to move every 2-3 years.  It all depends.

 

[dapaterson]

In an average year the CF will move ~4000 people because they have completed their basic occupational training; ~1500 people to their intended place of retirement; ~600 people out of Canada for foreign postings / back to Canada from foreign postings;  ~1000 people for advanced training courses of a year or more; and ~7000 other members for promotions / greater exposure to their occupation / command positions / etc.

With a Trained Establishment of around 58 000, and about 8600 moves per year for trained people (leaving out the off-BTL and IPR moves), that means an average of one move every 7 years or so.

Of course, that will vary for each person's career; some move frequently, others rarely; some will spend a decade in a place, then move twice in three years - in short, it depends.

 

[211RadOp]

I just did the math. I have been posted, on average, every 3.5 years.  This however is misleading.  My shortest posting was 1 year and my longest was 9.

 

[cupper]

My father spent his entire naval career of 22 years in Halifax, with the exception of a 6 month period when he was posted to Esquimalt for a machinists course.

So as posted above, Your Posting Mileage may vary.

 

[kratz]

I'm in the PRes and have been posted (moved by IRP) six times in the past 12 years.

I go where the work is and who is paying for it.

 

[PAdm]

Then again, some folks have spent over 10 years in one place (Cold Lake, Greenwood, Trenton, Shearwater come to mind) while some of us seem to move every 2-3 years.  It all depends.

You are absolutely correct. There are many that stay put. This leads to two interesting offshoot threads. The first is why the system is shocked when they move a sea king tech from Shearwater out west to 443 after 12 years and the family is pissed off and resists. The second is an inherent unfairness at one member being able to have stability and pay into a mortgage for 12 years while another is moved every few years.  Oh well, if you don't like the unpredictable you better get out. As you said, "it all depends".

 

[PAdm]

Of course, that will vary for each person's career; some move frequently, others rarely; some will spend a decade in a place, then move twice in three years - in short, it depends.

At this point in my career I need to wear depends when the career manager comes calling....

 

[Soldier 007]

ok thank you everyone for your imput!