skilled trades opportunities

Kimberley offers tremendous opportunity to skilled individuals in the building trades, either as business owners, independent contractors, or skilled employees. New housing development continues at a rapid pace in Kimberley and throughout the East Kootenay region. Most of the growth is fueled by the purchase of recreational properties by non-locals from the neighbouring province of Alberta, from the United States, and increasingly from overseas markets like the United Kingdom . The market is therefore less sensitive to factors like interest rate and construction cost increases than the domestic housing market. The remaining housing growth potential in Kimberley is massive – only about 40% of the “approved in principle” residential and tourist accommodation units have been developed, leaving a potential 4,000 housing units still to be constructed in Kimberley alone. Other resort destinations like Invermere and Fernie and rural areas surrounding Kimberley area also continue to grow through the influx of recreational home purchases from around the world. Come grow with us!

Consider the following:

• Kimberley is an excellent choice as a home base due to its affordable housing, outstanding recreational amenities and small-town character. Average sale prices for single family homes in Kimberley were $249,000 in 2009, substantially less than other East Kootenay communities.
• The population of Kimberley and the surrounding rural area is projected by BC Stats to grow by nearly 900 people in the next 10 years, requiring the construction of about 400 new homes for permanent residents (in addition to the continued growth in the recreational housing market).
• The value of new construction has been increasing throughout the East Kootenays . Even though the number of housing starts varies somewhat from year to year, the average construction value per unit continues to increase (from $185,000 per unit in Kimberley in 2004 to $412,000 per unit in 2009). This partly reflects the increased cost of construction materials, but also shows how buyers of recreational properties as well as new permanent residents are investing in high-quality homes.
• Kimberley ’s central location in the East Kootenays is ideal for serving construction projects as well as forestry and mining operations throughout the region.