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Surrey family sells home to fund year-long vacation

June 27th, 2016  |  Travel

Thanks to the amazingly hot housing market in British Columbia, there are a many homeowners who’ve seen their property value skyrocket in less than a decade. While the high price growth is making it difficult for some families who want to upgrade or switch homes, for someone just looking to cash in on the market, this is probably the perfect time.

One family from Surrey, B.C. decided that’s exactly what they would do, as they could make better use of their money travelling and enriching their lives than having it tied up in property: even if that property was their dream home. According to CBC, Natalie Chen and her husband will be beginning a massive year-long adventure with their two daughters later this summer.

The decision to leave their 3700 square-foot, 5-bedroom, $1.3 million dream home to chase the dream of seeing the world. Chen feels lucky to have had the financial freedom to own a home before 40, but the family knows that in this market there wouldn’t be a point in trying to buy another one after they come back to Canada. Their approach to housing is a refreshingly realistic one, in which they aren’t viewing home ownership as a necessity or essential goal. Their story shows how owning a home can be a huge step towards true financial freedom, but that doesn’t mean you need to keep a house forever.