I was earning $140,000 in Melbourne and applied for a home loan three times but was rejected – so I quit and moved to Canada

Like millions of other young people, Sam Patterson believed that if he worked hard enough, he could achieve the Australian dream of owning his own home.

But even after saving $130,000 for deposit and having a job paying $140,000 a year, the 35-year-old was still considered a risk by banks.

After his application for a modest mortgage was rejected three times, Sam realised the system wasn’t working and decided to forge his own path.

He grabbed a suitcase and moved from Melbourne to Canada, where he realized he no longer wanted to live in a city that didn’t want him.

“I wanted to buy a house because I thought it was a smart, mature decision,” Sam told FEMAIL.

“I wasn’t even greedy. I just wanted a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment near my job in the $350,000 budget.”

Sam was living in a co-ownership house in St Kilda at the time, paying $1,800 a month for it, and began to wonder if there was more to life than just bills.

“I tried my best, but it’s not easy to make ends meet, especially when you’re single,” he said.

“Melbourne just disappointed me,” Sam (center with his new Canadian friends) told FEMAIL

Sam became frustrated with the mundanity and rejection of life in Melbourne and knew he had to make a change.

He used to be desperate to get a mortgage so he could buy a house, but after three rejections, the idea of ​​being stuck with 30 years of debt was no longer appealing.

The death of his father last year increased his emotional burden and his need for adventure.

“At the end of the ride, a friend told me about Vancouver, how beautiful it is and how you can get a two-year visa until you’re 35, so I did,” he said.

“I was worried about spending some of my savings, but a good friend said to me, ‘Money is just numbers in an app,’ and I felt that.”

Sam’s friend’s description of Canada as “Disneyland for adults” appealed to him, as he had always been so focused on saving money.

“I used some of my savings to move to Canada, to a place where I will be happy,” he said.

Sam has only been in the country for two months, but he already feels more alive than he has in recent years in Melbourne.

Sam lived in a house in St Kilda and paid $1,800 a month for the privilege, which made him wonder if there was more to life than just bills.

While working in Australia, he saved money by eating free lunches provided by his company, riding a bicycle and driving a car he inherited from his father..

He no longer has to make the same sacrifices in Vancouver, which he says is simply a cheaper city compared to Melbourne..

He said gas, food, car insurance and vacations are much cheaper because of the country’s location.

“The only thing that is more expensive so far is phone data. I have a bike, a snowboard, a nice van and a fishing rod. I am very happy,” he said.

While Sam finds it cheaper to live in Vancouver than in Melbourne, the Canadian city is facing a housing crisis.

As in Australia, first home buyers are finding it hard to get into the market. Monthly rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment is CA$2,367 (AU$2,577).

When asked what excited him most about moving abroad in his 30s, Sam replied that it was “a second chance” at a fulfilling life.

“It gives me a thrill to not be stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean, eight hours away from anything interesting. It’s really special to feel like a fish out of water,” he said.

“Almost every day someone is happy to hear my accent or that I’m foreign. I’m most excited about getting a dog and traveling around the US and Canada,” he continued.

Now, after just two months, Sam is happier and Vancouver is proving to be a more cost-effective city compared to Melbourne

He is also an avid snowboarder and is thrilled with the heavy snowfall, a white Christmas and seeing a bear.

Taking the plunge may have been the scariest thing Sam has ever done, but he’s glad he decided to leave.

Now that he has secured a working holiday visa at the latest opportunity, he is urging other Australians to travel the world while they are still young.

“The best way to double your money is to fold it up and put it in your pocket. That way you spend less at the bar,” he said.

“If none of your friends’ values ​​match yours. Go alone. Life isn’t fair, so just enjoy it.”