10 THINGS to bear in mind before you start looking
It’s easy to get carried away with the idea of escaping to the country. But it’s important to have open discussions with yourself and your family before taking the first steps
01 Can you earn a
living? If you have transferable skills that everyone needs – for example, a teacher, plumber, carpenter – generally you can find work wherever you live. But if you have to commute a long distance to a job, it can become a stressful part of life.
02 Think of the
children. Firstly, how easy is it for them to get to school? Homeschooling, as most of us have discovered, is no picnic and most people will want to send their offspring to a local school. Also, as they grow up, they will naturally want to be able to meet with friends and hang out somewhere. Will they be able to do that or will you be their taxi for years?
03 Think hard about whether you are a ‘farmer’ or an ‘explorer’. One doesn’t necessarily preclude the other but if you spend every evening and weekend trying to keep on top of your plot, you don’t get much time for walking and precious weekends away. It may be wiser to go for smaller and manageable to avoid being shackled to the land.
04 How easy is it for relatives and friends
to visit? For some people, moving to the countryside leads to an endless stream of visitors and it can end up feeling like running a B&B.
But isolation or difficult access can be off-putting and lead to difficulties when you really need help but no one can reach you! There is a happy medium.
05 How green do you want to be? Sadly, most of the countryside is not threaded with train and bus routes. Cycling might be an option but you will most likely need a car. And you may end up burning more petrol or diesel than you ever did living in the city.
06 Can you live without certain luxuries? Things you take for granted in a city, such as restaurants, specialist shops and cinemas, may be harder to come by in the countryside. Live remotely and fancy a takeaway pizza? Not likely. However, you may be surprised at the variety and depth of culture in the country.
07 How happy are you spending the winter wearing wellies? If that’s not bearable, rethink how rural you want to go. The countryside can be muddy, wet and wild – be prepared for some rugged days.
08 Beware the holiday romance.
Test everything before you commit. Try out the commute for a week. Visit potential properties in the rain. Hang out in the local pub. Talk to potential neighbours. Gather a dossier of information to add some reality to your dream.
09 Don’t dismiss living in a rural town rather than a village or isolated house. You can access the green spaces while being close to services, and your money may go further.
10 Commit to the locality. Buy local, support local businesses and local causes. Think about the people who have lived in the area their whole lives and what they need to maintain their livelihoods.