The past few years have seen us interacting with where we live probably more than we ever expected, and re-evaluating what’s important to us. While being near the train station or in town may have been great for the commute and nightlife, when you take all that away, you may have found yourself appreciating simplicity, along with a slower and gentler pace, craving relaxing walks with beautiful scenery.
With such a change of pace and set up, creating a more rural life is not without its drawbacks – such as isolation and being far away from emergency services support and hospitals – and the change of pace may make you feel that you are missing out on lots of activity. While there’s been a big upswing in the number of people moving to rural areas in the past few years, it’s not expected that many of them will settle there.
To ensure that you’re making the most informed decision, there are some things that you can do before making that big change from city life to country living:
Define what’s important to you
What draws you to the countryside? Or what is it that you’re not getting from city life? What do you think you want from your living space? Is it a garden or land? Or a space to be inspired and creative? Are you craving a feeling of freedom and what does that look like to you? Would you like to be involved with the local community, or would you like to be close enough to transport links to balance the best of both worlds, and easily visit the haunts of your old life?
These are all important questions to ask before you pack up your life and move it somewhere completely different. It’s worth taking the time to sit and think about what you really want and whether the place you have your eye on is going to fulfil that.
Community is different in the countryside because there are different needs to in town – so you may find yourself engaged in conversations about hunting or immigration more than you have ever done before. Where you will have these conversations may not be obvious either – is there a local pub? Is the main focus point of your community the church? Where will you meet people and are you happy to be there?
Dip your toe before you jump in
If it’s possible for you to rent for a period before committing to a move, it’s a great idea to give it a try for around six months, so that you can get to know the community you would like to be part of first, and perhaps see how it changes through the seasons. A sunny day in June will be far different to an icy grey day in January. Getting to know the area without committing to it will also give you an idea of where the best location is for your needs – helping you to find those sweet spots for broadband connections or the best catchment areas for schools and GPs. You may also find that you make friends while you’re trying the place out, making it easier to settle in when you’ve found your new home.
Whether you’re ready to rent or buy in the country, we are on hand to advise on how to make your relocation as smooth as possible, and of course, we can ensure that your belongings are where you want them to be, to help you settle in. Please get in touch to find out more.