Moving to the Countryside

News Moving to the Countryside

Rural properties

Estate Agents have reported a surge in demand for rural property since the housing market re-opened. According to a recent survey by Rightmove a third of buyers want to live in a rural location.  This is no surprise given the current pandemic and the fact that it’s resulting in much more flexibility in the workplace.  Enquiries about buying a home in a village jumped by 126% in June and July compared to the same period last year with the enquiries most notable among people living in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham and London.

Do your homework

Moving to a less expensive part of the country can improve both your finances and your quality of life with cheaper house prices, more fresh air and beautiful scenery.  However about 40% of people who move to rural communities move back to towns and cities disappointed that the countryside didn’t live up to their expectations. Yes, country living is a slower, more peaceful way of life but it doesn’t necessarily make it an easier way of living. Here are some top tips on how to make the transition from city slicker to country dweller as smooth as possible:

1. Rent before you buy – Get a good understanding of a place before committing. Renting is a really good idea. It also gives you a better idea of exactly what rural community you want to live in and being on the ground and in the community will help you find the perfect place.
2. Broadband to Broadlands – A field can make a difference to your broadband speed, school catchment area and whether your children can take the local bus. Where are the best connection speeds? Does the property have 4G? What are the roads like in the winter? Are they gritted? Where are the school catchment areas and do they have access to a bus route?  Where is the local GP surgery, dentist, local hospital? What planning decisions have been made about the area?  How are the local transport connections and is there public transport? There is a lot to think about and consider!
3. Use it or lose it – Really investigate the local village and amenities when house hunting; hairdressers, post offices, cafes, bakeries, off-licence, pub all need to be used. Embracing country living means getting involved and using these local services and retailers so they survive, it will help you to integrate more into the community too.
4. Rural Properties – Unless you are looking at a new build, older country properties or farm houses will have their quirks. It’s important to ask about whether the property runs on oil or gas, where are the oil tanks and when were they last filled up, how do you tell when they’re running low and what sort of price would you be paying?  Country properties might have a septic tank and their own water supply, again find out about cleaning these and maintenance before you end up with no water or a blocked drained on a snowy Sunday morning.
5. Rural Transport – although there is lots of eco-appeal about living in the countryside, car travel is the reality. Having a reliable car that can cope with all seasons is essential and more importantly make sure you have the tyres to cope with all terrain travel too.
6. Vermin – yes, unsurprisingly the countryside means seeing more animals in their natural habitat but this means more “interesting” smells, roadkill, livestock in transporters, tractors on roads, not to mention more wild animals wanting to hunker down in the warmth of your house. So, get a decent pest control company and embrace the practical, no-nonsense countryside approach to animals.

If it’s the rural idyll that you crave, let Clockwork Removals and Storage help make your dream a reality and contact your local branch today on 03332 413 120