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Thousands of people have reconsidered their home-search preferences and are now searching for countryside homes as a result of COVID-19 and lockdown. A recent survey exposed that thirty percent of buyers who currently live within a city are looking at homes in the countryside. Are you one of these people?

The countryside provides space, clean air and calmness, and these are only a handful of the positive elements that cities struggle to offer. It is also possible to buy a larger property in the countryside for the same budget as living in the city. The countryside is an amazing place to live and there are so many beautiful rural paradises around Britain. However, if you have never lived in a rural area or small village before, there are a few things that you may need to think about before making your move. Today, the team at Houso would like to offer a few thoughts before you take the leap!

Perhaps you have fallen in love with an area because you had a fantastic holiday there. However, this does not necessarily mean that you will love to live there. Normal daily life is very different from being on holiday! Get the feel of a few varied countryside areas and their local people; try to find an area that every member of your family will be able to settle within.  Rural areas are well-known for their strong communities. If you find yourself in local cafes, pubs or shops, try to strike up a conversation with the people who live there. You will most likely sense how welcoming a place is, as well as gaining locals’ honest opinions. If you are a parent, try and find other parents, they may be able to answer your questions about schools and childcare.

Quite often, in rural areas, shops and local amenities are restricted to daytime hours and often are not opened at the weekends. If you work during the day, you might be surprised about the options you have when you need to purchase necessities or run errands. We suggest that when you move, that you not only look at the local facilities, but you also look at the hours in which they operate to make sure that you and your family can adjust to the limited operating times.

A huge appeal of rural living are the close-knit communities and feeling of safety.  If you are looking to make friends, a good first step is to look at the local shop or community hall notice boards. Here, you might find a local social event, group or club that you or your family may be interested in. However, these events, groups and clubs may differ to those you were involved in back in the city.  This means that you may have to be flexible and take up a new hobby! A smaller country population may only offer such things as cricket, canoeing or crochet rather than what you are used to back in the city. If the limited selection of rural hobbies is not for you, maybe you can keep yourself busy within your new studio/spare room/garden shed!

If you are looking to go to venues such as the theatre or cinema, you will likely have to venture to your nearest town or city.  This leads us to another key point when moving to the countryside – public transport. Public transport in the countryside can be sparse or non-existent. The days of rolling out of bed at 8:15 am, running to the 8:35 am bus and getting into work for 9 am are very unlikely in a rural setting! Consequently, if you live in the countryside, ideally, you need a car. Especially if you travel abroad regularly, trips to international airports could be a few hours in the car. Many people are searching for homes in peaceful areas that are still close enough to a city for the perfect compromise, however, these properties may be pricier than those a bit further away from a city.

If you want to start your countryside adventure, download the Houso App for FREE today to look at thousands of countryside homes for sale! Download Houso for Android or Apple devices.