Country living, yes or no ?

Mgman1965 · 9 January 2018 at 12:13PM

I'm in my early 50's and always lived in towns or 5here immediate vicinity.

Having holidayed in rural cottages and an avid viewer of escape to the country type programmes on TV have been looking online at rural houses for sale fairly local to me.

Problem is, OH is not seeming as keen and says these programmes are always filmed in the summer when it warm and sunny, never when it's biting cold, blowing a gale, been raining for a week and a sea of mud or a foot of snow and ice with untreated roads for miles and the no mains sewer or gas for the heating.

Also she says, no popping to the supermarket or takeaway if you fancy a kebab/fish and chips and would practically need two cars at least one a decent 4×4.

I (she says) I see only what they want you to see, the hot sunny summer days sitting outside on the fresh cut lawn, not the Sept to May times.

Is she right or trying to put me off.

Eric_the_half_a_bee · 9 January 2018 at 12:17PM

You could live on the edge of a small town and have very easy access to as much countryside as you want.

CommitedToChange · 9 January 2018 at 12:26PM

She is right - though I think she's trying to be more realistic than put you off. Tv shows always show it in the best light.

I love the idea of living in the countryside, but when I really think about it - the bad weather in winter, possibly being cut off due to it. No take outs or being able to nip to the shop or cinema whenever I want, I realise it's not for me.

As Eric says you could live on the edge of a small town and try to find a compromise.

giraffe69 · 9 January 2018 at 12:29PM

She's trying to put you off! We moved from city (60+ years of living in one) to village around 5 years ago. We rejected an otherwise nice house because of no gas and a sewage tank. No shortage of other choices. Yes, there are downsides. You could die waiting for a bus, for example but the air is cleaner, plenty of walks (not that muddy even in Jan) and overall a better lifestyle and more space for your £. I agree two cars is essential. We do short journeys by bike now and may get more adventurous this year. The local takeaway is a short drive not a walk and the roads, for the most part, are treated.

Waterlily24 · 9 January 2018 at 12:30PM

We live in the countryside and love it. Moved from a small town within walking distance.

We have one shop about a 20 minute walk away and the nearest town is about 7 miles away for the weekly shop. We used to have a bus service but that went a while ago. I think there might be 1 on a Saturday nowadays.

I don't drive but hubby does.

We've lived in the area for over 20 years and still love it.

It's very flat here so we don't need a 4 x 4 but there are a lot around as it's a farming area.

We don't have any very near neighbours and live just outside the village in what's classed as countryside.

Pixie5740 · 9 January 2018 at 12:33PM

I grew up in a village in a single car household (not a 4x4). Trapped is the way I remember feeling as did my mother. I'm not sure the DVLA will renew my father's driving licence when he turns 70 which will make getting around difficult for him. The village no longer has a post office or the branch of any bank or building society, the nearest ones require two different bus services to reach. There is a gunsmiths though.

That's not to say there aren't plus points of living a rural life and it might be right for you. You could always try renting somewhere rural longer term to see how you get on.

AdrianC · 9 January 2018 at 1:04PM

We've lived in the boonies of the Welsh borders for the last five years, 100m in altitude up a hill with grass up the middle of the lane. We used to live in a small commuterland town, with the M25 a mile away, and a tube station at the end of the road.

We were snowed in before Xmas for three days. Where we used to be, the road was impassable because of snow for several days on a couple of occasions.

We're five miles from the nearest supermarket. Where we used to be, we were five miles from the nearest supermarket - but the traffic was much greater and took much longer.

We're now on a septic tank. It gets emptied once every few years.

We're now on an LPG tank. It gets filled a couple of times a year.

There's no pub within easy walking distance, but the community here is far stronger. SWMBO grew up in that town - we know far more people here, and we know them much better.

Ain't no way we'd ever go back.

PasturesNew · 9 January 2018 at 1:08PM

You can "faux test" it .... starting today you can ban yourselves from using any shops/services within a 5-6 mile radius - forcing yourself EVERY time to access what's in another town.

Not allowed to "pop out to" any of your local services/shops... nor even to "take a stroll round town" without having to go to another place.

Find somewhere 5-6 miles away and say "pretend that's our nearest place" .... see how long you last.

StaffieTerrier · 9 January 2018 at 1:08PM

I live on the edge of a small village. I have fields at the back of me and a view of fields in front. It's a 5 minute walk to the centre of the village, where there's a handful of shops and takeaways. We're also on a regular bus route to the local town 3 miles away. We have the best of both worlds

Slinky · 9 January 2018 at 1:14PM

I too love ETTC but would I want to....... no. We're on the outskirts of a small town/large village at the moment. 15 minutes walk to the shops. We've bought a house to retire to that's in a larger town. We're 5 mins walk from leisure centre, 2 mins from doctors, 8 mins from a lovely shopping street with nice pubs and restaurants, 5 mins walk from the river. 20 minutes drive to the coast. It's all on a flat level so no hills to struggle up. 1 minute to a bus stop. We drive at the moment but in 20 years may not. It would be easy enough to get around on a mobility scooter.

We'll be moving so we're closer to things we want and need rather than further away.

Mgman1965 · 9 January 2018 at 1:19PM

Many of the villages around my area within the last 5-8yrs have lost their shops and post offices, and since austerity hit us, the bus services have been decimated to nothing as council cuts subsidies and the bus companies then axe them.

My other worry is my budget, what I'd get for my nice, decent size 3 bed 1930's semi with off-road parking anf garage in town it seems will only get me a small 2 bed cottage with a small garden in a nice unspoilt village.

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Country living, yes or no ?

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