Too rural?

littlemissy29

Hi all- we are a couple of weeks away from exchange on our new home. It's a great house, which seems ideal for our family, especially once the extension is complete next year.

We are originally Londoners (not central) but moved into a village in Herts 7/8 years ago.

The new home is 2 miles from this village along a windy country road with no pavements, and is essentially in the middle of a field, with gorgeous views front and back. There are no street lights either. There are just 3/4 neighbouring properties.

The house is not connected to mains sewage (septic tank) and has no mains gas (oil tank in the garden)

It is not possible to go ANYWHERE without a car. (We have two)

It's only 5 mins in a car from civilisation, and our children's schools and shops. They are too young to go out alone at the moment, but this will change in the next 10 years.

Have been quite excited about it for a while, but now as we get closer to exchange , I'm starting to worry about being cut off from things.
Has anyone reading lived anywhere similar at all- is the remoteness too much?
Worried about moving in and then going stir crazy...

Thanks.

LM29.

RAS

Can you cycle the distance to the village?

Are there any footpaths that allow you to walk form the house to anywhere?

custardy

You are 2 miles from where you live now
hardly a big issue?

indsty

Having lived in a very rural area for a long time there are a lot of issues that can come up. Yes, it is idyllic in good weather - but think about all the school runs in the dark winter nights, children can't go anywhere without a car, does the lady of the house mind being on her own in the middle of nowhere in a Force 8 gale and the power goes off.

It is just what some people want and love and they thrive, others find they have made a mistake - only you know which type of people you are. Can you think of it as a "3 year project" - knowing you will move if it proves too difficult?

BitterAndTwisted

A five minute car journey doesn't make it sound that remote. In fact, it sounds ruddy perfect to me.

bouicca21

How old are your children? Prepare to be a taxi service for the next umpteen years, but at least you will know where they are When they get to be teenagers they will be bored, bored, bored (but that's the same for teenagers everywhere).

I need a local coffee shop and a few restaurants as well as assorted shops within walking distance, or I'd go stir crazy. Presumably you don't. You like the house, you like the views. You don't mind a two mile trip to get a pint of milk. What is there to worry about? Enjoy.

mlz1413

You need to back to why you decided on that house when you were house hunting . Something made you put an offer in and be excited about the move.

Your children are young and with lots of fields they will have opportunities to play which towns will not allow.

But equally they will not have friends nearby and nor will you i was brought up in remote houses on the edge of villages as an adult i will never live in somewhere off the beaten track again! but I'm a chatty social type so towns suit me better.

we are all different so ensure you are choosing somewhere you and hubby want to be.

ognum

Way, way too rural for me, my heart would be palpitating! Why did you choose it in the first place?

lostinrates

Two miles is half an hours walk. Most of us rural dwellers manage it on foot horse or cycle without pavements.

Would hate to go back to living where there were pavements.

Its normal to have collywobbles as part of a move for many, is it normal for you?

moromir

Depends how practical you are... I grew up rural.

Candles and torches have permenant residence in every room.

We have open fire places in case of a 'shut in' (i.e. can't get out of the village for oil delivery etc).

A good log supply (see above shut in).

A chest freezer with supplies (See above shut in).

A good pair of wellies (for the floods).

A strong stomach (and aforementioned wellies) for when the septic tank overflows due to the floods.

An ability to find my way around the house in the dark for three days (how long it took them to switch us back on after the most recent storm).

Able to deal with pathetically slow internet speeds (holla 1mb internet - on a good day).

A decent 4x4 or similar (something with a high enough exhaust to try and get out of the village when the road floods and can handle ungritted roads in the ice).

Etc etc I could go on. We lived a mere mile from what is considered a busy road and theres usually at least once incident a year that results my parents avoiding going out and just hunkering down until its over.

moneyistooshorttomention

It really does depend a lot on the person.

I have just moved from a small-ish city to a pretty rural location and weighed up all the factors involved very very carefully.

In my case...its only me personally involved and hence I don't have to take account of children who may (or may not) approve of such a change of location.

My own personal take (with only myself involved) was that I could (as a non car-owner) move from said smallish city to a fairly rural location (BUT BUT BUT...with just about enough "facilities" for a non car-owner to cope...courtesy of Internet shopping for those things I expect to buy locally but cant).

I simply would NOT have moved somewhere as "rural" as you are talking about ...even if I had a car...and despite it only being me personally to consider. But that's just my own personal take on things.....

From where I'm standing right now ...then yep...I DO miss my greater access to "facilities". I cant just walk out the door and take my choice of loads of varied places to eat out and know I can buy most "everyday" foodstuffs locally. Where I am now I cant even rely on getting all "everyday" imo foodstuffs and I'm a bit of a foodie and I wanted more "choice" available than I had in my last location personally.

I really had to weigh up very seriously whether the upsides more than counterbalanced the downsides when I chose to move to such a different location. I have taken a very long-term view personally and have only myself to consider.

In your position I wouldn't/I just wouldn't make such a drastic change as you are contemplating. I DO have a lot of sympathy for younger people in my chosen location re their lack of "nightlife" choices and, more to the point, their chances of earning any income much within their current location. I do think that most of them really like where they are living...but I seriously would not want to be them trying to make much of a living hereabouts.....

Your children will be those younger people I have distinct sympathies with in years to come and they might well like where they are a lot (and certainly those of them with much awareness of what its like elsewhere definitely will......) but they DO have an income to earn....

There is nowhere perfect...but, as for right now, whilst we have a Government (one of several in a row:() that is continuing to wend its way in blind sweet oblivion of just what its like to live in locations like this....bl**dy shortsighted Idiots as they are...then there are problems to contend with...