In the smogged-out, crime-ridden world that some people must tolerate in the city, it can be very tempting to leave it all behind for a life in the country. And there are certainly some wonderful benefits to retreating to a more pastoral setting. If you’ve gotten serious about this as a possible move for your family, here’s a little homework for self-examination.
Adjustments To Prepare For
You will no longer be living the city life. Things will be very different. But bear in mind that different isn’t necessarily bad. The most important thing will be to make the necessary adjustments to keep things from getting disruptive.
First of all, be prepared for a different pace for your car’s odometer. Everything you need will probably require a longer drive than it did while you were in town. That may at first sound like a one-way ticket to a worn-out vehicle, but the fact is that highway driving, even with high mileage, is easier on your car than city driving. A 10-mile drive on the open road, with your RPM’s down and your brakes in limited use, is far less damaging than a ten-mile battle on a city freeway with the heat, traffic, and constant stops.
You’ll also have to be efficient. Stocking up on needs is a tradition of country living. No more two-minute trips to the store if you’re out of milk. You will want to make sure you have what you need when you head home from work. It will also mean delays in wintertime road clearing and the potential for longer-term power outages from storms. Somewhere in this, you’ll see why many rural homeowners get Rhino metal barn kits and create not only a space for horses or other true farm items, but also to store extra drinking water, generators, and snow removal equipment that probably wasn’t quite as critical in town.
Improvements To Rejoice About
Perhaps two characteristics draw more people to rural areas than any other: The appeal of a small community where you get to know other people, and the pleasant surroundings of more open spaces.
But there are a number of other niceties that relocating families may not think about in their early planning. Probably the one with the most impact is the value of homes. Because city buyers rarely move out of town, the rural market is softer. For you as a buyer, that means that you’ll get considerably more home for your dollar by relocating. And come tax time, you will get a pleasant surprise at the relatively small number of line items on your bill–as well as the considerably lower assessed value.
The Bottom Line
Real estate comes down to the bottom line. What’s important to remember in this whole process of weighing your options is that it’s different for every single consumer. Your neighbor in a city subdivision could move right beside you in the country and regret the decision even as you celebrate.
What are your social needs? Do you want a dozen other kids on the same block to play with your kids, or would you prefer they socialize with just their siblings? What is your working situation? Will you get called out at 3am to make a long drive back into the city for an emergency? Would you be more frustrated or amused getting stuck in traffic behind a farm tractor? Can you handle a relatively limited number of school choices for your kids?
Like any move, a city-to-country relocation is one to consider carefully. Don’t make the transition without examining all the impacts.
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