If you manage to get some time off at Christmas, and also manage to spend at least some of it relaxing at home, you may start to wonder what it would be like to live somewhere else. Not only that, but what would it be like to have a more relaxed way of life?
And if you also just happen to be watching one of those TV programmes about totally changing your life, you may also begin to wonder what it would really be like to escape to the country.
Moving to another part of the country is more realistic for many people now that remote working has become a more acceptable part of daily life than previously. So perhaps in theory you could do it. But would you really want to?
In this article we take a look at three ups and downs of escaping to the country!
There are many potential advantages of escaping to the country, but we will just look at three of the most practical ones:
In many areas of the UK, property prices can be significantly cheaper than in places like London, the South East, and other large cities. But this is not always the case, particularly in popular tourist areas such as Cornwall, or places that are particularly pretty or in high demand for other reasons.
However, there are still many areas of the UK where property is definitely cheaper, so you may well be able to get more home for your money by making your escape to the country.
If you do escape to the country, you are likely to have more space to enjoy life. Depending where you move to, the home you move to may be larger than the one you are leaving behind. It is also more likely to have a garden and/or other outdoor space.
And as well as your home itself, you may find yourself surrounded by outdoor space. Perhaps there will be playing fields or pretty woodland walks within easy reach of your doorstep, providing plenty of opportunity for all the family to enjoy fresh air and an outdoor lifestyle. If this sounds like your kind of happy, escaping to the country could be right up your street.
Wherever you live now, there may already be a strong sense of community. There are usually things going on locally anywhere if you are prepared to find them and get involved. But it may be easier to find out what is going on in a small country community, and quickly become involved.
If you are used to the relative anonymity of a town or city, you may initially find the country vibe a little disconcerting. Hopefully most locals will be friendly and will want to stop to chat and find out all about you. But if you are prepared to go with the flow, and open to new friends and new experiences, escaping to the country could be a good move.
Of course, life in the country is not all a bed of roses. If you are thinking of making the move, do have a think about any aspect that you potentially may not like:
Being realistic, if you move to a cheaper home in the country, it may not be possible to move back into a town or city to the same kind of home you have now. If your new home is cheaper, as property prices rise there will gradually be a bigger and bigger gap between the prices of your new and old homes. Which means that you may not be able to move back again unless either your financial circumstances change drastically for the better, or you are prepared to radically downsize.
So in this respect you need to be sure about your decision to move. It may be worth seeing if you can try before you buy, by spending a few weeks or months in the part of the country you are interested in moving to. Ideally if you can arrange to stay with family or friends, or do some kind of a home swap, you could get a better idea of whether or not country life is for you.
When planning your escape to the country, you need to find out some of the practicalities including the quality of broadband provision and mobile reception in the place you are hoping to live. If phones and other devices are a significant part of your personal and/or working life – and you don’t need or want this to change – you need to be confident that adequate provision will be available.
Also check out the transport situation. If you are moving to a remote place, will you need more than one car? And how good are the roads, particularly in winter? And if you need to commute back to a city on either a regular or occasional basis, what are the road and rail connections like?
Nothing is perfect, and compromises may well have to be made, but checking all the details in advance can prevent frustration or regret later on.
Before making a big move, you need to think really carefully about what kind of lifestyle you want. What makes you happy? If you are completely enthusiastic about getting involved in a local community and also enjoying all the benefits of more open space, that’s great. An escape to the country could be just right for you.
But if you like to go out frequently to restaurants, pubs, clubs, shows, gigs, films and various other city or town-based events, you may feel a little constrained in the country. There may well be some great pubs, a couple of amazing restaurants, a theatre or concert hall all within a reasonable drive, but you would need to be prepared for fewer opportunities than you may currently have.
So, are you still tempted to escape to the country? We hope that the above information and ideas help you to make the decision that is right for you and your family in 2023..
Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from direct lender Munzee Loans.
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