The country lifestyle is not for everyone. Every day I commute into my job in the city I hear at least one fellow commuter complaining about the ferry service. Or about logging on the local mountain. Or the weather. Which always leads me to wonder, “What did you think it would be like when you moved somewhere you can only access by ferry/has a long history of logging/where it rains a lot”?
It’s all about preparation. Knowing what you’re getting into with a rural property. And being honest with yourself. Is country living really for you?
Here are a few things to ponder before committing to the rural lifestyle:
- Income – What will you do for income? Will you commute to your current job? Will you work part-time from home? Will you take this opportunity to finally start your online business? How much income will you need to live on your rural property full time? Be honest with yourself. There’s nothing that will crush your dream faster than realizing you don’t have enough money. Unless you’re independently wealthy (yay!) – then you can skip to #4.
- Commuting – How long will it take you to get to work? What will the costs be, in time and money? If you do decide to commute, it will obviously dictate the location of your new property. I live a 40 minute ferry ride, plus a half hour or more of waiting for the ferry to and from, and another 1.5 hours of riding the bus. That’s more than 2.5 hours of travel to work in the office for 6 hours (one day a week, but still). Seems a bit silly, which is why I’ve just left that job and am now working from home full time. Much better.
- Working from Home – If you’ll be working from home, will you have a designated office space? Is there a reliable high speed internet service available in the area of your rural property? Will you be easily distracted by all the jobs that need doing around the property? I speak this one from experience. It’s so easy to put that writing assignment aside when the wood pile needs re-stacking or the chickens are being chased by the neighbour’s dog. Working from home requires a high level of discipline, which is even more challenging when you have a property that requires a lot of your time. All the time…
- Water Supply – Does your new property have access to municipal water or does it have its own water supply? If it has a well or surface water (creek, lake), has the water been tested by a reliable lab? Were the tests taken recently? Depending on where you live in the world, both well and municipal water supplies may contain substances you don’t want your family ingesting. Think pesticide residues. Rocket fuel. Arsenic. Poop. Substances from previous chemical spills. Always have well water tested at a reputable lab, and the water supply source confirmed. Your local municipality or county extension office should have testing resources available, or at least be able to point you in the right direction. Give them a call.
- Emergency Services – Do you have a medical condition that requires regular care? How far away is a trauma center should you need it? How long would an ambulance take to get to your house? Are local doctors taking new patients? The first time you whack your leg with the firewood axe or the chickens scratch the dickens out of your arms, you’ll want to know that medical help is close by.
- Isolation – Are you a person who thrives with lots of people and activity around you? Or do you enjoy the quiet and are comfortable being a bit isolated? If you’re someone who likes a lot of noise and activity, you’ll likely find country life a little boring. And quiet. And maybe a little scary. The first year we were in our little cabin in the woods, I didn’t sleep much. Every noise, every crackle in the dark, my heart was up in my throat. For no reason at all, of course. Something to ponder.
- Weather and Road Maintenance – Is the road servicing your property maintained by local government or a private contractor? What is the official priority for road clearing in winter or after storms? You’ll want to know this. Our road is quite remote and not a critical route. If I’d lived here two winters ago, I’d have been locked in the snow for weeks, as the road was lowest on the priority list. I drive a tiny little car. Not so smart for the snow, but I’m not willing to impact the environment by driving a truck. So I keep my fingers crossed – and have good snow tires,.
- Electrical Outages – How often does the power go out in the area? How long does it take to get back running, on average? Is your new property on a priority trunk? You can have all sorts of back-up electrical systems in place, but continual power outages are hard on your electronics, and your pocketbook. Now, if you plan to set up completely off-grid electrical systems, you can obviously ignore this one! But you’ll still need to know how to fix and maintain your systems, or at least who to call should you need help.
- Natural or Industrial Hazards – Does your desired property sit on a floodplain (near a river)? At the bottom of a hill? Near a factory or mill? All of these things will determine the potential for catastrophe. And your insurance costs (or if insurance would even be available). So often we hear of properties being wiped out by floods along rivers with an active flood history. Don’t be one of those people, no matter how gorgeous the property might be. The flood might only happen once every 100 years, but you don’t want to be there when it does. Same goes for industrial facilities, present and past. There are thousands of old industrial sites and spill sites that remain contaminated after decades. Make sure you do your due diligence with regard to industrial accidents, spills and outfalls around and upstream of your potential new property.
- Zoning , Planning & Services – Is there an official community plan in the area? Are there plans for industrial or residential development nearby? If the property is serviced by the municipality or county, are there plans for upgrading water or sewer systems? Is there garbage collection? Over and over we hear about city people moving to the country and then wanting it to either be just like the city (services), or they don’t want anything to ever change again, ever (development), or they don’t want to pay for changes already in the pipe. Ask questions first and be comfortable with the answers you get. Make sure you’re not one of those folk that rural people love to complain about.
There are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself before changing your lifestyle so dramatically, but these 10 will help you get some clarity around whether or not a life in the country is for you. If it is, the rewards are fantastic. If not, then you’ve saved yourself years of headache and heartache. Either way, congratulations!
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A must read for anyone entertaining the idea of country living…you remove the romantic fantasy and provide the cold hard facts that MUST be considered! Great service Victoria!
Yes, it doesn’t take long for the ‘romance’ to go out of it… ;o) But it’s still pretty great!
Yes, it doesn’t take long for the ‘romance’ to go out of it… ;o) But it’s still pretty great!
OK Victoria, you’ve got my attention. I am intrigued with the whole idea of homesteading. Being a city boy my entire life, it’s something very foreign to me and maybe why it intrigues me so. Having two teenage girls, I fantasize living in Montana and homeschooling them.
I think it’s an almost primal thing for so many of us, that longing to ‘return to the land’, so to speak. Maybe we all have farming in our blood, or are just interested in living a less ‘technical’ and noisy life. Whatever it is, I’m loving it… most days! ;o)
It is pretty great. Difficult at times, and often frustrating, but SO worth it. I have dreams of homeschooling as well – we’ll be looking into that in a couple of years. Maybe we’ll be hearing from you from Montana one of these days!
For what it is worth, the best thing to do before you just move abruptly to the country side, is rent a place in the area that you want to live and try it out. Or go and visit and stay there for a while or whenever you can.
We had a getaway place in a small town, (population 5,000) a place on the lake that had sea lions, seagulls and small boat marina it was quiet, beautiful and green . We loved the little town, we became very familiar with the coffee joints, the few cafes, bookstore ,the grocers, and the church, and we were part of the community. It is going to be easy transition if we retire there!
But when I got sick , with a bad infection… well we were so happy to be close to the big medical university in the city, close to organic food and Thai food !
Nos. 9 & 10 are two that I never would’ve considered on my own. I love keeping this information “just in case” we should ever decide to go for homesteading. Very practical. Thanks!
Yes, those are the two I’d say most people don’t consider. But they’re the ones with the potential to seriously disrupt your life! So happy you found the information useful. It actually applies in more urban areas as well (at least the zoning part).
They are ones I wouldn’t have really considered a few years ago. But so important! Nothing worse than finding out that your dream property is going to be neighbours to a chemical plant or something crazy!
Very valuable points to consider Victoria. Everyone that is considering a move to the “wilderness” needs to read this. Thank you !!
Thanks so much, Rose!
This is a very thorough and detailed article! Most of the people I know who live in very rural areas would never live in a big city… and at the same time I’ve often heard from city-dwellers who fantasize living in Montana or Wyoming. Victoria, you hit the nail on the head about the distractions… I often miss days of working in my home office due to wild cows, wild winds, frozen water troughs, or just neighbors coming to the door! It really does take a lot of discipline, more than I realized when I started! I love your writing, Victory – and thanks for sharing!
Aren’t the constant distractions crazy! You can’t really ignore frozen pipes or a tree fallen on your roof… Would love to hear the story of the wild cows… I assume that comes from experience??? ;o)
Nice site, good information. Thanks! We, too, made the big move to the country about 15 years ago. I never knew how much I would love it after all these years. No looking back, and no regrets.
Thanks so much for stopping by! We won’t be going back either… 😉
Great to hear! Us neither, though there are ‘some days’… 😉
So glad to find your site! We’ve decided to take the leap and are moving to the country near Ottawa in August. Looking forward to learning from your experience!
Fabulous! I hope your move went well! If we can assist with any information sharing, just let us know… 🙂
I’ve got a website but its’ nothing t do with this except I guess it is about survival – sort of.
Are you still around and OK cos I notice last post was in 2013?
anyways yr site is great cos not only it cd be useful in FACTbut I’m writing a story about a Plasma attack and it’s really hard ot get info on what exacxtly wd be struck down and inoperable.
We live in Elizabeth Beach on east coast of Australia pretty rural in many ways but in others a sort of suburb without a town – lots of houses unoccupied cos holiday rentals and homes. Power outages have happened a few times since we came here in April 2013 – phones were knocked – mobiles/cell phones and portables – out too unless old fashioned analog phone so we got one of those.
Hope you’re Ok sorry to gabble on! Ariel
Thanks so much for stopping by! We’re still here – I’ve just been super busy with my business, but I’m starting writing again this week… 🙂
As someone who moved to the country I recommend for everyone considering the same move to read this! Many things such as moving abroad and moving to the country are too romanticized. It’s good that there are such posts like this one to show the real side too.
“How long would an ambulance take to get to your house?” is the most important question. Planning is essential but we should think of the things that we could not plan. Emergency is one of these things. There are a lot of things which could happen. Wish you happy moving! Best regards!
I moved from London UK to the countryside, a small village around 3 hours drive from London last March 2018. I thought in my head that it would be great but I regret it so much. You see, I moved from a small village in Ireland to London UK in 1987 and never looked back, was tough at the beginning but then it became my home town/city and loved it and made some great friends too. I know its a busy city but I do thrive when the place is buzzing and the countryside is making me depressed, lonely, isolated and I have lost my self confidence and gained weight around an extra stone since I moved due to comfort eating. I work from home for a London firm so thankfully I still have that to keep my sanity. The place lacks diversity and I do regret this move, hence I am giving it two years max and then I am heading back as I can say, I gave it a go and it was not for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It’s definitely not for everyone! I think 5 years earlier and I’d not have adjusted so easily, but I was ready. And if you’re a really social person, it can definitely be challenging, as small towns can be difficult to break into socially (some – some are really open). Wishing you all the best on your journey… if it doesn’t pan out, at least you’ll never wonder ‘what if’ (which is more than a whole lot of folks can say).
It’s not truly a “country lifestyle” if you are still commuting to the city. That would definitely be more of a hybrid, as you clearly have access to a major city and the jobs that come with it. A true country lifestyle means that you are living and working IN the country and that’s way more of a culture shock than simply having land on the outskirts of the city. While there are some good tips, moving to a rural area is not just about isolation and services, it also means you usually end up in a much more politically conservative and less diverse area unfortunately, where many who live there have a disdain for those from the city and have never left to broaden their horizons. While the quiet and the space is fantastic (and actually, there are less rules when it comes to what you can do on your land, as urban communities don’t always allow for beekeeping, chickens, etc.), if you decide to change careers, or want to make a living wage locally, your options are severely limited. The politics in a rural town can also be incredibly offputting, with “outsiders” (or “transplants” as they call them here) not welcome to join in conversations about the community, etc. In addition, there’s always the great irony of moving to a natural environment as there are a ton of folks who think that means they can spray Roundup on everything. We lost 2 of our 4 laying ducks due to pesticide in the stream on our property that comes downhill from the neighbor who wears the full hazmat suit when spraying his 5 acres. I can’t just run into a big city during the day to escape these types of things…it’s a commitment when moving to the country. We’ve seen far more environmental and racial disdain out here than we ever did in the city.