There are a lot of factors that go into deciding where to live if you’re thinking about moving.
Some of the factors that play a role in where you decide to live include the school system, the commute time to your work, and the cost of living.
Over the past couple of years since the start of the pandemic, a lot of people have experienced changes in their lifestyle that allow them to have more flexibility in where they live. For example, a lot of employers went remote and allowed their employees to work from anywhere, with no plans to change that any time soon.
For some people, the pandemic also made them realize they wanted a different lifestyle, such as one that’s more slow-paced and away from big cities.
That’s led a lot of people to consider rural living.
Moving to the country can have its benefits, including the tranquility and the fact that your money is likely to go a lot farther when you buy a home. There are also some downsides and adjustments to consider, however.
The following are things to keep in mind before you consider moving to a rural location.
As mentioned, one of the reasons people are able to move and have more flexibility in their living environment is because they work remotely. Working remotely does require that you have fast, reliable internet, however.
The Internet tends to be slower and more expensive in rural areas than you might be used to in an urban or suburban environment.
Along with this, you have to remember that if there’s a power outage, you might go without service restoration for longer periods of time. Power outages might also happen more often than what you’re used to, especially after icy weather or storms.
A lot of people who live in truly rural areas invest in backup generators as a result, or they have solar power.
Then, if there is an ongoing power outage for days, you have some supplemental power.
Cell phone reception can be spotty when you’re in the country, so how might this affect working?
When you work from home, having access to utilities and services is essential. Your children might also require these things for their schoolwork.
If you are able to find reliable internet, it’s also expensive to install in rural places. A rural area might be out of range from the existing cables, and if there’s not a tower nearby, installing something can be a big and expensive challenge.
When you move to a rural area, there are generally fewer services readily available to you.
One of those services is health care. Healthcare in rural areas may be less available than what you’re used to or lower quality. If you don’t live within driving distance of a big city, you have to keep this in mind.
If you have a complex medical condition, what will your options be to receive medical care? What happens if there’s an emergency?
If you’re coming from an urban area, you might not drive at all. You might not even have a car. Even if you’re thinking about a move from a suburban area, although you might have a car and drive, your drive times could be pretty short.
For rural-dwellers, there’s hardly ever a short drive. Whether you’re going to work, to the grocery store, or anywhere else, you can expect that you’re going to drive quite a bit.
In the country, everything is located a distance away from everything else. That’s why you get peace and quiet, but you’ll have to factor in how much time this will take out of your daily life. You also need to consider the costs to maintain a vehicle that gets a lot of miles put on it.
Right now, gas prices are extremely high, which tends to impact people who live in rural areas disproportionately.
A lot of people who live in the country will keep at least one container of extra gas on hand because your nearest gas station can be a distance away as well.
If you move to the country, you could find that you’re cooking a lot more. There are probably a limited number of restaurants, and maybe no delivery service at all.
You’ll need to get more mindful about meal planning and having everything on hand between shopping trips.
Amazon might not offer the kind of delivery services you’re used to either. You may still get deliveries, but it could take longer.
In the country, water and sewer may be different from what you’re used to. In the city, you have municipal water and plumbing. In the country, it’s usually wells and septic systems.
Well water is cleaner, and you might not be paying a monthly water bill. The downside is that wells usually depend on electricity, and you may have to test it regularly because it can get contaminated.
In cities, the government operates municipal sewer lines. If you move to a rural area, then you may have your own septic system for your home, which you have to maintain, but you can avoid monthly bills for sewage.
Trash pickup may not be available, so a lot of residents take their trash to a dumpsite.
A lot of people move to the country because they want the quiet. They grow tired of a constantly overworked nervous system stemming from being surrounded by constant noise. The quiet and tranquility can help you feel less stressed and anxious, but for some people, it can have the opposite effect.
Some people like the background noise of living in a more populated area.
If you’re not sure which category you fall into, consider taking an extended vacation to a rural area, and see how you feel about it.
There’s a lot to be said for rural living, but you do have to make sure you’re truly ready for this change of lifestyle, especially if you’re coming from a big, bustling city.
Photo: Frances Gunn, Unsplash
