Are you have been dreaming about homesteading and would like to give country living a go? There are a couple of things you should consider before moving to the countryside. You must be prepared for the lifestyle changes, and make sure that you can maintain your social life and income level, even when you are living far from the big city.
Below you’ll find a list of things you are probably going to miss when moving to the countryside. It doesn’t mean you won’t have any access to these things but they most definitely won’t be right down the street as in the city.
Things You are Going to Miss When Moving to the Countryside
Convenience Stores
You will have to up your game when it comes to grocery shopping and planning ahead. There will be no late night trips to the corner shop to get some milk or a drink. However, you can buy organic locally or grow your own fruit and vegetable, and this is a much healthier option. Make sure that you get better at organizing your life after you move to the countryside.
By being prepared for what you may need will relive the stress of last-minute trips. Make a list and plan a regular time to shop in town. This will eliminate a lot of stress when moving to the countryside.
Bars
There might be some rural pubs and you can visit your neighbors. However, you might miss the hustle and bustle of the city nightlife. Bars are not really in abundance when moving to the countryside. Maybe another option would be to have some drinks around a fire on your property.
You will have to find a way to keep in touch with your friends and family members, even if they consider your location too remote. You can take trips to the city or develop guest facilities so they can stay overnight and spend some quality time with you. Everyone loves a bonfire.
Public Transport
When moving to the countryside, you will miss the public transport links, too. You are likely to need to drive everywhere, including the shops, markets, school, and government offices. While this will cost you a lot more than living in the city, it is worth it long term. To prepare for the country home ownership, you have to make sure you have a reliable car or truck that manages every road condition at ease.
Reliable Internet
When deciding to invest in a property in the countryside, you should check out which home utilities you can get. Before choosing fixed price house and land packages, you will have to do your research. Does your job involve working on the internet, or do you need additional power for your farming and food processing equipment? Let the real estate company know about your requirements to avoid disappointments.
Rural internet is never the best I found. It tends to be slower at times. It also comes with longer wait times for repair. Consider these things when moving to the countryside.
Job Opportunities
In rural communities, you are likely to need some creativity when it comes to making a living. Job opportunities will be scarce, so you might be better off setting up your homesteading business or creating your own job. You don’t want to leave your dream home for the city for most of the day and get stuck in highway traffic, after all.
Working from home is a great option when moving to the countryside. You can start a blog, sell produce and much other money making ideas from your own homestead.
If you have decided to move to the country, you will have to make sure that you can overcome the challenges of the lifestyle change. Create a sustainable income plan, make sure that you can get all the amenities and services you need, and do your research. Invest in a reliable SUV or truck, and you will be able to live and work independently.
Are you considering moving to the countryside? Have you taken these issues into consideration? How will you solve these issues? Tell me in the comment section below.
My DH and I moved to the country in 1999. We are about 20 miles from the nearest large town and about 9-13 miles from three small towns surrounding us. We do live on a hard road. DH has a large dooley diesel truck for our camping trips, and I have a RAV4 for efficient town runs and long trips in which we do not camp. We have a large enough house with bedrooms for guests.
We built a party “shack” out back for social purposes – a screened concrete-floored structure to which we ran some electricity and water from our well. We purchased a propane gas stove/oven and a used refrigerator for the kitchen area in the shack. A friend of ours built an “outhouse” with outdoor shower, enclosed potty (with a septic tank), and sink for the shack. We host our social get-togethers out there so that cleaning up is easier than trying to keep the house straightened up during events.
I also stock up on paper products and eating utensils. SO much easier to clean up. I have a pantry where I can “go shopping” in between town grocery shopping. I keep it stocked with necessary cooking staples.
We do provide guest bedrooms for weekend house parties and other overnight events. When someone visits us for an evening activity, we realized early on that we should have places to stay since it is miles to a motel or back to town. We have five acres so we do have parking space. We have also had friends visit with their RVs or pitch a tent.
We adapted pretty well over the years to living away from the convenience of nearby stores. I purchase things online a lot. I keep my gas tank filled – never lower than 1/2 tank and always fill it when I am in town. I group my town purchases so that I always have several small errands or one really big long errand to do when I go to town. I purchase pantry supplies in bulk. I have more than one freezer. We garden and put up vegetables. I use the (slow but usable) internet to Facebook my friends and keep up with them. When my daughters were young, way back before everyone had cell phones, I got cell phones for them because they attended school in town and were on the road at night from their jobs.
When the power goes out as it often does during storms, we switch ourselves into camping mode (we love to camp and have camping supplies!). Since we have an electric well (no electricity = no water), I keep jugs of potable water in the house. We do have a generator so we can get the well to run as necessary. The generator is used more to keep the freezers and refrigerators running. We live in the Deep South so cold is not our problem – heat and humidity are. We have battery-powered camping fans that we can use. We have battery-powered flashlights all over the house. When it’s cold, we also have oil lamps and candles. If a hurricane is expected, we can even plan a little bit better – take our showers just before it arrives, charge up all the rechargeable things, fill up the bathtub with extra water, make sure all the clothes and towels are clean.
We are retired now, so life is less hectic. We still have social events out here, but we still live prepared for calamities. Our country life is a prepared life.
Wow, Patti!
You seem to really have it together! I am doing an upcoming article in September on how people adapt to the move to rural property and homesteading and would love to use your reply here with your permission! It is so wonderful to hear stories of my readers being so successful in country life! Were you always this prepared and organized or did you have to figure it out as you went? Keep being so inspirational!
mmm good points. Internet and a quick 10 minute drive to stores is something I have loved in the past. You just have to weigh the benefits – which are huge! Thanks for sharing with us on the Homestead Blog Hop. Hope to see more this Wednesday 🙂
Love being a part of your blog hop! Thanks for the warm comment!