The idea of living in a rural home can seem romantic and there are definitely advantages to living outside of the city. However, living in a rural area comes with specific challenges too. Everything will be farther away from home, and you will most likely be heavily dependent on your vehicle for everything. There may also be some hidden costs that you haven’t considered yet. Let’s take a look at some of the major differences between living in the countryside vs living in the city so you will be better prepared.
Access to Amenities
Some of the things you might take for granted like low-cost and reliable internet access, snow removal, and access to fresh water might be a bit more complicated or downright impossible to get where you will be living. Access to a sewage system is another thing you cannot take for granted, and there’s a good chance that you’ll have to use something like a septic tank for sewage collection.
This is why it would be a good idea to start looking at things like septic tank emptying procedures and septic tank emptying costs in the UK right now. Keeping your septic tank empty as much as you can is very important if you want to keep it working for long and the cost of septic tank emptying can greatly vary depending on where you are, so start looking for a few service providers in the area you intend to move to and ask for quotes so that you know exactly what to expect.
Access to Emergency Services
Another thing that will be much different once you live outside of an urban centre is access to hospitals and emergency services. You cannot expect ambulances to come to your rural home as fast as they would in an urban home, and it would be wise that you get some information about ambulance coverage in the area you are thinking of moving to. You should also have a clear list of all the hospitals and clinics in the region along with directions so that you’ll be ready for any event.
Cost of Living
One of the biggest benefits of living in a rural area is that you’ll be significantly cutting your cost of living the minute you move. The cost of rural homes is much lower than urban ones on average, and there are plenty of other ways that you could save by living on a rural lot. You can use the additional space that you have to grow crops, or even build a homestead if you have enough square footage. And, if you don’t feel like growing your food, you can expect the price of seasonal produce and many other foodstuffs to be much cheaper too.
Now that you know a bit more about the differences between living in a city vs living in the countryside, you will be better prepared and able to evaluate if you’re making the right decision. If you still have questions about rural living, it would be a good idea to speak with people or families who have already made the move to get their opinions.
