To think more people will want to live rurally now?

[Butterfliesandbears]

Property in cities has generally been more expensive but since covid it seems like maybe rural/village living will have the edge?

• larger houses/gardens
• can work from home
• countryside nearby for walks

-more space/less crowded generally

Or am I overstating it do people think? Will city living continue to be popular?

*They don't like folk who are different to them in the country.

I prefer city life - people are more open-minded and interesting*.

Oh, the irony of this post!!

(It was a joke, right?)

Heh. I live in a backwater village and I had some friends from Richmond arrive to stay for the weekend. Hadn't seen them for years, although had kept in fairly regular touch. We had some wine, and then some more wine, and chatted, and then I said I'd better go start dinner.

"No, you mustn't, we'll treat you to a take away. We insist! Do you have menus?"

I had to explain to her that they don't deliver this far out.
"You mean you haven't had a take away in 30 years!!??"

Well yes, we've had plenty of takeaways, but we have to go and get them. And yes, it's a pain because you can't have a drink first, but you can get it early and put it in a low oven.
They were totally flabbergasted. It was a proper culture shock.
These are the drawbacks of living in the sticks. I don't think they could cope with it. They still bang on about it after 3 years.

Gosh, this thread is like doing the school run again for Town Mouse vs Country Mouse mentality

I have lived rurally and in the city as well as the outskirts of London. Personally rural living wins hands down every time.

I find cities are too large, too noisy, full of pollution, too crowded. There are more facilities (eg. hospitals) but they are extra crowded with all the extra people. When I was down south it was so difficult to get doctor or dentist appointments for instance as the demand was so high....now I am in the countryside there are same day appointments (pre-COVID).

During lockdown I haven't noticed much difference as I've been out every day walking down country lanes even at the height of lockdown. Everything is available for delivery, internet is fine, and the people here are so much more friendly and welcoming than down south in the city.

However, it's true that there is no-where to go clubbing, buses are sparse and you need a car to get anywhere really.....

The village I live in used to be a mining village (Somerset). Many years ago it had at least a dozen shops, 6 pubs, a Club, a regular bus service, a post office, a petrol garage, a repair garage, 3 hairdressers and a coach company. Within 40 + years it has lost nearly all of it. We are down to 1 shop, 2 pubs, a pharmacy and a hairdressers. The club is still there but for how much longer we don't know as it's owned by the British legion. What caused the loss of all this? Unemployment and people moving out. Other than the stuff mentioned there are zero jobs in the village so it has become a commuter village to the nearest city 20+ miles away. There is no investment coming in as we are not near a main route. To get here involves turning off the main road and continuing along badly maintained country lanes. Unless there is a particular reason for anybody to come here they don't. No business other than essential ones have survived for long. All it would take for those people living in a thriving village is for a bypass or a ring-road to be built and then the village will die a slow death.

Housing where I live (semi rural) is more expensive than in town anyway. The houses are nicer, bigger, have off street parking and are close to outstanding schools.

@trappedsincesundaymorn

If people want to live rurally as in villages rather than commuter towns then they need to be prepared for

No public transport
No takeaway delivery services such as Uber Eats/Deliveroo
No secondary schools within walking distance
Expensive petrol stations
No nearby supermarkets and if there is a village shop it will be very pricey
Dodgy wi-fi connection
No Virgin and other cable services
No post Office
Unsalted roads during the winter (unless there is a bus route)
Noise. This time of year the countryside is very noisy. Hay-bailing and silage cutting means that the farmers are out late and tractors are still going past at 11-12midnight but be prepared to only get a few hours sleep as the dawn chorus starts at 4.30 am.
Smells. During muck spreading the stench of cow poop is overwhelming.

I wish I lived in a city.

These are all the reasons I told DH he can forget any dreams of moving rural.

I don’t mind a smaller town, currently we live in a outer London Borough but rural is not on my cards,

I think it will happen. This has proved that home-working doesn't have to be problematic so people have less reason to be in big cities like London.

My friend works in an estate agent and, since lockdown has eased, they have been inundated with queries from people wanting to relocate from London to small towns and villages in our area...

If people want to live rurally as in villages rather than commuter towns then they need to be prepared for
^Not all villages are as above. Ours has 6k inhabitants primary school, highly rated Secondary school with high School bus, buses from the village to city 30 mins, train station to city 15 mins in next town.
Doctors chemist dentist beautician hairdressers male and female paper shop bakers Chinese restaurant local pub with restaurant small hotel restaurant and bar 2 children’s nurseries church bowling green with clubhouse and bar. Plenty of open spaces for play. Scouts guides brownies & BB. Youth club. ^

No public transport - choice of bus or train

No takeaway delivery services such as Uber Eats/Deliveroo - plenty delivery options for all types of food near us

No secondary schools within walking distance - one of the best in the county short school bus ride away

Expensive petrol stations - plenty’s of large supermarket petrol 15 mins drive

No nearby supermarkets and if there is a village shop it will be very pricey - village has 2 shops one Co-Op one farm shop

Dodgy wi-fi connection - WiFi speed BT 79 mbs (just tested ours)

No Virgin and other cable services - BT fibre

No post Office - Recently closed neatest in next town 15 mins

Unsalted roads during the winter (unless there is a bus route) - farmers salt and plow roads every winter contract with local council

Noise. This time of year the countryside is very noisy. Hay-bailing and silage cutting means that the farmers are out late and tractors are still going past at 11-12midnight but be prepared to only get a few hours sleep as the dawn chorus starts at 4.30 am.

• village can be busy with tractors coming and going to their various fields at certain times of year, seeing new born lands and calf’s out on walks beautiful

Smells. During muck spreading the stench of cow poop is overwhelming - silage is a short time event. The produce We buy meat poultry pork egg veg and fruit, from the farm shop is good quality and tasty.

I wish I lived in a city. - Lived in a city prefer living here with all our villages amenities with access to a city in 15 mins.
Appreciate everyone has their own likes and dislikes and live where they prefer and what suits their own individual lifestyle best.

What's the point of paying a heavy premium for a smaller house & garden & more congestion & pollution when wfh becomes more common & all the things that make London living so great are limited by Covid.

Not interested in really rural but defo now considering the home counties.

DHs big city firm are looking at changing to minimum days in the office permanently, this is the same for many of our friends. Think about it productivity hasn't reduced & they will save millions on huge office spaces.

I love rural. Outskirts of the village which has no shop, no school, nothing. Nearest coop is 3 miles away. Tesco 7 miles. Train station 14 miles.

Its all ive known. Been to the cities - London, Liverpool, Manchester, etc and after a few hours i crave peace. Chester is my nearest city and i love it there. Relaxed, safe, not over populated. Went to London last summer and the 1st thing i did when i got home was have a run up Snowdon. I was desperate to be alone. Wont go back. I have what i need where i live.

Living in the country isnt like Escape to the Country.

The thing is if everyone moves out to the country then new houses are built, more roads, more shops, then it’s not the countryside anymore. I see the local countryside being eaten up by new housing estates, the local wild live running out of places for their habitats, very sad 😔

@trappedsincesundaymorn

If people want to live rurally as in villages rather than commuter towns then they need to be prepared for

No public transport
No takeaway delivery services such as Uber Eats/Deliveroo
No secondary schools within walking distance
Expensive petrol stations
No nearby supermarkets and if there is a village shop it will be very pricey
Dodgy wi-fi connection
No Virgin and other cable services
No post Office
Unsalted roads during the winter (unless there is a bus route)
Noise. This time of year the countryside is very noisy. Hay-bailing and silage cutting means that the farmers are out late and tractors are still going past at 11-12midnight but be prepared to only get a few hours sleep as the dawn chorus starts at 4.30 am.
Smells. During muck spreading the stench of cow poop is overwhelming.

I wish I lived in a city.

We have hourly trains and buses An Indian in our village and one a couple of miles away Secondary school is 10 minutes by dedicated school bus Petrol is no more expensive than in town Tesco is 4 miles away Good Wi-Fi There is cable in our village, but not in our street The post office closed years ago, but we have one half a mile away in the next village Our street doesn't get salted or ploughed in bad weather, but the main roads do The local farm has sheep and cows, and we occasionally hear the odd sheep or lamb in the summer. We hear tractors going past on the main road

I concede muck spreading though

My son won't go outside the M25 as the people are different there. (Unless he's going to Gatwick).

This makes no sense unless everyone who lived inside the M25 was born & raised there. Which apparently is not the norm as someone who was born & raised & lives in Zone 2 & is constantly told oh you're parents brought you up here? Yes. Did they not move to the country to be near relatives? No parents are immigrants & I have no other family here. I've never met anyone like that? Um ok.

@tara66

My son won't go outside the M25 as the people are different there. (Unless he's going to Gatwick).

Everywhere outside the M252 is like Royston Vasey. He had better stay put

Aren't pandemics going to become normal though? Or will this never happen again?

I grew up in beautiful countryside (v desirable part of the country which I 100% could not afford now even if I wanted to) and now live in a v large city suburb. Our quality of life has improved hugely IMO living near a city. Loads of people and friends, easy access to culture and great bars and restaurants, good schools and diversity, lovely parks but not too twee. Having grown up in the countryside and being bored to tears I wouldn’t ever do that to my kids. Each to their own countryside is beautiful and when I visit I see the appeal but as soon as I’m back to the city buzz I’m home 💕.

@Justcallmebebes

Please guys, stay in the cities

Why?

Interestingly before Covid there was a record number of people leaving London, can't remember too much about it but my friend is a teacher in Inner London & she was saying some of the schools were undersubscribed.

I also think younger generations (i'm in 30s so not me) prize remote & flexible working & often expect it. My younger brother has barely ever worked from one location.

I can't see why living rurally would make a difference to homeworking. Surely that depends on your job rather than your location?

As nervous as I am about lockdown lifting, I'm gladder than ever to have connections and people within easy reach so we can all help each other in times of crisis.

Also there are some towns outside of London that have a hell of a more going on then somewhere in zone 5.

Oh & plenty of areas of London don't have fibre op broadband including my own.

I would rather give up my car and move to the city

I'm originally from a rural village. It's like the arse end of nowhere and very little has changed since I left decades ago.

I went back a few years ago. The pub was still the same shithole. The one place to eat might even be still using the same lard. Two schools, one primary one secondary, both still a load of shite even with a revamp. Bullying still rampant and totally ignored by the school.

Nothing for teens to do other than try and rob the local over priced shop or hang out in gangs. Gangs are surprisingly an issue, always have been simply because there's fuck all to do. One Gp and dental surgery where of course everyone knows everyone.

Trespassing on farmers land, shotguns, nicking fruit and veg common are part of the entertainment for young and old. My nan used to take me all the time to nick rhubarb, although she never worded it as that, even with the farmer shouting at us.

Swimming in areas that we shouldn't be, well the local club doesn't open after 5pm on a weekday, 1 pm on a saturday and Sunday yea right. Still goes on.

One of those northern places.

And parts of Dorking and Guildford wouldn't move there either. Local shop a car ride away through those unlit roads, although do love the canopy the trees provide. Places where they laugh at preppers and call it every day life to be ready for shit happening. Power cuts, roads cut off because a tree has fallen or it's snowed. And not that poor excuse called snow in London. No public transport. Nearest primary 30 minutes at least. Although the house prices within the catchment for both help to keep them excellent, many parents made large donations because it's still cheaper than private looool.