Is it important to be able to walk to local amenities?

[julietbat]

We're thinking of putting an offer on a house we really like but we are unsure whether the fact that it is not near any shops, etc (they're not really far away but we would have to drive a couple of minutes) is something we will regret.

We have been living in a suburb of a medium size town and I have been able to walk to the doctors, local shops, etc with dd (3) and ds (18months). One of the reasons we want to move is to have a bigger garden and the house we've found has an amazing garden. We've pretty much worked out that if we want the size house and garden of our fantasies (that we can afford!) we're going to end up having to be a bit more rural than before. Which we're fine with. Our only concern is maybe we should be holding out for something that is in a village proper rather than on the edge of one.

Are we worrying about nothing? Or will the fact that I'll have to drive my dcs to school, friends houses, local shops, etc and will never be able to pop to the shop for a newspaper or pint of milk really bug me after a while?

Thanks

If you've got a shop & school half a mile away then, even if you wouldn't normally walk it, then you could walk if you had to. So if your car was off the road or you were snowed in then you needn't be totally isolated.

At 18 months, there's plenty of time before your children out grow the garden.

Even if you were right in the centre of a village, as they get older then you're just as likely to have to become a taxi for your children. Lots of activities & groups will be in other towns etc so I think that's just a factor of not living in a town.

What do you do at the moment? Do you walk everywhere and will probably miss that, or do you have to drive for stuff anyway?

I think the difference between in/ outskirts of a village is very different from the difference between town/ outskirts of a village.

Yes.

Some years back I bought somewhere right out in the sticks and it was a 50 minute round trip for milk. There was always the latent fear of "what the fuck am I going to do if the car doesn't start?". :(

I now live a 5 minute walk from the station and although I drive it's a massive relief to know that I don't have to. It's lovely to be able to walk in to town past all the cars queuing to get parking and I often take the bike if I'm just going to the supermarket.

I love the fact that my life is not ruled by mechanics/petrol prices/etc., etc.

AlpinePony - 50 mins for milk?! That was a trek and a half. I've discovered that there is a small shop close by so newspapers and milk won't be a problem.

Barbeasty - that's a very good point. I certainly don't walk everywhere but there have definitely been times I have enjoyed the ability to walk to our local shops or the doctors. However, you are absolutely right, we will probably end up being taxis for our dcs anyway unless we buy right in the centre of our town/city and we really don't want to do that. We love the idea of peace and space which is why we're looking more rural now.

half a mile i'd definitely cycle and would find a way (tag-a-long) for the older kids to cycle safely and put the younger in a seat on the front...

i would hate to drive such a short distance and spend longer fighting to park than actually driving, it woudl 'drive' me mad

are you sure there isn't a shortcut off-road, down tracks or footpaths?

There will always be comprimise and only you can decide how much it is. The house we moved into a year ago ticked every box on our wishlist except not being on a main road. But it was a comprimise we were willing to make and it has worked for us. Ok so the children can't play out on the road but it really hasn't been the problem we thought it might be.

Culturemulcher thanks for your post, I was really hoping someone in the same situation would offer some advice (someone who didn't regret their decision anyway!). Our local primary would be small and lovely so we'd go to that but I've checked with a friend (who lives equally rurally!) and he says there is never an issue with parking for the school run.

I feel exactly like you, that the chance to get a house and garden we otherwise couldn't afford (ie, sizeable character cottage and .5 acre of level, sw facing garden) is too good to pass up.

Unfortunately, I suppose, one never really knows if it's the right decision until it's made and therefore too late to change!

And it's a bit of a cow's opinion (in Joey's words) anyway because we've just had our first offer rejected (it was a bit cheeky!) and we now have to wait because another couple are having their second viewing on it today...

We're in the early stages of looking for a house and I want to stay in the area we're in now as I'm right in the centre of everything. We could get a bigger house if we moved further out but being within walking distance is very very important to me. At the moment I can walk to everything I need within a few minutes. I'm pg with DC number 2, and the thought of having to bundle two children into the car just to go to soft play, or to meet friends, is not pleasant!
But then that is what I'm used to. When I said this to a friend who drives everywhere she thought I was mad...

We had everything within a short walk of our last house, now we have nothing, we have to drive absolutely everywhere! It's not ideal but the fact is we have the most amazing house and garden now that it's really worth it. Also, don't forget that being completely rural has its benefits too - more peace and quiet and tranquility really, something some people would give their right arm for. We have a 10 mins drive for shops, doctor etc and it's not too bad, and we never run out of milk - it doesn't take much organisation to make sure you've always got milk in the fridge!

It sounds lovely - good luck with the next offer!

It also sounds very much like the house we went for. I think if the house is right for you, you'll be happy there. You're not miles and miles away from amenities, so it's not as though you've got a long drive if you do have to go by car.

I guess parking is only a problem if your local amenities are in a busy town. When we first moved here I kept leaving 45 mins to get anywhere - thinking of the heavy traffic I was used to, and having to search for a parking space, etc. That meant I was getting everywhere 35 mins early. We're in a semi-rural location, outside a small town / large village with loads of free parking - no searching for change for meters, and no traffic jams - ever!. After we'd been here a few months it slowly dawned on me that I could jump into the car and be anywhere in town and parked in 10mins flat.

Another upside - we've found that buying the bigger house (albeit in the sticks!) with a big garden (about the same size as yours will be) means that our friends tend to come and see us much more than they go to see other friends who don't have the space to put people up and who don't have the space for the kids to run around happily outside while the grown-ups chat.

I guess unless you've got millions to spend, there's always a compromise. Very occasionally I envy friends who live in the suburbs, and whose children are always in and out of each other's houses. But then I think of the fresh air and the space our children have, the hens in the garden, the fresh produce from the farm up the road, etc... Wins hands down!

My dc are older now at 12 and 14 but still enjoy the benefits of walking to school being near friends etc.

To me unless you are escaping high rise flats/very busy city then being walking distance of things is far better than any house