Does Covid make you want to move to the country?

[DoorKnobber]

We live in the countryside, in a village with a small town a mile away, and about 15 miles away from the nearest large town (with all amenities).

We are trying to sell our house. Dh reckons there’ll be lots of people in cities/large towns jumping at the chance to buy in the more spread out countryside now.

What do you think?

Maybe. I think there's going to be more people with 'flexible' working arrangements. So why not live out of town. Are you selling, get some valuations and ask them the same question.

No, I like living in a city. I like being able to walk everywhere and don’t want to have to drive just to get a pint of milk

Haha @skelington, yes we have to do all that!

Our house is on the market atm, but I’n worries that it won’t sell now

No. We are in a lovely part of Greater London and have two decent town centres in walking/ cycling distance, would get to the countryside within twenty minutes, and a bit over an hour to the coast. And still have all the amenities of London. We have a big garden and fabulous schools nearby. There are woods and parks very close by. I cannot see us moving rurally. We did look at rural life previously but I need amenities nearby and I also don’t want to constantly have to rely on the car.

yes, my husbands job is unlikely to involve going to London as regularly and we are considering it, as are his colleagues.

@SkelingtonArgument we've a milkman. :D

I’m not sure to be honest, I think this situation has highlighted the benefits of being close to major hospitals with icu facilities.

There's been a few threads asking about countryside areas to move to. I'm happy in our unpopular city personally.

Ooh @MinnieMountain I’m wondering what city it is now 🧐

@sbplanet It's interesting the notion that flexible working will continue post covid? If your place of work didn't afford you the flexibility beforehand, I doubt they'll continue to post covid. Unless by flexibility you mean wfh one day a week, which I'd imagine a fair few employers allow anyway.

@Puffthemagicdragongoestobed Curious to know which part of town you're in...

The pandemic has nothing to do with my life choices. I'm moving back to London next year (though I'm glad I'm not there at the moment). I need to sell two properties to do this so hope if I lose on my sale I'll gain on my purchase.

@Smallgoon twitter have said they will crack on with wfh now so you never know.

@DoorKnobber I do think alot of people will realise how stressful the rat race is and seek out a quieter life. We moved here to a town ok 8k from Glasgow for the dc, I long for the days they leave and i can go back to the city.

hope no fucker moves here, I need a bigger house, it's maybe affordable now

It's regularly high up the list of shit cities @DoorKnobber

And then they move, realise how creepy and isolated the country is, how high the risk of burglary, how bloody annoying when you've just settled in for the night and realise you've no milk and move back....

@DoorKnobber - do the nearby towns have a railway link or is there ease of access to a motorway or something?

Having the best of both worlds is the ideal: living in/near countryside for dc but with the practicalities of access to major cities/towns for work or outings.

@TARSCOUT yeah cos we never drive to the shops! Creep & isolated? Better than loud, smelly and over-populated. :) Each to their own. :)

It does make me consider whether I really need to live in London and be there 5 days a week - our business is functioning well remotely. Could easily live further afield and be in London twice a week. So to answer your question - yes.

@TheCanyon Twitter is a different beast, of course they're set up to work remotely. I work for a tech start up, pre covid I could have worked from home as much as 4 days a week if I wanted to (I prefer not to wfh). Not every business is set up to work that way.A lot of those that are, are doing so out of necessity rather than choice.

@Smallgoon I reckon folk who can work from home now and enjoy it will 'agitate' for it to continue.

Yes, absolutely

I last drove the car on 20 March. I can walk to a supermarket, two pharmacies, 3 express/local stores, the park, the canal, the common, the town (when its open) with cinema and theatre.

I've lived village life and I'm so glad not to be out there in the midst of this.

The flaw in your plan is that the buyer will have to sell their tony house with postage stamp garden in a grotty part of London first...

No, not at all if anything I appreciate living in outer London more! We have a garden and plenty of places to walk and cycle but also all the amenities, lots of food delivery, etc. We live far enough out that it's pretty easy to avoid people on the daily walk, but close enough that I don't feel isolated. Wfh full time in the countryside would depress me seeing people outside my window and (from a decent distance) on my daily walk helps me to feel like I'm still connected to society. I know lots of people love the countryside -- I'm definitely a city person. The lifestyles are very different, I don't think the pandemic changes that.