Am I being mad to consider this house?

[rapunzelsreptile]

We’ve been to see a wonderful house. Truly amazing, an old house but immaculate with some gorgeous original features. It’s a dream home. We took our Dc to see it too and they loved it.

Here’s the issue. It’s not even the house or anything about the house. It’s the area. I don’t drive but dh does and can wfh from anywhere with relative flexibility. It’s in the middle of nowhere (almost). There’s not a shop, doctors surgery, post office. Nothing. It’s a 10 minute drive to the nearest town which has a co op, secondary school, car garage, nearest park etc. Still a village but has a few things. The nearest place with big supermarkets is an hour away. There is a primary school thankfully but no nursery. So I have made it clear to dh that I will be learning to drive asap when we move there which he is on board with but the local instructor is currently full so it could be a bit of a wait until I actually pass (probably looking at a year from now). Is it too ridiculous to consider or is it okay as I have a plan? Dh really wants to do it but this is my only reservation.

I agree with this - by that age my children were able to make arrangements with their friends and do things after school or at the weekend even if I was not available to drive them anywhere.

I’m quite shocked at how negative the responses are! I grew up, and still live, in the countryside. I adore it. Did as a child too. Country kids are a bit different- a bit more resourceful, they can find their own entertainment- out with the dog, building dens, paddling etc. Yes my mum drove me to a fair amount of clubs but I don’t think she minded. I had a pony, so spent hours with that, and rode or walked to friends. I never knew any different. And I learned to be happy in my own company. I’d think it was easier nowadays as I didn’t have a phone or internet growing up. My brother was a shocker as a child. If we’d have lived in suburbia I’m sure he’d have been sneaking out and getting into trouble. The distance helped!
I left home for college and university and was away 18 years, but have ended up moving back to the countryside as there’s just nothing like it. We have the mixture of open countryside but also big villages and towns nearby and even a major city 12 miles away, so we can get to anything we want pretty easily. I probably only go into the city twice a year though.
This is on my doorstep this morning…

There won't be any ubers and maybe only a couple of taxis that you need to book a week in advance. There probably won't be any supermarket deliveries either.

This is lovely to see. I live in the countryside too with kids. Its lovely we have a pretty babbling brook practically at the bottom of the garden.
People on here love to hate on rural living for some reason.

It's usually from our own experience. For every child who grew up with a pony there is another child who found the isolation and lack of things to do very hard. Neither is wrong in their opinion but to dismiss one entirely as people just 'hating' on it just because you may have enjoyed it is unfair.

Yes agree with this.

I am not hating on rural living – for some it clearly is a good thing. But for me it wasn't. I had no pony and no dogs and my parents maybe did mind driving me all over the place – anyway they didn't do it very much. I was isolated from friends, hated the bus I had to get to school, looking back I was lonely and under-socialised, which gave me issues later in life.

Yes I spent my early years building dens in the woods but tbh I doubt if that would happen today.

I agree tho re social media making it easier to stay in touch so that's a big upside against my childhood and teenage years.

wow how do you know this?

Jealous.

I've got friends who live in two very remote areas of the country. There are no ubers, they don't exist. In both areas there are a couple of taxis that you have to book in advance. You can try phoning for a cab but you might have to wait a few hours until it's free. One friend is just on the outer limit for supermarket deliveries but the other one is on a weird Scottish highland postcode that charges extra for any deliveries.

If OP isn't discouraged by the negativity that's fine. It's worth giving these things serious consideration though.

A family I know moved from an isolated house to a decent-sized village with amenities, and pavements. They weren't the least bit concerned about the non-existent Ubers or takeaways. They moved because it was too unsafe to walk or cycle the mile or so to school.

Perhaps that isn't the case for OP's dream house, in which case I hope she gets the house and learns to drive.

There is a reason people live in towns.

I’d rather have gorgeous countryside and clean air than Ubers and takeaways any day.

If you can learn to drive quickly. If you can afford two cars. If you/DH don’t mind acting as a taxi service for years. If there is a decent bus service. If the supermarket delivers to the house. Then go for it. If those are not in place then it’s a definite No.

but how do you know the OP is describing something this remote?