Buying an ugly bungalow in the "country"

[MummyHT]

Hi everyone!
Very long story, but our house buying/selling has been going on for over a year now, and the latest is the vendors still haven't found anywhere to live and the whole chain is fed up. We have a chance to break the chain and have found a wild card and need some.advice from you lovely lot.
We've found a bungalow in a semi rural location, still 10 minutes drive to two big towns and my kid current schools. Kids 4 and 8)
It's on quite a busy country road that seems to be cut through road.
The issue I have is that I will forever be driving my kids places when they are older as you can't walk anywhere as the road doesnt have pavements either side so I can't let them walk to the bus stop. Is this a pain as the kids get older.?? My parents were always a taxi for me when I was growing up, but I would like to instil independence into my two. Plus my kids won't be able to walk to friend's houses etc.....
But it's got great potential and a lovely big garden..
Am I over thinking things?! Any rural living hints and tips also welcome.
Thanks for reading!

Sounds awful for your kids tbh. Stuck in the house and totally reliant on your for a social life and to get to activities. No spontaneity, always having to plan outings.

I lived rurally as a kid and I basically had no social life. Parents worked shifts, no public transport, town too far away to walk. Wasn't fun.

As a parent with an 11yo who is just gaining her independence I think you would be mad!

I cannot tell you the relief that she can now start to take herself to friends or activities and back. I still will take or collect if it's dark but otherwise she jumps on a bus. Means I only have the youngest to worry about.

I really really would not want to be ferrying her around in her teens.

I think also I would less less comfortable leaving them at home younger if there were no close neighbours (it's not clear from your post if there is or it's just this house)

I wouldn't as I was that child living in the countryside! I absolutely hated being so far from things and not able to call for my friends. It was only ok once I passed my driving test at 17.

DS is 12 and loves walking to his friends houses, school and into town.

Kids age 10 plus really benefit from the independence which requires either access to good public transport or a place where you can walk and cycle everywhere.

It's miserable to be isolated in the countryside.

I am in a town and I never need to give mine lifts which is fab from a parents POV. You will become a taxi service.

I also don't get why you would move to the country only to live next to a very busy and presumably quiet road.

Absolute nightmare. No way.

We did and it hasn’t been a problem. Yes we’ve been ‘taxi’ drivers for our three dc but so what? It’s a short phase until they learn to drive themselves.

A "short" phase? Surely from age 10-17 for three kids?
And then the expense of insuring cars for youngsters?

My kids will be those poor isolated childrrn because I was out here long before they were even conceived. I am fine with the driving, its a fact of life here. Would I move an older child out just when they are starting to want this 'independence', and have grown up used to a different life? Probably not.

We are about to move to a similar spot. I can’t wait for some peace and quiet. I will drive my kids to the nearest bus stop once they are teens. At the moment I have to ferry them everywhere anyway as they’re not really old enough to be independent so I don’t see it being much different to the status quo. They’re worried about not being able to chap on their friends’ doors though.

I have romantic dreams about making them dig potatoes all year round. And they will be all rosy cheeked and grateful for the opportunity. Good luck.

The driving children round isn’t a problem ( we did it ) it’s the living on a busy road that wold be a deal breaker for me

I live in a place where my kids (aged 9 to 13) can't walk anywhere much. Yes, I do end up as their taxi service a lot, which can be a pain but basically I don't mind it. We have a lovely house in a lovely location, and DH is a country boy at heart who would hate living in a town so it's worth it for us.

Being a taxi driver can have the advantage of always knowing where your teenagers are.

I wouldn't. The constant traffic would drive me mad apart from anything else. We live in a quiet road but my teenage DS can walk 5 minutes to the nearest bus stop and go into town if he ever gets off his PlayStation. I do think independence is important as they get older. Sorry for your moving troubles though, I can see why you're keen to find an alternative.

I hated living rurally as a teenager, having to rely on lifts everywhere. So I wouldn't do it.

10 minutes to nearest big town is nothing! I wouldn't buy a house on a busy road though. We live in a fairly rural village in Cumbria. I have a teenager and an 11 year-old. They hang out with their friends in the village and sometimes get driven into town. It's no problem at all. Are there not buses to the local towns along the busy road the house is on, OP?

Thanks for replying so quickly, I can always rely on Mumsnet for good advice!
Gives us alot to think about.

We did it, and stayed for 6 years. There was a free bus for primary school but everything else needed a car journey. We moved back into town so the children could walk to see friends etc.

We were also on a cut through road, and had gravel lorries thundering past throughout the day. Although there were lovely views all around, it was either fields or private woods, and no safe walking.

It was a nice house, but I wasn't sorry to move back into town.

We did this, and raised our older sons this way, they learned to drive asap and we got them cheapy cars to save me being the taxi.
The driving was worth living a lovely peaceful location with views of the countryside and chickens in the garden.

I once bought a house that was on a busy cut through road in otherwise isolated countryside. Was a nightmare - traffic noise, lorries running through to local dump from 6am shook the house, difficult even to pull out of the drive.

Never mind the kids - I wouldn't do it again for my own sanity!

Yes we always said, the next house we want to buy we'll take a picnic and sit there for a few hours to check the traffic!

As a kid I grew up rurally and loved it. The roads then were just about safe enough for horse and bike riding.

Cycling got us to most places. If we actually wanted to go to a town and didn't want the 8 mile bike ride one way there were buses. Parents did ferry me to Young Farmers but that was it.