Has being in lockdown for what feels like a year made you consider your home environment more carefully? We have certainly reached that point where we are ready to leave London. It seems we are not alone as many of us are feeling the same this year and want to escape to the country.

We’ve been looking into what we can afford and where using a mortgage calculator. Whilst before we were going to just head away from the M25 now we are looking much further afield.

As home working is becoming the norm and companies realise it’s just as productive, rural areas will potentially have a bit of a boost and it may help their high streets as well when we can all go shopping again.

So what are the pros and cons of country life?

Pros: Green space

We are really missing this. We are incredibly fortunate to have a garden in London despite it being tiny. Now our children are older it’s just so small for them. It’s impossible to play a game or some football. They are really missing just being able to go outside and run about.

We do have a lovely park 20 minutes walk from us, but it’s just not the same as being able to leave your house and go for a lovely walk in fields or woodland.

There’s also that feeling of being slightly hemmed in and overlooked which is true of most urban areas.

Cleaner air

This is becoming more and more of a concern in London. A school close to our home was named one of the city’s most polluted schools which is rather sad.

So finding places which benefit from vast amounts of fresh, clean air and have wonderful outdoor facilities for children, either natural or man-made would be wonderful.

Less stressful

No commuting on public transport and pushing through crowds to get to work. Life in the country moves at a slightly slower pace.

City living is well known to have higher stress levels so if you need to get away from the rat race then being in a rural area may suit you. Anything which helps your mental health is an important point to consider.

Houses are more affordable

Unless you pick the London commuter belt, moving out of a city to the countryside will normally get you more house for your money. There is usually the possibility to have some outdoor space or even a bigger garden which is on our wish list!

Of course, people moving from cities to small towns or villages can raise the prices in these areas. However, there is always an up and coming neighbourhood waiting to be discovered.

Cons: Fewer jobs

If you work from home this may not be a concern but should you need to look for jobs in the future there are usually fewer opportunities in small towns. The salaries in local firms tend to be lower as well. As many of us have experienced remote working this year and companies have got used to the fact that people are still productive, hopefully, this won’t be an issue.

WIFI

Make sure before you move to a new area you check if there is a good broadband connection. Many rural villages don’t have high-speed internet and are prone to power outages. If you are working from home this will be especially important.

Fewer shops

You may find yourself in a small community with just a village shop. They will likely stock all the essentials and may even have a small post office. However, if you run out of something late at night or on a weekend you may have to drive to the nearest large town. It can be hard to get used to this after having a shop on every corner in big cities.

It’s too remote!

Consider how remote you really want to be? Would you like to be able to walk to the corner shop or village school? What if you’d like a date night every now and then in the nearest town? Does it take more than 30 minutes to get there?

If your car breaks down or you get snowed in, which used to happen to my family when I was growing up. What happens then? Can you cope for a few days? Even finding medical supplies at the last minute will be a little more problematic than before.

There are very few bad things about living in the country which can’t be prepared for but it’s always good to map out exactly what you want. As more of us make the move hopefully we can boost these beautiful spots and both us and the rural communities will benefit.