3 Considerations to Make Before Living in the Countryside

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Living in the countryside is an exciting prospect for many. They may have this as a goal for their middle-age, raising children in a relaxing environment and enjoying a slower pace of life. On top of that, we might have certain dreams in mind, such as having our own vegetable garden, getting involved in a community that knows each other by name, or taking long walks with our dogs in the midsummer heat.

However, if you’ve mostly been accustomed to urban or city living thus far, you will have a few things to get used to. Consider these practical tips in order to settle down and truly make the rural life part of your daily reality. Once you begin to see the beauty and comfort of living in the countryside, you will likely have trouble coming back to any kind of built-up environment.

Let’s explore considerations to make before living in the countryside:

1. Protect your property

In urban environments, a strong fence and a strong gate are all you need if you have any property at all, at least for the most part. We might have security cameras and burglar alarm options too of course, but for the most part, the presence of many people around can make robberies a little easier to detect.

In serviced apartments, you may even have a security desk at the front gate. However, in a rural home, you will not have this luxury. On top of that, nights get extremely dark, perhaps darker than you’re used to. The next house over might be half a mile away. For this reason, protecting your property becomes a more important consideration.

Ensure that the borders of your property are well fenced in. Motion sensitive flood lights that switch on and illuminate your surrounding property can deter anyone from coming near your house. On top of that, a good dog with a fierce bark can often be the final deterrent. We would also recommend keeping close contact with your neighbors, so you can report any suspicious activity. This is how rural communities protect themselves.

2. Understand your land obligations

If you have land, even half an acre, you may have certain land obligations to fulfill. It might be that you have a telecom pole on your property, or perhaps oil pipelines running underneath, or even a water well somewhere near. It’s important to know your rights, and also your restrictions. For example, providing unrestricted access to telecom servicemen might be essential to this end, as well as preventing any construction around the area.

3. Stock up & learn to relax

When you’re in a rural environment, a quick trip to the store is a little harder to achieve. We recommend stocking up on essential items like non-perishable foods, frozen meat or other goods, perhaps even crafting a survival kit and keeping distilled water can be essential. You may never need them – yet it’s important to have a few resources to hand.

On top of this, it can actually be quite comforting to consider just how you actually have time to relax in the rural environment now. It could be that setting up the perfect garden reading spot could help you take a perfect afternoon off – or maybe you can finally get to work on digging your own outdoor pool.

With these tips, we hope you can make the most out of living in the Countryside.