Country living: The appeal, now more than ever, of a rural retreat

If there’s one thing lockdown has taught us, it’s how fortunate you are if you can walk out of your front door into open countryside. Having the countryside literally on your doorstep can open up many opportunities to you that aren’t available in towns and cities.

Property prices are often higher in the countryside with good reason. The quality of life is more relaxed and heathier, the properties are often older and more characterful, and they sometimes include land too. This premium is worth paying if you think the countryside would suit your lifestyle and work needs.

Health and wellbeing

Having natural beauty and space around you can be both an incentive to explore and an inspiration to exercise. The health benefits of living in the country are well known. The air is clean and fresh, with less pollution – unless you count the smell of farmer’s silage – and less traffic. The great outdoors and the numerous public footpaths that criss-cross the landscape offer a wealth of healthy activities. It’s also the ideal place to bring up children, to explore day-today the wonders of wildlife and nature. You’re more likely to eat healthier too, if you shop at local shops selling local, home-grown produce. In this way, you will be supporting smaller businesses, as well as looking after your health.  

Welcoming communities

One word that crops up time and again in discussions about rural living is ‘community’. You’re much more likely to get to know those around you in the countryside and there’s often a strong sense of belonging for residents of villages and hamlets. This is often enhanced by the presence of a local primary school or a community hall, which brings people together to take part in activities. In many country settings, village life still centres around a village pub. Even though some are facing closure, many are usually thriving hubs of the village and are one of things the countryside does best. If it’s popping in for early doors, discussing business, or indulging in a full Sunday roast, there’s nothing like the atmosphere of a welcoming hostelry.

Better connections

Living in the countryside offers not just literal space, but mental space too. With mental wellbeing such an important part of people’s outlooks these days, the countryside offers a place to think and work effectively. This wasn’t always the case. A few years ago, many countryside locations felt a little left behind by advances in technology. But now faster broadband seems to be reaching out into the countryside, connecting people and places to the internet. As imposed by the lockdown, many people have been working from home, with no need for a stressful commute. Thanks to advances in digital technology, people can now work from home using video conferencing tools, mobile phones and email, to communicate easily and quickly, as though they were present in the office.    

If you’re considering buying, selling or renting a property in the countryside, there are a wealth of positives to consider. Talk to our experts, who will be pleased to help with your queries: https://www.forgeproperty.co.uk/properties-for-sale/