Maybe you’ve just begun your house hunt or you’re finally under contract on a farmhouse with a picturesque red barn. Here’s what to expect during a country move as your family leaves the city for your own piece of country heaven.
What to expect during a Country Move
I had so many questions when we were planning to move
And it seemed like Google was no help. This blog was born from the frustrating lack of useful information I found online. What I really wanted was for someone to quiet my fears and tell me what to expect. Now that we have completed our move and lived here a few years, let me tell you about our wonderful experience and what is nice to know from the beginning!
Will my child have other children around?
This was my number one panicky, what-if-we-doom-our-kid-to-isolation fear fluttering around in the pit of my stomach. The short answer is yes, there will be other children! In 2018 we bought a house in a quiet area that was roughly 60% empty nesters and retired couples. My son soon discovered there were nine boys around his age in a thousand-acre neighborhood of about a hundred homes. He gets more outside physical activity with friends now than he ever had in the suburbs. Within a year, another five families with children his age had moved in. (I wish I could go back and quiet my fears about this subject.) If you have children, you are not the only family moving your kids to the country!
So Where Are All the Kids?
As you drive around your new neighborhood, be aware that you may not see any kids because they are often in the woods, climbing trees, enjoying a hidden fort, in the barn with the horses or avoiding the scorching summer heat in a pool behind the house. Plan on attending any neighborhood events you find posted online as soon as you move in. If you are under contract on a house, attend them now. The neighborhood Facebook page will be a great way to initially connect with residents and find out what activities there are for kids. If your area doesn’t offer social events, call the local library and ask about children or teen activities.
How far away is the school?
This will, of course, depend on your area but it is likely that there are elementary schools closer than you think. (Ours are 10 minutes away.) Most areas will have bus services that pickup somewhere close by if you don’t want to make the twenty minute or so drive to middle school or high school.
A hidden benefit
I had a 24 minute drive for all four years of high school and one of the benefits was that I became very responsible about keeping up with my assignments. If I forgot a book, I could not make it back to the school in time before the doors were locked. I only needed to make that mistake once to learn that doing my work in advance instead of procrastinating, being responsible with my belongings and thinking ahead saved me a lot of stress. Do not be too quick to fret over a longer school commute as the experience may build the traits of reliability and responsibility in your children.
How far away are the stores?
This is a legitimate concern and is likely to bring the most significant level of change to your life. The stores are typically going to be further away than you are used to. My grocery store is 28 minutes from my driveway to the parking lot if I go in the middle of the day with no traffic. I tend to shop every ten days, which requires that I do meal planning, keep a deep pantry and maintain a well-stocked freezer. (Make sure the home you buy has a grounded outlet for a second fridge and freezer, plus the often overlooked items listed here.)
Fast Food is Further Away, Too
While it takes time to adjust to the stores being further away, the fast food is also further away, which made a positive impact on our family budget. Suddenly the fastest food was what we had in our fridge and freezer. We cooked from scratch and ate more healthy meals at home. I lost ten pounds in the twelve weeks after our move, which was an unexpected surprise. Fast food treats being too far away to bother with was a hidden benefit. When I later did a diet, I had the best success of my life because pizza and soft-serve ice cream were nowhere close to tempt me. That diet turned into a way of life and my whole family has benefited from the increased health. Again, with a little organization, the distant stores can be a blessing in disguise!
Are there a lot of snakes?
Yes, there are some snakes but almost all of the ones you stumble across will be non-venomous. South Texas has coral snakes, the most venomous species in North America. My husband and I had a coral snake slither in front of us while we walked through a nearby field but they are shy and prefer to flee. Most of the snakes we have seen are skinny garden snakes. If you are afraid of snakes, don’t shoo away the neighbor’s outdoor cat. They have a natural desire to kill snakes and the amount you see around a cat’s territory will be greatly reduced.
Still worried about snakes?
Opt for slip-on mud boots for outside work and play to protect feet, ankles and the lower legs. They hose off fast and are easier to keep clean than tennis shoes any ways.
How do septic systems work and do they smell?
I was so worried about this, I wrote an entire post on understanding septic systems. We have an aerobic system, which is like your own personal waste water treatment center in the back yard. It does not smell in the least bit at all. With aerobic systems there is no need to buy special toilet paper, special dish soap nor special laundry detergent. I do have to make sure that tampons are not flushed down the toilet and that leftover cooking grease does not go down the kitchen sink. I have to be mindful about what I use to unclog drains since some chemicals are not septic safe. (Just check the back label – most of what is sold in grocery stores is septic safe!)
Septic Maintenance Services are Helpful
Septic systems seemed mysterious to me. Spending a couple hundred dollars on a maintenance contract for the first year that you own the home is a good idea. That way a professional is checking your system every few months and they can answer your questions.
In reality septic systems are quite easy
You live your life normally (except for the tampon thing) and the system takes all your waste, filters out the liquid, treats it with chlorine and uses a gray water sprinkler system to spread it over your lawn somewhere. You have to add chlorine tablets once every 4-6 weeks and if you hear it start beeping, vacate the yard because the sprinklers are about to begin spraying. (Don’t let your children play in those sprinklers!) With low-effort maintenance, you should not have major problems. Just make sure you pay for an inspector to inspect the septic system and check for leaks, cracked tanks and major issues before you buy a home.
How long will my commute be?
My husband loved a Houston real estate app (HAR) that allowed him to put in his work address and it would calculate the commute times for each listing viewed. The Waze app is also useful for trimming down your commute based on fluctuating traffic patterns. However, before you fall in love with a house far out in the boonies, pick a commute time you are willing to drive and stick to it. Don’t even bother looking at homes outside of the parameter you set because your commute will be your everyday reality as soon as closing papers are signed. We did this and I am so glad we took our time house hunting. Rest assured, a house will come on the market that meets all your wants. To the patient, thoughtful home buyer goes all the spoils!
What other things have I not thought of?
Remember how I said fast food wasn’t close by? On moving day, when your fridge is probably empty and all wrapped up, you will need fast food. Grab it on your way in as you go back and forth from your old house to the new one or make yourself a kitchen kit with bread, peanut butter, jelly, chips, snacks, plastic cutlery, paper plates, paper towels, hand soap and a large trash bag. The most difficult meal of each move-in day was actually breakfast so have something pre-packaged and easy, like granola bars, breakfast bars or PopTarts.
Moving Day Comforts
Make sure your plug-in fans or space heaters are within easy reach if you are moving in difficult weather. We moved into our farmhouse in sweltering July, with an air conditioner that broke as soon as it was turned on after closing. It was a stroke of luck that the stand fans we had kept in the attic were in the first U-haul load.
Utilities
Some of your utilities – namely trash pick up – may be more expensive than they were in town. One trash service in our area charges almost $60 per month; a big leap from the $18 we were accustomed to paying, bundled with our water bill in the suburbs. I thought I had wisely calculated our monthly utility increases since we were buying a larger home. I wish someone had told me to budget an additional $50 per month simply because rural services just cost more. We also spent around $300 in “connection fees” to switch all the existing utilities to our name.
Anticipate Repairs
If you need to have repair work done, there may be a trip fee added on because you are further out from the city. As a general rule, I assume that calling a professional will mean a $225 charge for the service call and trip fee combined, which is usually accurate. While we were waiting to close on our house, I took the time to use Yelp to find appliance repair men, plumbers and electricians with very good reviews who were willing to do service in my zip code. I’m glad I did because our washing machine broke two weeks before Thanksgiving and I knew who to call.
Keep Shopping Lists on your Phone
Become disciplined about adding items to your phone’s shopping list whenever you think of them by stopping what you are doing to type it in before you forget. The stores will be so far away that if you forget something, you may be facing an hour round-trip just to correct your mistake. Another good tip is to keep a deep pantry and a well-stocked freezer, which is so fundamental to country life that it deserved a blog post of its own.
Consider a Home Office & Upgraded Internet
A home office, once a nicety before 2020, is now a necessity for most families. Keep a creative eye out for a home with an extra bedroom, cozy nook or private sanctuary that could serve as a comfortable work-from-home spot. Some properties feature a second guest house or she-shed that could be the office of your dreams with a charming stroll-commute! If you discover the internet is slow, you may need to budget for specialty equipment, hot spot service or upgraded internet.
Check Deed Restrictions to Ensure Chickens are Allowed
One of my highest viewed articles is “How to Find Local Egg Sellers” because grocery store egg shortages seem to be happening more often, with every named storm or upheaval. There is real peace of mind that comes from owning a small backyard flock of laying hens. Check the deed restrictions (if there are any) of the farmhouse you’re considering buying to ensure you can keep chickens. If not, very seriously consider keeping Coturnix quail, which are quiet domesticated game birds that are almost never forbidden by even the strictest HOA’s.
What if we decide we don’t like the country?
There is a risk with every move that you may find yourself unhappy with your decision. Farms have a way of looking picturesque, even when the roof leaks and every out building is infested with rodents. If you are aware of this and can avoid making an impulse purchase of a tumbledown money pit, your future happiness is much more likely.
Just the fact that you are reading this article means you are engaging in the introspective questioning that tends to produce wise decision making and agreeable outcomes.
Final Thoughts on what to expect during a country move:
You never know what exactly is going to come up during any move. Our first U-haul trailer rental got a flat tire before we loaded a single thing and the air conditioner at the new house broke three hours after closing on a hundred degree day. Mentally preparing yourself and your family for the changes country life will bring is the best way to ensure a smooth transition!
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