You’re taking the leap and moving your family to wide open spaces! Here are the top ten things you need to know to make an easy transition. Plus I’ll share the hidden truth about how your new life will re-connect you with the earth, bringing joy you did not anticipate. I’ll walk you through every step of leaving the suburbs and moving to the country!
1. Know What You Want Before You House Hunt
An organized wish list that includes your must-haves is a good place to begin. We’ve got a printable checklist that reminds you to look for a grounded plug for the second freezer and gives measurements of how much room is needed to store a riding lawnmower. If you’re wanting to garden, make sure one part of the yard gets at least 6 hours of sun. Chickens are becoming popular so remember to check any deed restrictions to ensure they are allowed. The feed stores around you will be offering fluffy baby chicks every spring and it is heartbreaking if you can’t keep a few easy laying hens.
2. Select Your Country Home with a Keen Eye
The country is dusty, dirty, wild and beautiful. Rows of crisp, tidy suburban homes are different than some of the rural properties you may be shown. I made a list of everything I wish I would have known before touring the first farmhouse. It has a number of thoughtful insights your realtor may forget to mention.
3. Educate Yourself About Possible Inconveniences
You need to know what to expect in advance. Schools, hospitals and pretty much everything will be a further distance but all of it is manageable. Identify the nearest gas stations, grocery stores and minor emergency clinics that are in your insurance network first. Home Improvement, clothing and general shopping stores nearest should be noted so you can plan to group all of your errands. Keeping returns and donations in your car, ready to be tended to any time you are out, is a good idea.
4. Grocery Stores Will Be Further Away and That Takes Planning
A well organized pantry will become a necessity as you begin to shop only once or twice per month. Menu planning and keeping extra ingredients on-hand are helpful. My number one suggestion is to develop the habit of always stopping to add whatever grocery item is needed to the list on your phone right then. It will save you time, gas and trouble to ensure nothing is forgotten.
5. You’ll Be Cooking at Home More
Eating out much less will help your budget and make any diets a lot easier, which is nice. Prepare yourself with an arsenal of recipe cards, an array of basic ingredients + spices and reliable bread recipes. The fastest food will be what is in your fridge and freezer so plan to keep those well stocked. You’ll soon fall into a comfortable rhythm and thoroughly enjoy family meal time at home.
6. Your Children Will Absolutely Thrive
We closed on our home without ever having seen another child in the neighborhood and I was nervous. Had I doomed my child to lonely isolation? It turned out there were nine boys his age and five more moving in. Rest assured there are children living in the country and more families are moving every day so your children won’t be alone. You can read about the positive changes I saw in my own child within ten months of buying our farmhouse. If you need to make the decision to home school, doing so in the country actually makes it easier. Nature offers a never-ending array of new things to see and explore on your own property.
7. Budget for Increased Miscellaneous Country Expenses
If you’re buying a larger house you already know the electricity bill and insurance premiums will be higher. What I didn’t know is that trash pick up service in the country is about $50 per month, paid directly to the trash collection company. You’ll use more gasoline on the days you run errands in town but less gas overall because outings are fewer. A longer commute may mean more gas and vehicle maintenance expenses or it may mean more days spent in the home office for a net savings.
Your septic system will need a maintenance contract for upkeep each year ($200-$300), chlorine tablets added regularly ($5) and pumping every 3-5 years ($450). It is likely that you’ll enjoy auto insurance savings because of your new country zip code, which offsets some of these expenses. If you add new animals, such as chickens, the monthly cost of feed ($15), scratch and treats ($15) plus nesting straw ($10) from the feed store should be budgeted.
8. Septic Systems are Easier Than You Think
I was intimidated by the mysterious tanks of disgusting who-knows-what buried in the back yard that I worried could overflow with filth at any given moment. The truth is septic tanks are easy! I wrote this for my fellow internet researcher types who want to know exactly what to expect from the aerobic septic system their new farmhouse comes with.
9. You Might Have to Go Out and Meet The Neighbors Yourself
Country folks enjoy the quiet, space and privacy so much, they sometimes forget to barge on over to meet the new family. Don’t be offended by the hands-off approach. Here is what we did to meet all our new neighbors, including ones with kids our son’s age.
10. Living in the Country Will Spoil You
I won’t lie, you’ll be ruined. The fresh air and open spaces will make a return to any kind of close-packed living difficult. You’ll need to see the trees, the sky, the deer and breathe the woodsy-scented air. You’ll never be the same. And that will be a good thing.
Re-Connecting with Mother Nature
If the cycle of the seasons wasn’t something you paid much attention to before, you won’t be able to overlook it now. The trees, flowers, vines and herb garden will transform before your eyes as the tilting of the planet gently introduces each new season. Baby everythings will surround you in spring, berries will ripen beneath the summer sunshine, trees will drop gorgeous leaves or pinecones in the fall and winter will bring a reflective quietness to the landscape.
Even the Country Shop Offerings Follow the Seasons
Local feed stores, garden centers and nurseries around you will have tempting offerings each month of the year that cycle along with Mother Nature. Bins of chirping baby chicks in the spring give way to melon vines and tomato starts in the summer followed by autumn herbs and pie pumpkins, then spindly, dormant fruit trees appear, ready for end-of-winter planting. Errands to these local spots become pleasant reminders that you are living more closely to the earth and your quiet country home becomes a safe-haven of relaxing refuge. (Just be aware that family may enjoy visiting more often, putting the guest bedroom to good use!)
Fun Family Activities
Family is the focus of country life and there is no shortage of activities to do. Again, these tend to follow the seasons, re-connecting you with nature and natural cycles. U-Pick Berry Farms, Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Christmas Tree Farms are just a few of the delightful activities within a 25 minute drive of our property.
The Best Decision You Ever Made
You’re not making a mistake. You’re not over-romanticizing country life by seriously considering a relocation. Leaving the suburbs and moving to the country is hands-down the best decision we ever made for our family. My only regret is that we didn’t move sooner.
Want to Keep Reading More?
Have u found a place yet, u diffinately look ready to go how r u taking all your animals
We moved to our farmhouse two years ago and purchased chickens after we settled in. It is much easier to add livestock after the move!