The Country Home | Countryside Living

Country Living Benefits
There are a host of advantages to living in the countryside – besides the obvious benefits of breathing in fresh air every day, living with breathtaking scenery and natural beauty all around and waking up to the sounds of birds chirping instead of horns blaring, you get to live in a large and comfortable house that would cost you the earth in a city, and your cost of living comes down drastically.

The Second Residence
While most people who decide to turn country are retired and wish to start afresh in a locality where the quality of life is better, there are others who buy country homes as a second residence, a place to vacation or as just an investment. Country real estate is different from urban real estate in that there are aspects in the latter that we cannot take for granted when buying a house in the countryside. Here are some of the issues you need to consider before putting down your money on a country home:

• Never buy property that you have not seen and checked out in person. Advertisements and virtual tours can only convey so much. Before you park your money on the property, drive down and inspect it to see if it meets your expectations, if you can move in immediately or if you need to make a few repairs.
• Make sure your property is easy to access and has a proper road connecting it to the main town.
• If it’s too isolated, ensure that your have some security arrangements set up to prevent crime and attacks.
• Check if the property has piped water supply. If not, what are the alternative options available? If it’s well water you’re getting, make sure you test it to see if its potable. Also ensure that the supply is adequate for the needs of your family.
• Check out the sewage system; most country homes have drainage pipes connected to septic tanks as opposed to the sewers in cities. Ensure that you’re not going to be faced with clogged and regurgitating toilets after you move in.
• While most areas do have electricity these days, check out the reliability of the source. If there are frequent power outages, make sure you have a good source of backup power to tide you over.
• Make sure the pipe and electrical fittings are in good condition. Some old homes may need to have them replaced either entirely or in places.
• If you’re the kind who needs occasional entertainment from the big cities and the bright lights, buy property that’s at a drivable distance from a large city so you can indulge once in a while.
• Find out the communication options available – if you’re used to telephones, mobile phones and the Internet and can’t live without them, you’re going to be pretty miserable if you’re stuck in the boondocks without these conveniences which have become basic necessities today.
• Make sure the documentation and paperwork are in order before you buy. Property demarcation is important when you’re buying unenclosed land with a house on it. Ensure that there’s no room for disputes in the future.

Make your country living more pleasurable by taking care of these nitty-gritty details before buying a home in the countryside.

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We respond right away! -Colleen & Joe Lane, Realtors®

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