As more house buyers flee the cities and flock to the countryside, all in search of their dream home to face the new normal with, some of the more cautious buyers have some pre-misconceptions about what country life is really like, so Robinson David Estate Agents would like to tackle some of the myths about country life.
You will have a terrible phone signal.
Partly true, mostly false. Just like any countryside, The Cotswolds and the Southwest have a rolling hill scenery, forests and woodland. The vast majority of the areas here receive a decent 4G phone signal, which is improving all of the time, but there are a few areas blocked by hillsides that can struggle, however, these are few and far between today.
If there was terrible phone signal here, then we would struggle with our video property tours that we offer as part of our Property Preview Service, which clients find helpful. Yes, country life is usually a little slower to pick up newer technologies, so cities may find themselves with a more stable 5G network sooner than the countryside, but taking into consideration the success of the Starlink rollout provided by Elon Musk, this may not be the case for much longer.
You will have terrible internet speed.
This is simply not true. In fact, living nearer to some of the suburbs throughout the Southwest, you can achieve better internet speeds than you would when living in some cities. This is because your internet speed is likely to be split between more people within a city, whereas living in Hardwicke for example, even in the evenings you can regularly receive 220mps with Virgin Media.
Today, you can also opt for all kinds of different internet connections, such as:
- Fibre Broadband
- Standard Broadband
- Mobile Broadband
- Satellite Broadband
- Fixed Wireless Broadband
- Bonded Broadband
You will be in the middle of nowhere.
Although country life can have the feel of the seclusion that many clients desire, you have to ask yourself what “the middle of nowhere” really means in the United Kingdom. We are only an island, where at any point you can never be more than 74 miles away from the coast. With this in mind, even though our country roads can feel a little narrow and slow to navigate sometimes, can anyone in the United Kingdom ever really be in the middle of nowhere?
Most villages within Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire, have local amenities, and some villages are actually market towns, but even the most secluded are almost all within a 15 minute drive of either a market town or a larger town, such as Cirencester, Tewkesbury or Swindon.
There isn’t much to do.
This pre-misconception warrants an article of it’s own, which is coming soon, however, country life throughout The Cotswolds and Southwest offers endless activities and entertainment for families and individuals of all ages, which is one of many reasons why there is such a booming tourist industry here.
This pre-misconception may come from the missing bustling feel that comes with city life, where there are always people, traffic and city noises that make city life feel like something is always happening, even when nothing significant is really happening. This missing continuous stimulation can be a culture shock when first adopting country life, as nature is much more tranquil.
Not only do we have so many eateries, restaurants, bars and pubs that you’d probably struggle to fit them all into one life time, where many serve locally grown food and locally brewed beverages, but also most of our towns, cities, market towns and villages hold events throughout the year, which means that there is usually always something interesting happening somewhere. In fact, we boast some of the countries best nature trails, music festivals, sporting events, crafts events, farming events and motoring events.
Everyone will stop and stare at you, as you walk into a pub.
Actually this is true in some pubs, but, on the whole most people in a local pub are enjoying fresh locally sourced, locally grown foods and ingredients, as well as enjoying locally brewed or locally distilled beverages, which you just won’t find in a city bar.
The local pub is the perfect spot for gaining local knowledge and meeting interesting and helpful people, expanding your social circles and networks. You may find that unlike in a city bar, people just naturally greet one another in local country pubs, where you could very well find excess home-grown veggies on your doorstep as a “welcome to the area” gift.
Country life is a very fulfilling experience, and the local pub is a great location to make sure that you’re making the most of being part of your new community.
The best education can only be had in a city.
Now just hold on a second! …Perhaps you should take a look at:
- Cheltenham College
- Gloucestershire University
- Royal Agricultural University
- Westonbirt School
- Magdalen College
- Royal High School
Summary.
We have covered the six most common pre-misconceptions that some buyers, exchanging city life for country life, are most concerned about when contacting Robinson David, however, I hope that we have helped to settle any nerves or worries. Robinson David has an excellent knowledge of the areas that we cover, which enables us to help you find the lifestyle that you wish to gain from your move. We are always available to contact.