HOUSE OF DREAMS
If you’re searching on Rightmove, the fancier piles are obviously going to turn your noggin. But unless you’re a recluse basing a move purely on the beauty of a house alone is risky business. Sure the size, style, décor are all going to be considerations when ogling Rightmove – but you can transform any building into something amazing over time. What you cannot do is magic up transport links, things to do or a community vibe.
The show is called Location Location Location for a reason. Falling for a fit house without properly considering if the location is right for you, is like falling for a someone super-hot only to realise that’s all they have going for them. It’s going to be a short love affair, (and in the context of a house, possibly a very costly mistake).
VILLAGE VERSUS TOWN
Only you will know what’s right for you – sleepy village or small buzzy town. (And obviously not all towns and villages are cut the same).
Take inventory of the things you like doing – grabbing a morning coffee / spending Friday night in a good pub / maybe you use the post office twice a week for business / or really want good cycle routes / or a clutch of decent restaurants and places to go dancing. Then seek out postcodes or areas that offer those things.
IF you do opt for a village location, then seek out things like parks / nice walks / a decent coffee shop / consider where your kids ride their bikes safely (if you have them, kids and or bikes). Then look into your nearest town too and be honest with yourself as to whether you like it. Can you imagine spending Saturday afternoons there? Are there restaurants you’d happily eat in. Look around, do you get a sense that you could find your tribe there? Where is the nearest pub, shop or café?
If in doubt do the milk (or wine) test. How far do you need to go if you accidentally run out? I grew up in a village where the nearest shop was 7 miles away. We had a chest freezer full of frozen milk ‘just incase’.
WHAT’S THE VIBE
Sniff about the school gate, check the village or town noticeboard / canvas locals / see ‘what’s on’ in the village hall / eat at the nearest pub / do the drive to the closest decent coffee place / check out the supermarket run and poke about in shops. See if you get a good feeling, if there are things on that might appeal to you. If you like wild swimming, where can you do this nearby for eg? If you have a dog, are there enough spots for you without needing a car? Think about how you’d like to spend your free time and plug yourself into an area that offers it. It seems obvious but a ‘vibe’ or ‘scene’ isn’t always obvious from just walking about, you need to do adequate digging.
RENOVATING
Be realistic with budget. Prices of timber and labour have gone up dramatically in the past year. Be realistic on your own limits of dust and destruction. Good builders in Somerset might have a year long wait list. Consider where you’ll live while the mess goes on, and how this might effect you. Remember that planning permission in certain postcodes is also costly, laborious and riddled with bureaucracy. Go in with your eyes open!
SOCIAL SCAFFOLDING
If you’re someone who thrives in social situations, consider how you might meet new people and also nurture new relationships by being able to hang out with them. Are there yoga groups or outdoor swim clubs nearby you might find likeminded people? Maybe there’s a cool coworking space.
The more remote you choose to live the harder it might be to connect with people. Conversely if privacy, peace, quiet and not seeing a soul for days are high up your list – that cabin in the woods might be just the ticket. Don’t rely on old friends visiting you by way of a social circle. Hosting old friends is fun but also tiring and expensive. You’re going to feel happiest with a network that is geographically close.
TAXIS
Taxis in the country are expensive and scarce. The further you are from a decent sized town, the harder it will be to book a cab at short notice. Booking your return taxi ride days in advance is not unusual in certain areas of the shire. Spontaneity becomes harder the more remote your location. Ask yourself if you think this will suit you.
If you want to be able to hop and meet friends at short notice, then living in a town or being on the edge of one might equal greater general contentment levels as time goes on.
As a price example – I got an Uber from Bristol to Bath at 3am on Friday night and it cost me £30. To travel the same distance in a prebooked car would have been upwards of £70. In Somerset you can only get Ubers in Bath and Bristol. Do ya research. Make yourself a spreadsheet. Figure out what’s right for you (and what you can afford) – an £150 round trip once a week to go out, on top of babysitters and bar costs and it soon becomes prohibitive.
KIDS AND TEENS
If you have kids, investigate the local primary AND secondary schools. No one wants to be moving after only a few years for access to solid education. See also parks, things to do, and crucially if you plan to stay in your new house for some time – bus routes. Can your kids (and you) travel to do stuff independently as they grow up? Or if you fall for somewhere without bus connections, maybe swallow the fact you’re going to become a taxi service as soon as the kids become teenagers.
CARS AND DRIVING
Not to labour the point about being close to stuff you like, but also worth bearing in mind the more ‘out of town’ you reside, the more you might need two cars. Which whacks your weekly outgoings up. Not to mention yee olde carbon footprint.
DRINK DRIVING
You’ll find people in the country that shrug at the idea of drink driving, stating casually that everyone does it. Sure, some (stupid) people will likely to this, but equal volumes still see this as the douchebag move it is. IF you like spending some of your leisure time drinking with friends then decent bus links / budgeting how much you can afford to pay on taxis / being able to walk into and back safely from town really needs to be on your checklist.
TRAINS / COMMUTING
Be real with yourself about how much train travel you might need to do. Don’t just look at how close the nearest high speed rail link is, also look at regularity of service, length of travel time (door to door), and ticket cost. Bath to London Paddington is super-fast at 1 hour 12 mins. But it’s also a super spenny line. Budget for both time and also dollar. Make that spreadsheet work hard.
Equally. Don’t underestimate the emotional and physical toll of a convoluted commute. Just because ‘it’s doable’ doesn’t mean it might not pillage your reserves once you’ve been doing it for a few months.
COMMUNITY
When you’re moving to smaller towns, the people around you and the stuff going on will shape your experience of a place. But don’t just think about what the community can offer you – think about what you can offer it to. From setting up groups or classes to just using the local post office, every social / financial investment counts.
SCRUFFY OR STUFFY
Don’t overlook a village or town that feels a little scrappy around the edges. Immaculate chocolate box villages will inevitably draw on your heart strings. But often, behind that gorgeous buttery stone that first lured you in lies outdated views and twitching curtains. Country life is messy, dirty and often a bit scruffy – lean in. Or at least pick your village wisely. Pretty rarely means perfect. If you’re looking for a mini-London, maybe just stay in London.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
I don’t agree with independent schools. Access to education should be free and fair for all children. BUT we live in a free country, so you can disagree with me at your leisure. However, if you are going to send your kid to an independent school rather than your local village state school, bear in mind funding is allocated to state schools based on pupils in seats, so your decision to ‘opt out’ may directly impact intake for any given year, and funding = facilities. A healthy school community benefits the whole village. So why not consider what other ways you can participate in the village community and invest some of your time, money and social flavour in other local spaces, places or enterprises to keep the village or town buoyed and buzzy.
GO SEE STUFF
So many people discount houses on Right move without seeing them. The more stuff you see, the more you build up a sense of what you like and don’t. Like dating there’s a chemistry involved too, and you can’t pick up on that when scrolling pics.
Study floor plans too – does the layout work for you or can it be altered to suit your need. Be wary of rooms on ‘lower ground’ levels unless the lack of light doesn’t bother you. And check for window placement and size if you’re a light lover.
Obviously make friends with the estate agents. Lots of things are sold off market. Or if money is no object, private property finders can do the hard work for you.
ENERGY BILLS
Don’t forget to factor that whopping energy bill into your spreadsheet when balancing incomings and outgoings to see what you can comfortably afford. That chunky house you’ve found is going to have an equally chunky bill – be sure you can factor it in. And ahem, even if you can afford to comfortably heat it, lest we forget it’s called an energy crisis for a reason.
EXCITING VS HARD
Any big move is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. Make peace with the fact there will be days you’ll miss your old life, people, and places. All feelings pass. Feeling lonely doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve made an error, see it as a rite of passage on your journey to settling in and finding your new clan.
LEAP OF FAITH
You’ve done your due diligence; the rest is a leap of faith and energy. Good luck! Also very happy to answer your questions on seksi areas of Somerset I think you might love, drop ‘em in the comments below.