Technical > Home Improvement > If I move to the country?

If I move to the country?

Decent internet is the main reason I haven't moved to the country.

reply to fartness
Assuming you won't have muni water, you'll need a well.
Getting a well drilled is not cheap.
I don't know costs to give you, but around here when a well goes dry, I hear an awful lot of crying about how expensive it is to have a new one scoped and dug. $5000 minimum, I'd venture?

Then along with the pump, you need tank, and likely some sort of treatment system to adjust the water to your preferred drinking and washing preference (no heavy iron or other 'impurities')...and treatment systems vary but pretty sure all need some sort of 'recharge'

We go through about $30 in salt for our system every 6 weeks.

THEN, of course, hope that whatever water supply you can tap is not only decent tasting but not really polluted or dangerous.
And, if you have kids, no flouride (no biggie)...AND if you lose power, your well pump doesn't work, so have limited water reserve (whatever is in your tank) til the power comes back on...
...or, maybe of course, living in such a rural area, you'd have a generator hookup for it.

So that's JUST the water concern. We're in a very suburb area but have a well. I like it overall...I think it's a lot cheaper than muni water service...at least, as long as it doesn't run dry. When it does, I'll be crying a different tune...
KM
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Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential

reply to fartness
septic means if you did not eat it, drink it, or wipe your ass with it then it does not go down a toilet/drain. no feminine hygene products, food scraps, etc...

wells are not a big deal, but during cold weather you will want to put a heat source in the pump house or the well could freeze.

critters, LOTS of critters. everything from bugs to mice to snakes to all sorts of wild animals. don't gripe about them, you decided to move to their home turf and you will not completely ever be rid of them.

as far as home maintenance, generally you won't be dealing with zone laws or HOA bylaws so you are free to paint as you like or let the grass grow an extra week between cuttings if you desire.

lastly, remember that cops will be long response times. be ready to defend your own property if necessary.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to fartness
I live in the "country", actually just outside a town with around 9000 population.

-Most places here in rural Illinois, but not all, either currently have or are building out a rural water system.
-I use the well water for the yard and garden.
-We have an aeration septic - ~$100 per year to have it serviced.
-My internet is fixed wireless, but that company is currently transitioning to at-home 4G (true unlimited data) it will be alot faster
-You'll have to have sat. TV unless you go with an antenae
-The thing that bothered me most moving here was that I had gotten used to being able to buy anything I wanted at all hours of the night - that doesn't happen in rural areas unless Wal-Mart carries it.
-Another bothersome thing, although I enjoy it now, was when going through a checkout, they would carry on extended conversations with the person in front of me before finally taking their money.
-Older houses are a good deal in my opinion, nice woodwork, nice wood floors, curved top doorways, cast iron bathtubs, etc.
-It's all in what you want to get out of it.
-Did I mention no traffic?
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If you’re greener than Gore, you’re green enough.

reply to fartness

reply to fartness
I'm from a rural area and moved to the city and later the suburbs.
The city I live in now is pretty nice, but it's gets getting bigger pretty fast. The population is up to about 82,000 now (in 1990, the population was 18,000).
I'm going back to the country myself. As I tell my wife, I'd rather drive 20 miles in the country than 2 miles in the city.
I also have a lot of "stuff". I need a place to put all my "stuff". It's hard to put up a pole barn on a suburban lot.

Fortunately, I'm in an area where you do not have to go far to get to the country. A lot of my customers are rural.

There are a lot of benefits to living the rural life. I'll give you some of the downers first:

City services go away (water, sewer, trash). While you won't have a monthly bill mailed, you will have to pay to maintain these systems. They aren't "set and forget".

Some places do not have mail delivery. You have to get a PO Box. Some places will only plow main roads when it snows. Some private trash services only run 2X a month in the country.

Homes in the country aren't always built as well as those in more regulated areas. There often isn't any code enforcement to be an owners advocate during construction. People in the country also tend to be more "creative" with their repairs and construction methods. I'm not saying all are like that. I'm saying what I've personally found is that quality goes down in the country.

In the country, you can expect more pests. Field mice, stray animals, wild animals, insects, etc...
I don't know why, but mud daubers (dirt wasps) seem to be attracted to carburetors.

Internet service is often lacking. Internet is very important to me. I recently made an offer on a property and put reasonable internet access availability as one of the contingencies.

TV. You can pretty much count on having to use DirecTV or Dish Network. If you are way out, OTA may not even be an option.

You'll need equipment to maintain the property. Mower, tractor, brush hog, etc... Driveways and access road maintenance often falls to the property owner(s). Rock, grading, plowing, etc...

Services such as fire, police, and ambulance are going to take longer. Fire dept. may be volunteer. Police dept. may be volunteer as well, or county sheriff. Your insurance may go up.

Getting away from it all really does mean "away". You can't just run over to Lowe's Depot, IGA, or Walmart on a whim.
Want to buy ice cream in June? Better remember to bring the cooler.

If you have the luxury of natural gas heating now, you'll probably lose that in the country. You'll have to pay for much more expensive propane, oil, or electricity.

All that crap being said, I still prefer rural life to city living. People are nicer in the country. I hate to say it, but it's true. I think the benefits far outweigh the minor inconveniences.
I like reduced crime, friendly people, fresh air, space, stronger community (ironically), peace and quiet. I'd rather smell cow shit than hear traffic on highway 70.
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If someone refers to herself / himself as a "guru", they probably aren't.

reply to fartness
I can help with some of your questions.

First, DO NOT buy a property without high speed Internet. DSL doesn't count. Must be cable, FIOS, or something faster than DSL. Without it you'll be living in the last century for information and media streaming (or lack of streaming).

Next as to water, I have lived in several homes with well water. 2 were very good, 2 were not so good, one was awful. Hard water, or water that really smells, is going to make your life miserable. Often a home near a lake, or near a river, will have better water. However you'll want it tested, and you'll want to feel it on your hands and smell it. If it's very hard, if a glass gets full of foggy water, if the water has a methane trap, you probably don't want to live there.

Septic systems require drainage, and work best if there is some slope on at least the part of the property the septic is on. A flat septic, or a septic that is in a valley is more likely to have problems. Age of the septic, quality of the soil, and how regularly it was cleaned are all important. Get a septic person to evaluate your home.

As to age, once I lived in a farmhouse, it was adorable. Unfortunately the 3' thick stone walls, weren't good insulators. Even at 3' the insulation of stone is very bad. When there were walls, the wire wasn't up to code, and there was horse hair used as an insulator in some walls. Older homes can be appealing, but if they have fuses, 3 or 4 types of plumbing, or lack a ground on the outlets, it may be best to pass on the home.

Homes built until the mid 80's often had either optional insulation (on exterior walls) or R3 to R9. An older house (early 70's and older) may not have Tyvec or equivalent wrap, and will be drafty. Tyvec came on the market in 1967

You'll need to drive everywhere, and will need a very good car, and maybe a spare. You will also want to buy some things in bulk, and maybe have a large freezer. This permits long term storage of meat, and other staples. Your time to travel to a supermarket, and the cost of doing so will be higher than in an urban or suburban area.

Building a home can produce a wonderful place, but can be expensive, time consuming, and cause grief. In many rural areas power is not reliable during or after storms, and plowing of your driveway and even your road may not occur very quickly (if in a temperate area). Be prepared to be more self reliant, and think about an emergency generator that can power your home.

As to heat, check out oil, gas or propane. It is unlikely a rural home will have natural gas, and propane can be very overpriced or reasonably priced, a Realtor should be able to help with prices for fuels.

I live in a very quiet area, with great water, great Internet, a fantastic house and am blessed with wonderful neighbors. I don't plan to move. A wonderful home is priceless. I wish you similar good fortune.
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Congress could mess up a one piece jigsaw puzzle.

reply to fartness
Thanks for the replies so far. Heat is something I didn't even think of. Right now living in the city I have natural gas and it averages $1 per ccf used. Average bill in the winter for gas and electricity is around $180 to $200, and my house is poorly insulated. Family members with similar sized houses and better insulated pay around $120 to $150 in the winter.

Does oil heat smell like oil, or only if oil is spilled? What would heating likely cost? I don't need a real huge house, something 1500 sq ft would be fine. My current house is 1300 and some change and it's plenty big.

Water bill averages $7 a month but some family members in other cities near me pay upwards of $30 a month for similar usage.

Sewer and trash are included in my city taxes. Garbage service in the country wouldn't bother me too much since I don't produce much. I even have permission at one of my jobs to use the dumpsters if I ever need it, but my city will take ANYTHING for free. I know some cities or services charge extra.

reply to fartness
Expect to eat a lot of peaches!

Hahaha, sorry couldn't resist when I saw your title.

reply to fartness
I have a friend that lives in Upstate (Ithaca area) and paid close to $4.00/gal for heating oil (275 Gal tank). It lasts them about 4 months, but it depends if the house you are looking at also uses it to heat the water (higher rate of consumption). It doesn't really smell to me since it is radiators rather than forced air. I don't know about rather of consumption for reasons stated earlier, but I do know there is extra cost in money for tank maintenance and such.

reply to KoolMoe

reply to fartness
Didn't you just buy the house you are in now?

Depends on how far out in the "country" you want to go, you may be able to get cable service.

If your well and septic is in good working order, you will not notice much difference.

reply to fartness

reply to nunya

reply to fartness
If you move to the country:
Please leave your city shit behind. Its different out here. Those of us who are here and have become accustom to the "issues" of living in the country have done so because we loath the city life and all that it holds. When a city slicker moves in and try to modify the quiet way of life we have come to love, most don't last to long. If you do move get ready to witness things like gun racks in trucks actually carrying guns that are not going to kill anyone just because they are guns and are being carried openly. Get ready to be involved in a 5 car traffic jam when Jim Bob needs to move his harvester down to the north west field. Blowing your horn will do nothing, as he really doesn't give a shit, and will more than likely slow to a pace so slow you will swear hes stopped. When you stop for a dozen eggs at Millie's place because you saw the sign for fresh eggs 4 sale, don't point out that there is chicken poop on the funny colored egg, if you do it will be the last time you ever buy an egg from her. She is getting to old to explain to every city slicker that stops in that this is not the Giant Eagle, or food mart. You will hear gun shots most days, don't call the police, its OK really. Loud exhausts from 4X4s replace the loud stereos, but who doesn't love the sound of a finely tuned big block!

If you move to the country do so because you want to change.

If you drive a EV you might want to trade it in before moving, they are used for target practice out here. Even our RCs are nitro powered.

reply to fartness
I moved to the sticks 20 years ago. Regardless of if you build or buy, here are the issues I have had to deal with or change our ways of life about:
1. Internet access. 3G was good while it lasted until it was oversold. Forget about 4G for a few years, so Exede became my best friend. DO NOT stream Netflix, etc. and you'll be fine.
2. Septic system. For the young ladies in your home, they can't flush "feminine" items. This will clog your field and cause issues. Period (literally).
3. Varmints. Get a gun. I've raised all kinds of animals only to see them become food for varmints such as racoons, coyotes, etc. That is, of course, until I started thinning the herd. We now have chickens, and haven't lost a one yet.

Also, mail delivery becomes a treat. If you are used to getting your mail regularly, and at the same time every day, forget it. If we get snow, it doesn't come. I know, nor rain, nor sleet, etc, thats BS. Plus, it comes at all times of the day and night.

Finally, with kids in highschool, the more out of the way homes like mine become the favorite target for homecoming week toilet papering. They got me once. I have gotten even from then on. Simple outdoor motion detectors from Harbor Freight with the receivers in the house. I jump out the door screaming, and the kids wet themselves trying to vacate the area. I have acquired many cases of TP that way. The cheap bastards use the stuff thats like sand paper, so its tough to make use of it....
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The proper way to break in a Harley: Grab a fist full of throttle, and ride it like you stole it!!!

reply to fartness

reply to fartness
There are a few rural areas with wireline broadband. Around here there are fat trunk lines going over the hill to san jose through the bottleneck river valley.
There are a lot of silicon valley commuters and redneck skinheads living up there and the stores are few and very expensive.

I don't want to be that far from the ocean or stores.
All the good spots near fiber runs are sought after and more expensive.
Looks to be necessary to be within 1 block of a main fiber trunk to get good internet here.
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Let them eat FIBER!