A lot of people, at some point in their lives, get tired of city living and decide to move out to a more peaceful rural area with a slower pace of life. Some people do this when they have kids, as they feel their children will have a better experience growing up outside of the city, others who grew up in the countryside move back as soon as they can, and others still make the move when they retire. Of course, life in the country is far different from life in a major metropolis, and can take some adjusting to. Here are three things you should do to help prepare to make the move go as smoothly as possible for you and your partner or family:
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If You Don’t Have It, Get Your Driver’s License
A lot of people who have lived and worked in a major city like London from a young age don’t have their driver’s licenses, purely because it is pretty much unnecessary to drive in places like this that are well served by public transport and also very inconvenient to drive in due to congestion and lack of parking. People tend not to bother learning to drive because lessons, and the cost of then running a car, are expenses that don’t really give them that much value. However, in a more rural environment, you absolutely need a car. Public transport is minimal at best, and there will be very few amenities you can simply walk to like there are in cities. A great resource to help you prepare for your driving theory test is the Top Tests website, which allows you to do mock theory exams. Then you’ll just need to get some lessons and get ready for the practical test.
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Get a Suitable Car
As well as a license, you will of course need a car, and if you already have one, chances are you chose it for its suitability for driving around in a city rather than on country roads. Country driving is different to driving in urban areas and you need a vehicle that is appropriate – a little Smart car may be ideal for weaving through city streets but is not a good option for windy, isolated country roads in bad weather.
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Get Used to Online Shopping
In big cities you have so much choice when it comes to the things you can buy, but out in the country you may find you miss some of your favourite brands because they don’t have a branch within 50 miles. While there are high streets in small towns close to rural areas where you can buy essentials, if you want your usual choice then you should start bookmarking the online stores of all your favourite shops!
There will be lots of differences you’ll encounter as you move, but having your own transport and making sure you can get hold of the things you might miss from the city by shopping online are good ways to prepare.
This post was written by Bill Clark. Bill is a freelance journalist who specialises in writing about culture and the arts, however will write about anything that piques his interest including business, travel and lifestyle. He can be reached on Twitter @BilboClark01.