Countryside living in high demand

The UK, like many countries around the world, has been hit recently with stringent lockdown measures and families across the country have found themselves stuck at home. This prolonged time at home seems to have sparked a movement where people are considering their living spaces and realising that it is not just about the physical building but the space around it as well. 

It seems obvious to say but houses in the country offer an awful lot in terms of quality of living. There’s naturally more room, more open space in which to roam around and the amenities and community feel of villages and market towns are increasingly sought-after. 

City-dwellers have long defended their reasons for living on top of each other, but the country-wide lockdown appears to have blasted big holes in their reasoning and many more are considering a move to the country and are longingly looking at rural locations and countryside plots. 

THE APPEAL OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

Agents and property consultants up and down the country are reporting that they have seen a massive surge of interest in prime country properties from people who want to escape their city life. Remote working is on the rise and people want space where they are free to move about more. All of a sudden, cities are starting to be viewed with anxiety and their lack of space, crammed parks and busy transport routes are now huge negatives. 

Property expert Savills has recently conducted a survey with their registered buyers and sellers across the UK and found some interesting trends in terms of the desire to move to the country. 54 per cent of those with school-age children said that they now find a countryside location more attractive than before COVID-19 and four in ten regarded village locations as more appealing. 

Frances Clacy of the agency’s research team said there would be a “rural renaissance”, suggesting that villages with useful amenities would find themselves suddenly in high demand.

Online property portal Rightmove has also reported a significant up-lift in searches by Londoners thinking about moving out of the city. There have been 51 per cent of inquiries of this nature recently compared to 42 per cent this time last year. Rightmove’s housing market commentator Miles Shipside said: “It’s not unusual for there to be a large proportion of would-be buyers considering a move out of a city if they’re looking for a more affordable place to buy for the first time, or to trade up but get more for their money, but there’s been a notable shift during lockdown of more contemplating out-of-city moves.” 

REFLECTING ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT

The positivity of lockdown is that it has certainly slowed life down and given us all time to reflect. With life turned upside down at the moment, many people are taking this opportunity to look at their lives differently and consider what is important. Whereas big cities with all their entertainment and social scenes have been a huge enticement in the past, it now seems that rural villages with a slower pace of life and helpful amenities are now the place to be.

Further to this, the conventional dream of living in the city with a holiday home in the country is perhaps being turned on its head. People are realising that they can live in the country, enjoy the space and freedom for the majority of the time and only travel into the city when absolutely necessary. 

There are a huge number of beautiful villages and towns across the UK, but the North seems to be particularly blessed with them. Cheshire especially has an abundance of characterful and friendly villages such as Knutsford, Poynton, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow. These popular suburbs of Manchester all have the perfect combination of pubs, green space and amenities and have the added benefit of being just a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Manchester city centre. It is places exactly like these that are tempting more and more people away from their city dwellings and into the countryside. 

HARVEY HOMES IN THE COUNTRY

Harvey Homes’ maiden development – Swan Green – is located in the heart of beautiful countryside in Knutsford and is surrounded by scenic landscapes and places to explore. Even better than this is the close proximity of the fabulous village of Lower Peover which has all the essential amenities as well as several cosy pubs!

We have certainly received an increase in enquiries from people looking for more space both in and around their homes and we’re expecting this trend to continue in the coming months and years. If you are looking to start your new life in the countryside then make sure you contact our sales teams on 0161 468 2728 or email hello@harvey-homes.co.uk.