Image courtesy of Unsplash / Sam Knight
Life is all about balance.
There may be all sorts of reasons why you might not feel ready to make a full-time move into the country – perhaps you don’t want to move your children out of school, you may not want to increase your commute time or leave friends behind. You might feel that you don’t want to give up the convenience of the city, the cultural opportunities or the ‘buzz’.
And yet the countryside has an allure that is hard to ignore. A dose of peace and tranquillity in the country is the perfect remedy to the pressure-cooker feeling of a week in the big smoke. From cleaner air to fantastic pubs and the ubiquitous village fête, there’s a lot to be gained through spending your weekends out in the country.
A wonderful way to get the best of both worlds is to embrace the 5:2 lifestyle – spend your week up in London and escape at the weekends to your home in the country. It’s a great way to ease yourself into country life and there is a real benefit to spending your weekends consistently in one place – with a little effort on your part you’ll find that you soon begin to lay down roots and accumulate a social life.
Dividing your time in this way makes a lot of sense. You’re able to focus on work and your life in town during the week with the minimum of travel then on Friday night you can head off and leave the stresses of the week behind. You’re also able to look further afield than you might, were you to settle for an in-between commuter belt solution. We’d say that the Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire borders were the perfect spot in this regard – far enough away to feel that you’re out of the city, but close enough that you’re still getting the most out of your weekend.
Photo by Ashleigh Joy Photography on Unsplash
Many people feel slightly nervous at the prospect of being seen as ‘weekenders’ by their new neighbours. In our experience a little social involvement goes a long way! If you’re so inclined, a visit to church is always a quick and friendly way into the community and then there’s always that other centre of village life – the pub. Get to know your new neighbours, make sure you’re signed up to the local village magazine and keep an eye on any local noticeboard. For example, in a village close to us, there’s an annual cider pressing where everyone brings the apples from their gardens and presses it on the green. The resulting juice is taken away and the resulting cider is divided among the villagers. Events like these are wonderful opportunities to get stuck in and make some friends.
A major draw to many who arrange their weeks in this way are the leisure opportunities that the countryside can afford. Leave behind the art galleries and theatre and jump on your bike! Cycling in the countryside is a very different proposition to biking in town. Forget belching exhausts, feckless taxi drivers and constant traffic lights and embrace the freedom of the country lanes. The South Downs National Park is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and for the price of a few steep hills can offer some truly spectacular views. There’s horse riding, hunting, shooting, even polo lessons, not to mention the countless miles of walks and fabulous lists of must-visit pubs.
If this all sounds like something that might just work for you, then the first step is to get in contact and find out what we can do for you! Do have a read of our other blogs to get a feel of what is out there and how you might make it all work.
We look forward to speaking to you!