The lure of quiet country living far away from the hustle and bustle of city life is drawing many city dwellers away from suburbia and into rural communities. If you are considering such a move it is important to be aware of the many differences between city and rural living.
One of the biggest differences between rural and city living is how utilities are handled. Large cities generally provide utilities to residents, and all your services are handled through a handful of city run companies. This is not the case in rural areas. If you are outside the city limits your utilities will most likely be handled through cooperatives. Cooperatives are small, privately and customer owned companies that provide services such as electric and water. If you are moving to an already established home site you will have existing water and electric meters. However, if you are buying unimproved acreage and building from the ground up you will be responsible for paying for the installation of water pipes, electric lines and meters. This can be a considerable cost and should be taken into consideration when buying property. In addition to deposits, you can also expect membership feeds and connection charges when getting coop utilities started. Coops have the benefit of greater customer involvement than city utilities, and usually offer very competitive rates and excellent customer service. In some areas water service is not available, and well water is relied upon for household use. In which case, the homeowner is responsible for the safety and maintenance of the well and accompanying systems. Modern wells are completely encapsulated and water is pumped into the house via electric pumps and pressurized air tanks. A good well functions very much like city water service. However, it is important that the well be maintained carefully so it does not become contaminated. Wells are also susceptible to freezing weather, which can cause the whole system to freeze and become inoperable. There are usually several companies in rural areas that provide well services. If you are unfamiliar with the function of a well, they can provide a wealth of information on basic maintenance and usage. Waste water and sewage is another service that is handled differently in rural areas. Septic systems are used in place of city sewer services. As a home owner you will be responsible for maintaining and/or installing your own septic system. If the system has been installed correctly it will be virtually maintenance free, however, extra care needs to be taken not to introduce harmful products into the septic system. If your home has appliances that run on natural gas you most likely will have to rely on a propane tank to hold and supply the gas. It is not practical or safe to pipe natural gas through rural areas. Propane tanks are a safe and practical way of providing natural gas in rural areas. The home owner will be responsible for having a gas company out to refill the tank as needed and do maintenance checks to ensure the safety of the system. Last but not least, trash service is also handled differently in rural areas. In some areas ‘curb side’ trash service is simply not available. In which case, home owners often burn as much of their trash as possible and haul the rest off the property themselves. If trash service is available, most companies want 3 or more months of service bought at a time. Trash cans may or may not be provided, and rural trash pick up is generally not as reliable as city trash service. Each of these various utility services will be billed separately, and many rural service companies do not take phone payments. Some may not even be able to take credit card payments!
Mail delivery is yet another service that is subject to being handled differently. Rural mail carriers are often very informal (usually a non-uniformed driver in a regular vehicle that has had the steering wheel modified), however, they can provide services that city mail carriers can not such as the ability to buy stamps, mail packages, etc right from their vehicle! In some rural locations mail delivery is not possible, in which case it will be necessary to pay for a PO Box at a local post office.
Because many rural areas are sparsely populated and the surrounding towns are too small to support individual government offices the county handles services that would normally be provided by a large city such as police protection, department of transportation, fire and emergency services, etc. If you are having problems finding a public service, contact the city hall in the town that is the county seat for your county.
School Districts are also different in rural areas. Again, contacting county officials will ensure that your children are enrolled at the correct school. It may also be necessary to take your children to and from school each day. Bus service is not always available in rural areas. Where bus service is available, it may be necessary to have the bus stop on or near a neighbor’s property. Be prepared to have your neighbors fill out forms providing permission to create a new bus stop.
Moving to a rural area from the city will encompass a great many number of changes. Being prepared for those changes will help make the transition an easy one!
