Daily Express Wednesday, April 8, 2020 3110 GOLDEN RULES FOR
MOVING TO THE STICKS1
VALUE FOR MONEY
The idea that everything is going for a
song isn’t the case. It may be a buyers’
market in some areas, but don’t think
turning up with a pocket full of cash will
always work. Vendors enjoy selling to
people they like. If you want a sensible
answer, make a sensible offer.2
BEWARE THE HOLIDAY
ROMANCE!
Just because you love somewhere as a
tourist doesn’t mean you can live there.
Don’t rush in – rent for a few months and
see if it works as a place to live full time.3
BE FLEXIBLE
An extra 20 to 30 minutes on a journey
isn’t the end of the world if it gets you the
kind of home you have longed for. Keep an
open mind.4
LEAVE ROOM TO IMPROVE
Don’t allow your maximum budget to
monopolise your search. Keep some funds
in reserve to allow for improvements, and
search at a lower level, allowing you room
to invest.5
OUTBUILDINGS
They often take up more time and
effort than they deserve. Remember, so
long as you have space and can obtain the
relevant consents, building a workshop,
studio or holiday let from scratch may be
better and cheaper.6
LAND
The average family doesn’t need it, so
don’t buy it. With prices ranging from
£5,000 to £15,000 an acre, it will chew up a
good chunk of your budget. Ask the vendor
if there is room to negotiate on price and
the amount of land included.7
THE GOOD LIFE
If you don’t have the money to buy a
smallholding, don’t despair. Renting is a
realistic way to get space without a huge
capital investment, and if it doesn’t work,
you can walk away.8
TRANSPORT
Are you ready to get in the car to buy
a pint of milk? Properties within walking
distance of local shops and pubs are hard
to find. The trick is to plan ahead,
especially during the winter, and
investigate public transport. A good
freezer will help.9
FUEL
The chances are you won’t be on
mains gas. Many rural homes rely on oil for
heating and hot water. I’m a huge fan of
fuel diversity in case there is a power cut.
There is also the opportunity to explore
renewable fuel sources.10
‘LIFE IN THE COUNTRY IS
EASIER!’
The countryside has its advantages, but
ease isn’t always one of them, particularly
if you are isolated. In remote spots,
grasping basic building and plumbing
skills will prove invaluable and can be
great fun.rfect
se is
ere that
res your
tion youace its
ections’
TOUR: Jules
shows Daily
Express writer
Deborah
around his
borders homejoined the Royal Engineers and I could be a
colonel or a general now and gone to war
in Afghanistan.”
Does he have any regrets about that? “No, I
have had a great career and a lot of fun.”
Indeed. What’s not to like about scour-
ing Britain for some of the most
beautiful properties in the land?
Did he practise what he
preaches when it came to
buying his own house?
“We looked at 20 proper-
ties in a two-day period,”
he recalls. “Tania said,
‘Property hunting with you
is going to be a nightmare –
you’re so picky.’ But when I
saw this I knew it was the one.
“We did what I recommend
which is to extend our search byhalf-an-hour’s drive and we got
what we wanted.
“You can change a lot about a
house but never a good location and
aspect and this house had both. You can
discuss ‘The Perfect House’ until the cows
come home but for me it has to be some-
where that so captures your imagination
you embrace its imperfections – like with a
partner. And my wife can give you chapter
and verse on why I’m not perfect,” he
says, chuckling.
“That’s why the Mystery House (a leftfield
property selected by the Escape to the
Country team) often works because couples
who have a stringent list allow themselves the
liberty to cross a line and they develop an
emotional connection rather than looking at
the guttering or the roof.”
He also believes it’s important not to allowsetbacks, whether
flooding or corona-
virus, to spoil our
countryside dream in
the long run.
“Rural life is a very British
thing,” he says. “It’s in our DNA. There’s never
been a better time to work from home.
“But the countryside is not a playground; it
is the supply chain where it all
starts with our food, and we
ignore its plight at our peril.
When there’s a crisis in the
countryside, like now, it affects
our towns and cities. It is a place
for recreation but it is also an
important part of our national
heritage and it is a working
component of Britain.”
This year, he predicts, buyerswill need to look beyond the countryside
hotspots of Devon and the Cotswolds.
“The Scottish borders and west Wales offer
fantastic value for money,” he says.
“There is stunning property in
Northumberland. The Forest of Bowland in
Lancashire is gorgeous.
“You can achieve fabulous architecture and
a pace of life you dictate.”●The Escape To The Country
Handbook by Jules Hudson
(Pavilion Books £16.99). For
free UK delivery call Express
Bookshop on 01872 562310 or
from expressbookshop.co.uk.
Delivery may be up to 28 days,
cheques/POs not accepted.
Signed copies are available
from JulesHudson.comMY HERO: Grandfather’s
cigarette case shows
enemy lines in DunkirkPictures: ROWAN GRIFFITHS