As we start to enter the peak period for home removals, we were interested to see some new research out from estate agent Strutt & Parker, talking about a new trend for movers to be craving rural vs city life.
Previous research has suggested the trend is towards people favouring cities over villages, with an estimated 65 million living in Britain’s cities by the middle of the century, as opposed to just eight million in more rural locations.
But the new study shows that just over a fifth of those moving home now want to live in a village – making it the most popular type of location, as opposed to cities, suburbs and market towns.
The key, it seems, is aiming for an ‘amenity-rich’ village. Access to broadband is a key factor for one in two people, as more and more people work from home to some extent, and over a third flagged mobile connectivity as vital. England’s rural economy is home to 25 per cent of all registered businesses and is reported to account for £210 billion in economic output, so a lack of employment opportunities in a rural location needn’t necessarily be an issue.
Of those pining for the village life, 60 per cent state they would like a shop in walking distance, one in two require access to public transport and a similar number would need to know medical facilities were close by.
It’s certainly the case that Yorkshire is jam-packed full of villages which would meet many of those requirements – and provide a picture-postcard place to live at the same time.
So if you’re thinking of moving, it’s definitely worth some serious consideration – are you rural or urban at heart? And wherever you’re moving to, be it a city centre pad or a sprawling manor house, we’re happy to offer plenty of advice on the logistics of getting you and all your belongings there!
