A home in the countryside, far from the maddening crowd and noises in the urban locality, is something that everyone wishes. Today, more and more people are interested in buying homes in rural areas, because they want to use them as holiday homes or places where they find relaxation during the weekends.
Many families buy homes in the countryside quite close to where they live, so that they can drive for an hour or so during the weekends to relax in their rural homes. They refresh themselves during the weekend to feel rejuvenated and manage the stressful week ahead of them. Rural homes are no more the faint, little cottages that you imagine from your fairy tale books. Thanks to their demand, there are rural homes of many types today – right from the simple bungalows to the luxurious villas.
Are you interested in buying a rural home for yourself? You might face quite a few challenges in the process. Though there are quite a few country homes for sale, you might have some difficulty in finding the ideal property for yourself. If you want to pick the best from the many rural homes for sale in Missouri or anywhere else, you should be aware of some fundamental concepts that are explained in this article.
- Choose the right agent
You will find quite a lot of real estate agents in your locality, who are ready to help you find a rural home of your choice. However, the key is to find an agent who deals in exclusively rural homes. Even if that is not his niche, he should have rich experience in helping his clients buy rural homes in the past. You will get to know about his experience and work history during your research.
A rural property, though similar to other properties in most of the categories, differs when it comes to the legal formalities and documents that need to be submitted. The area where the rural home is located may be agricultural land. Therefore, before buying a rural home there, you have to tie up with an agent who knows about the rules and restrictions pertaining to the locality where you want the rural home.
An experienced agent will also let you know if there are any building restrictions in the area where you want to buy a home. Sometimes, the areas near the countryside have strict rules when it comes to pollution. You need to be aware of all these before you make the final call. It is almost impossible for you to gather all this information by yourself. So, the first and most important step in choosing a rural home is to find yourself a good agent to guide you in the process.
- What exactly are you buying?
When you inspect the property, ensure that you hire the services of an advocate as well to write the contract in clear terms. The contract should specify all the details about the things that are included in the deal. Are you buying only the rural home or the farm around it as well? If there are any other items such as feeders, livestock, poultry, benches and other farm-related equipment on the farm, the contract should clearly specify their inclusions in the deal. This will remove all ambiguity that could exist in the minds of the buyer and seller.
- What are the facilities available and what is the condition of these facilities?
When you want to buy a rural home, you should pay extreme attention to the facilities available there. This is because if the property lacks basic facilities or if the facilities aren’t available in the right condition, it could result in lots of repair costs in the long run for you. You have to ensure that you get a surveyor to check the quality of the property. Some of the basic checks that you have to carry out as part of this review process are the following:
Septic Tanks – Most of the rural homes and properties have a septic system to drain out the wastewater. Before deciding to put your money in a rural home, it is important to check the health of its septic tank. Check the inspection report thoroughly and proceed with the other formalities only if the septic tank is cleared from issues.
Water Systems – In rural areas, you will notice that well water is the most commonly used type of water, as there is no direct connection to use public water. When you assess the quality of a home in the countryside, you should first check the quality of the well, its depth, condition of the water inside the well, comfort in transporting the water from the well to the home and other related factors. A professional agent will provide you with qualified water inspectors to check the system thoroughly.
Heating Systems – Does the rural home use oil or propane for its heating requirement? What is the condition of the heating lines and other heating systems at the time of purchase? If they are damaged, they will cost you a lot to sort out. So, get a professional rural home inspector to assess these damages and correct them early, so that you rather be safe than sorry.
- Know the perils of living far off from the urban world
Yes, you can escape from peak-hour traffic and maddening noises when you live in the countryside. However, there is more to these homes than what is visible. When you live far off from the countryside, you might not have the benefits that you would qualify for, when you live in an urban community. For example, during the harsh winters, your community may appoint road cleaners to clean up the snow accumulated in front of your apartment. This way, you don’t have to worry about anything.
However, when you are living in a rural area, you may not have many homes in the neighborhood. You are entirely responsible for the area in front of and around your property. If you find snow accumulated in front of your home, you have to invest in the necessary tools to clean it yourself. So buying a rural home involves some road maintenance skills as well from you!
Also, you may have to deal with cleaning your trash can every day all by yourself, walking to the town center to post letters, get rid of facilities like home delivery etc. if you live in a rural facility that is miles away from the urban town. For every single facility such as a plumber or an electrician, you have to depend on your agent or search for all the details all by yourself on Google.
No, we definitely aren’t trying to discourage you from buying a rural home. Homes in the rural side are extremely beautiful, indeed! However, not everything is rosy about buying a rural home. These are some ground realities that you should be aware of before you make this decision.
- Assess the costs involved
Before deciding to buy a rural home, you should think about the costs involved in the deal. While the cost of the home and the commission you have to pay to the agent are direct expenses, there are other hidden costs that may be needed to maintain the property. You will need to spend a lot on maintaining the property such as taking care of waste management, mowing the lawns, setting the right the light, heating & water systems, hiring a surveyor to check the facilities and the like.
Insurance is one of the most important expenses that you have to take care of when you want to buy a rural home. Check about the status of the property to see if there are any dues or liens before buying insurance for the rural home.
- Know about the area very well.
If you are planning to buy a rural home in an area that you aren’t familiar with, it may be difficult for you to live there in the future. Therefore, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with the conditions of the area and get to know about the facilities nearby to continue living there without any hassles.
How far is the area from basic facilities such as hospitals and schools? What kind of climate will you experience in this area? Is the area prone to floods, landslides, heavy rainfall or other natural calamities? You have to conduct your research on these lines to ensure that the area that you have chosen is perfect for living.
You also need to acquaint yourself with the local regulations of the place that you have chosen to buy your rural home. Visit the local municipality office of the area and get to know about the formalities that you have to fulfill so that you can start living there without any problems.
In conclusion, we would like to state that buying a rural home would definitely turn into a pleasurable experience for you, if you follow all the steps that we have mentioned in the above sections.
