Living off the grid – isolated idyll or connection nightmare?

When you’re looking to live and work in the countryside, there are many factors you need to take into account. If you’ve enjoyed country living before, you may be used to the seclusion, the silence, the often narrow access roads and the fact that you might not be able to get a phone signal. But if you are only familiar with city or suburban living, then it might be something of a shock to realise that you are not  on the ‘national grid’ in terms of services. When does the joy and peace of isolation become a connectivity nightmare?

Normal service will be resumed

Availability of services of all kinds in rural areas are traditionally unpredictable. From the bus service that only runs three times a day to the nearest town or city, to the post office and garage that are no longer open, the range and choice of public services available to rural dwellers have shrunk dramatically over the last decade. But people love living in the countryside. Rural communities are welcoming and enjoyable places to spend your time. It’s just advisable to be aware of some differences between city and country life. It’s worth checking beforehand if where you are planning to live will have all the services you require – if you want to work from home, for example, then make sure that you have a secure internet connection; if you plan on commuting, ensure the road network is decent, or check your access to a railway station.   

Lines of communication

The communication aspect is very important these days, as so many parts of modern life rely on having a strong and reliable broadband service and phone signal. If your job is home based, you’ll be using the internet on a daily basis, not just for email, but also for presentations and meetings. One of the banes of ‘working from home’ during the pandemic has been staff discovering how poor their connectivity is where they live. They have had to upgrade forthwith to ensure they can cope with the internet traffic speeds required to carry out their roles. In terms of home life, many leisure activities, from watching streamed TV to gaming, are entirely reliant on the telecommunications network. So it’s obvious that the availability of services and their dependability are an essential aspect of rural living and family life that will need to be addressed.

Essentials for living off the grid

Connectivity is particularly important if your project is a self-build. The need for the supply of services onsite – the essential power utilities of water, gas, electricity and oil – and also any available  telecommunications will need to be easy to connect to, or to be brought in if required. Many rural areas are still not on the national gas network, for example. Their remote nature will mean if gas is required, it will have to be stored on-site in gas bottles. The same is true of oil-fired central heating and the external storage tanks that will need filling periodically – though these types of fuel are being phased out if possible and are certainly not being used much in contemporary designs. Of course, cleaner, greener energy sources are increasingly attractive and you can speak to us to find out more about building a more sustainable home.

It’s also not unusual for a rural location that’s off the grid not to be on the sewers. This means the property will require a septic tank or other provision made for effluent and surface water disposal. These aren’t massive inconveniences, but they will need to be addressed and installed.

These are all things that need to be considered if you are thinking of buying a house in the country, or building one from scratch as a self-build project. They are not necessarily dealbreakers on whether you decide to live in a particular location or not. Very few challenges are insurmountable. The countryside remains a wonderful place to live and work. It is certainly an ideal location for many people across our beautiful county of Cheshire.

If you have always dreamed of building your own home, contact us to find out how we can help you.