Buying a rural retreat

A home buying agent may provide just the help you need in identifying, negotiating the purchase, and eventually buying a rural retreat.

There is something quintessentially English in that hankering for a rural idyll.

Where other countries might shower kudos on an uptown penthouse suite in the heart of the city, an Englishman’s ideal home – or, indeed, his castle – is more likely to be in the country.

And although the UK may be only a small collection of islands, there are still many tracts of unspoilt countryside offering a retreat from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

So, whether you brief your home buying agent to find a property in which you and your family can live in idyllic surroundings or you are looking at buying a rural retreat from which to run a business, there are many parts of the UK which may offer just such an opportunity.

Why run a rural retreat?

If you are looking for a quiet retreat in which to set up home – or to keep a second home – you know why you have your heart set on somewhere off the beaten track where you have the freedom to kick back and live the country life to which you aspire.

But a rural retreat might just as easily – and profitably – be at the heart of a business venture.

In today’s fast-moving and frantically paced world, more and more people are looking for the chance to get away from it all if only for a day or two, a long weekend, or even longer.

There is a growing demand for a rural retreat to also offer a place to focus on wellbeing, to examine what is truly important your life, to consider the whole purpose of your working life, and simply to spend a little “me time”.

As the demand has mushroomed for wellness retreats in the countryside – yet still not too far from home – so the types of property hosting those businesses have also grown more varied.

Each of them features a unique rural residence – and you are likely to need the services of professional property finders if you want to invest in anything quite as special and attractive to clients prepared to pay a substantial amount for their care, mindfulness, and spiritual and physical rejuvenation.

For many, it is quite a challenge these days to escape the madding hustle and bustle of modern life. When you do, you are likely not only to want to be away from it all – with a chance to commune with nature and idyllic rural surroundings – but also to do so with every creature comfort on tap.

Whether your rural retreat offers luxury of that kind of degree or is altogether more modest, an especially fine English summer may have the crowds flocking to practically any type of short or longer-term rural retreat in the countryside.

Buy to let

While there is a clear and growing demand for all manner of rural retreats, you do not need to spend all your time and effort in running the business yourself.

Given a suitable property in which to invest, you may play the role of landlord and share in some of the rewards without so much effort.

Properties offering a rural retreat have been let to many a successful business providing weekends of yoga classes, wellness and mindfulness courses, and, of course, that well-tried and tested ambition for many a corporate structure, the team-building exercises away from the day to day demands of the office.

Considerations

Whether you are looking to invest in a rural retreat from which to run your own business or let the space to other like-minded entrepreneurs, there are several issues you might want to consider – and include in your property finders’ briefing:

• is the property fit for purpose – and that depends, of course, on the type of retreat you or your tenants are planning to offer;
• if it is not yet ideal, is there scope for conversion – and, if so, at what cost;
• bear in mind that you may need to apply to the local planning authority for any material change of use and for planning permission for an extension, remodelling or conversion of the present structure;
• you also need to address whether your business plan for your rural retreat is likely to attract the clientele you need in sufficient numbers – whether they have confidence in the services you claim to provide and whether the costs represent good value for money;
• take into account the location of the retreat, too – while it might be a good thing to be well off the beaten track, that probably means your having to arrange to collect guests from the nearest railway station.

Summary

You might be chasing the Englishman’s dream of retreating to life in the countryside or you might be eyeing a rural retreat from which to run a business – your own or your tenants’.

Either way, the critical decision is likely to lie in finding a suitable property and one that meets all of your wishes and requirements. That is the job for a professional property finding agent such as Garrington.

If you want to discover more about our role and how we can help you find, negotiate the purchase of, and finally seal the transaction on just such a rural retreat, why not call us today on +44 (0)207 099 2773?

You may discover just how attractive, versatile and potentially rewarding a property in the countryside may be – whether you intend to live in your rural retreat or use it as a base for your business.