6 Tips for Idyllic Rural Living

Leaving the city and making a tree change is a great way to adjust the pace of your life, reorder your priorities, and even improve your mental health. But make sure you are properly prepared for the rigours of your new ‘lifestyle block’ lifestyle, or it could become more stress than it’s worth,      

1. What Is Your Land For?

Knowing what you actually want to use your block for will make living there much more enjoyable, and will make day to day planning much simpler. So, are you going to grow vegetables? Keep animals for their produce or as food? Build an expansive outdoor playground to relive your youth? Work that out before you choose a block, and let your purpose guide you.

2. Buy Some Gumboots

Gumboots are essential for rural living, especially in a country as rainy as New Zealand. They keep your feet and pants free of moisture – and of course, mud – and they are easy to wash off when you get home. Buy yourself a high quality, durable pair as you’ll be wearing them a lot.

3.Get Warm, Durable Clothes

Rural living often means early mornings, and that means cold. Get hold of some warm clothes that are tough enough not to wear out too quickly. Swanndri is an excellent New Zealand brand you could consider, as their clothes are a favourite of farmers across the country. A new wardrobe will also help you avoid the ‘Who’s this city slicker?’ stares from locals.

4. Think about Transportation

Unless you’re planning on doing some serious farming you probably don’t need a tractor, but you should definitely think about a way to get around your block. Quad bikes are popular, but can prove not too versatile. Our choice would be a Polaris Ranger. This is a utility task vehicle (UTV) that can carry between two and six people, depending on the model, as well as help you move tools, equipment, soil, and other heavy loads easily. With seatbelts and a roll cage, a Ranger is safer than a quad bike, and its all-terrain capabilities make it preferable to a ute.

5. Buy a Dog, Love Your Dog

This might seem optional, but it’s not. Get a dog. This isn’t just a gift to you; it’s a gift to the dog. Too many canine friends live in tiny backyards in the city – you’re getting the land anyway, so set a dog or three free on it! Make sure you choose a breed that is suited to country living and be especially careful choosing if you plan to keep livestock of any kind.

6. Tool Up

Successful lifestyle blocking always involves some DIY work. Whether you're building fences or repairing the shed, you'll need good tools. Get yourself a good claw hammer, pliers, a socket and driver, a couple of tape measures – a 10-metre tape and a 30-metre tape, wrenches, and a screwdriver set.

It also makes sense to have some electrical tools too. You’ll definitely want to have a circular saw and a drill. Buying second hand to save a little money is okay, but make sure you still get quality. Also, be sure you actually learn to use these tools before trying to build that treehouse!