Rental prices in major European cities have only known one direction for years – steeply upwards. Whether Berlin, Paris, Madrid, or London – affordable rents in Europe's capitals are rare. It is a development that can also be observed in this country. In Vienna, prices are rising by almost two percent per year, and it is similar in other cities such as Salzburg, Carinthia, or Innsbruck.
Rising rents are one of the reasons why more and more families, in particular, are moving out to the countryside. But there are also other reasons to turn your back on city life and enjoy the freedom for the family in the countryside.
Birds chirping instead of traffic noise
Many families are among those fleeing the city. They want to enable their offspring to grow up carefree. In rural regions, this is still possible. Instead of a column of stressed drivers, neighbors on bicycles pass by the window of the decoratively furnished kitchen. Social cohesion is much greater in the countryside than in the big city, and the risk of poverty is lower.
The anonymity of the metropolis has another disadvantage – no one pays attention to their fellow human beings. In apartment buildings, neighbors often don't even know each other; that is unthinkable in the countryside. Here, neighbors look out for each other and support one another.
Affordable instead of dilapidated
Anyone looking for an apartment in the city will accept any offer in their desperation. Time and again, one hears that unscrupulous landlords rent out even moldy apartments. In the countryside, housing is not as scarce in many regions. From the range of single-family and multi-family homes, families can choose the ideal accommodation, and furnish the new apartment with new furniture and decorative items.
Rental prices in less densely populated regions are significantly cheaper, and housing is more lucrative. Here, the ratio between the housing offered and the rent charged is still right; in the city, this ratio has long since spiraled out of control.
Beautiful, quiet life
The seclusion from the metropolis does not only have advantages. Those who cannot work from home are often forced to commute – into the city. Friends and family members usually live further away. In the city, a car is obsolete; in the countryside, it is indispensable.
Another disadvantage of country life is the lack of infrastructure. Almost all errands are more time-consuming due to longer travel distances. The daycare center or school for the children, the nearest doctor, or the pharmacy are not within walking distance. Families who decide to leave the big city should include these factors in their decision-making process.
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Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
