Raising family, residential area or country

[MissionMan]

Hey folks, got kind of an odd one for you here. My family has been in a residential neighborhood (suburbs with less than half acre lots) since 2007, so 9 years. Quite frankly I'm not a fan of it nor is my wife. I hate being on top of one another, I dislike the lack of privacy and everyone wanting to talk when youre outside, can't do anything fun on the land because there isnt any. You see where I'm going here.

So we are kicking tires and really fell in love with a log cabin on 5 acres out in the country/mountains. 30min commute to work, 2 miles away from main interstate. Small town, excellent schools, no crime, etc. Its super private and all that jazz, plenty of land for horsing around.

Now I have this selfish feeling coming over me with wanting this. My kids (6 and 2) have play freinds next door and love playing outsided in the various fenced yards with their friends. I know if we move where we want to move, this is no longer a thing. I know theyll socialize at school and sport or whatever, but it wont be as easy as it is now. And while my kids (really the 6yr old) think its super cool, I wonder if they would be culture shocked when they realise there is no one else around.

So really im looking for some pros/cons or just general experience from folks here. Am I silly for worrying about kids socialization and whatnot? Or am I nuts.

 

[rotor_powerd]

I grew up in the country and that's where we live now (ironically, in a log house on a 5 acre lot). I wouldn't have it any other way, I would be out of my mind in a house with people all around. My wife and I have had the same conversation about the kids but we both grew up out here and our parents would drive us to others kids houses or vice versa. It's more inconvenient but I think the quality of life is way better and as a kid I always loved having space to do whatever I wanted when I wanted. It wouldn't be a question for me but everyone is different.

 

[MissionMan]

We have an RV as well and it would be nice to eventually out up a pole barn to be able to store it and other toys in the winter.

Could you elaborate on specific log cabin type maintenance? The one we were looking at was built in 2000.

I'll obviously be doing some googling but what are some things I should know coming from normal stick and drywall houses? How is heating and cooling ? We are in central NY so we have nasty winters, especially where the cabin is which is by a ski resort

 

[dom418]

It's all about how you want to raise your family, what type of environment do you want them in? I prefer the privacy like you. Kids will adjust and will make new friends. You'll just have to drive them places now.

I did the city thing, but for my family, not being around anyone is where we are happy. Plus kids that grow up in the county are more well rounded. They get to actually explore nature etc. It is a more simple up bringing that society has lost sight of.

 

[rotor_powerd]

Maintenance is more than a normal house but not bad. You'll need to have the exterior stained every 5-7 years and it's not cheap. Cost depends on the method of stripping the old stain, the type of stain you have put back on, and how many coats of it. We got quotes this year for it and the cheapest was $5,000, the most expensive was $24,000 (The guy who provided the $24,000 quote said the house would look like it came off the front of a magazine.... for that much I would hope so!). Carpenter bees are a nuisance that you'll never get rid of. Just put up some traps and keep a tennis racket handy, that's about all you can do. Other than that there's not much to it.

We have a geothermal heat pump/AC. Electric is the only utility we pay, and it's pretty consistent year round within $50 or so. Geothermal is nice because it's efficient and combined with the efficiency of logs you can really save money there. You also get ice cold air in the summer and hot, hot air in the winter - regardless of the outside temperature. A woodstove is a must also - I've kept the heat off for a week straight with our small woodstove in the basement, our house isn't a mansion by any means but it's about 3,500 sqft between the main level and the basement. Once the logs get heated (Or cooled) they really trap it in.

 

[MG0h3]

I moved from residential to country when I was 10. Initially it was hard as it was an hour and a half away so seeing my friends was out of the question. I got over that in a hurry.

When people ask I say I grew up in the country. Instead of working at the mall or some fast food joint, I worked for my cousins construction company. Bought a chainsaw and was selling firewood at 13. Bought myself a dirtbike at 14. Loved it.

If I could swing it now I would, but Im out of town a lot so a cookie cutter in a good neighborhood works. Ill be back in that setting someday for sure.

 

[SID297]

Rural by a long shot.

 

[JetmechF16]

Maintenance is more than a normal house but not bad. You'll need to have the exterior stained every 5-7 years and it's not cheap. Cost depends on the method of stripping the old stain, the type of stain you have put back on, and how many coats of it. We got quotes this year for it and the cheapest was $5,000, the most expensive was $24,000 (The guy who provided the $24,000 quote said the house would look like it came off the front of a magazine.... for that much I would hope so!). Carpenter bees are a nuisance that you'll never get rid of. Just put up some traps and keep a tennis racket handy, that's about all you can do. Other than that there's not much to it.

I spent many days sitting on the front porch popping carpenter bees with my BB gun! One of our dogs used to love chewing on the corner logs, until we sprayed mace on it haha.

OP I grew up on a ranch from ages 9 - 17 and loved it, we moved from a Dallas suburb and didn't have a problem making new friends. Of course having go-carts, 4-wheelers, and dirt bikes helps make friends too.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

We are raising our boys (5 & 7) on 5.5 acres out in the country. We were in the city previously on 1.2 acres but it wasn't enough land. Our boys want a horse or two and I want to give them the chance to experience it. I want to get them a kids Gator so they can drive around in the pasture area. Plus there's plenty of room to teach them how to play football :beer:

 

[Mpoitrast87]

I grew up in the country and wouldn't have it any other way. I lived in a log home for a few years and now live in a barn style house. Only 1 acre lot but its in a cul de sac, so its quiet.

 

[matab14]

another vote for the country. We live in a small Southern IL town but recently moved from in town to out in the country. It's a dead end gravel road surrounded by woods. WE LOVE IT! Our 5 yr old girl has fell in love with it as well. Went from always wanting to be on her iPad / TV to now having the problem of her now always wanting to be outside! lol I vote move. They are young enough I am sure they'll adjust just fine in a short period of time!

 

[Adower]

We are in the city and my wife and I want to move out. We are shooting for 2 acres.

 

[VegasMichael]

Having moved around a lot as a kid by my father, and having taught elementary school for over 20 years, I would say it is much more difficult on children to move the farther along they are in adolescence. I went to K-3 in one school, 4-5 in another, 6-7,in another, 8 in another, 9-11 in another and 12th in another and the worst ones were the latter four. So if you really want that 5 acre lifestyle it would be easiest on the kids in my opinion to do it now.

 

[SonicDTR]

Grew up in the country, my friends and I rode bicycles back and forth to hang out and eventually our 4-wheelers.

My 4 and 8 yo nieces are living way out in BFE and they seem to really love it. They see lots of other kids during the day at school and stuff. My sister takes them to other kid's birthday parties and such too so its not like they never get social interaction. If anything the country lets them go out and be kids, they can go run around outside without worry they'll get in traffic or anything like that.

Country all the way, especially if its only a 30 min drive to work!! Most people when they say "country" they have an hour or so drive to work.

 

[Blk04L]

I grew up in a rural area and it was just fine.

6 years old should be fine with the change/making new friends.

 

[MissionMan]

Wow, thanks for the feedback folks! We know the culture change will be quite significant from leaving the suburbs to the frontier, haha. So thats why I figured I would ask.

I have been doing heavy research on inspecting log homes and what to look for. Obviously I will find a guy that specializes in or is certified in log homes. So I'm heading back for a second showing of said 5acre log house...

I'll keep you posted!

 

[HudsonFalcon]

I vote rural as well. My wife and i live on 10 acres on a river in a great little town. The school district is one of the top in the state and the people are great.

It was a bit of a culture shock for my wife as she's from a city but after seeing her hometown fall apart from crime, gangs and drugs she knows we made the right decision.

We did worry about the social aspect of raising our kids in such a rural area but i look at it as a positive. We can actually monitor better who our kids will spend time with.

Our river frontage has some great fishing and a nice swimming hole so there's always kids around and they've been nothing but respectful and courteous.

Country life is great.

 

[rotor_powerd]

Wow, thanks for the feedback folks! We know the culture change will be quite significant from leaving the suburbs to the frontier, haha. So thats why I figured I would ask.

I have been doing heavy research on inspecting log homes and what to look for. Obviously I will find a guy that specializes in or is certified in log homes. So I'm heading back for a second showing of said 5acre log house...

I'll keep you posted!

Check for water stains on the inside between logs. They can be hard to notice if you arent specifically looking for them. They come from people that don't know what they're doing and using a pressure washer to strip the stain, the pressure forces water through the logs to the inside. Someone did this to our house at some point and there are some stains on the inside but they're not super noticeable unless you're looking for them.

Here's a picture from inside our house, the camera makes it stand out a lot more than it does in person. Nobody ever notices it until it's pointed out so its not a huge deal.

 

[ford fanatic]

I vote country, because I hate neighbors...

We gave up our old house on a 3/4 acre lot to built a new house on a 40 acre wooded lot back in 06'. We are a quarter mile off the road, there's no traffic and the air smells like cow shit sometimes, but I love it.

We each commute 50 miles to work, her part time and me full.

We our raising our 3 year old daughter here, she loves riding the 4 wheelers back through the woods.

 

[ssj4sadie]

Having grown up in the 90s and early 2000s in the city, I vote for the rural. Not because I think my childhood sucked, but because it was awesome. I say this because currently i live in the burbs (no kids), and the neighborhood FB page is littered with busy body's questioning every move kids/teenagers make. I would probably be a felon if the same level of scrutiny was applied to my childhood as it is today.