Escaping to the country

Are you thinking about relocating to a village or country location?

In recent weeks estate agents have reported an increase in city residents looking to move to village and countryside locations. According to Rightmove, enquiries from homebuyers living in major cities who are planning their escape to the country rose by 126% in June and July this year. 

The pandemic appears to have prompted people to reassess the spaces that they are currently living in and what is most important to them. The main reasons for city residents looking to relocate include having a bigger garden for their children, being closer to relatives and a stronger local community presence.

Rightmove, has also reported an increase in enquiries from buyers living in cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Edinburgh looking to move to village locations.

A change to the way we commute

The lockdown has resulted in many people who usually work in city centre offices working from home for the past few months. As workers have successfully adjusted to the new ways of working during the pandemic, some are thinking about making a flexible working request to continue this way of working permanently, either fully or in part, which allows the flexibility to live further from the office. This is shown in the increase in demand for locations outside of city centres, as some workers will have more flexibility in when and how often they commute.

Recent CIPD research found employers expect the proportion of their people working from home in the long term to increase to 37% from 18% pre-Covid-19 and some employers are considering a reduction of office space in a move to more flexible ways of working. 

But it is not just working from home that has triggered this shift. Many people are reviewing their priorities and having spent more time in their local surroundings, are reassessing what is important in their home-life. A bigger garden, more space, village community – there are many reasons people are considering moving to smaller towns and villages.

Commuter towns | Thinking about moving to Oakham or Rutland?

Research conducted by Rightmove shows that enquiries from Leicester residents looking to relocate to smaller towns increased by 48%. 

A recent article in The Times highlighted Oakham as a commuter town to move to. The article describes Oakham as having “Good schools, community spirit, quality pubs and a huge nature reserve — there’s so much to like about Rutland’s county town”. 

Oakham is a small town located in Rutland where potential buyers will find peaceful meadows, a farmer’s market and a prominent community presence. 

Rutland Water, a large nature reserve is located a short distance away from the town and is visited by locals for its picturesque views, bird-watching hides and its scenic walking or cycling trail around the 23-mile perimeter of the reserve. 

Oakham is known for its excellent community spirit and the locals strongly support independent shops and businesses in the area such as resident bars and restaurants and local designer clothing stores.  Additionally, Ofsted has rated the schools either good or outstanding around the area. So it is not hard to see the attraction of moving to a town like Oakham! 

Hegarty are an established presence in Oakham and offer a complete conveyancing service to anyone looking to buy or sell in Oakham and the surrounding area. Our experienced conveyancers in Oakham will guide you through the process from start to finish and will ensure you complete as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Our Oakham office

In 2015 Hegarty merged with Paul Browne Solicitors to provide conveyancing, wills and probate services to the local Oakham community. Our offices at the time were located on Church Street and Burley Corner.  

Over the years Hegarty has become a well-known and trusted local legal firm in Oakham. In 2017 the firm expanded to offer a wider range of legal services to our growing client base from a new and larger office situated on South Street. 

Our team of Oakham solicitors strive to support the local community both with legal support and by attending and sponsoring a number of local events such as the annual late-night shopping event, For Rutland Good and New sale raising much-needed funds for Rutland Citizens Advice and sponsoring local sports clubs. 

Our team of experts are here to support you through life’s inevitable ups and downs by advising you on professional and personal matters. As well as conveyancing, we offer a full range of legal services from our Oakham office in areas such as employment law, disputes, corporate law, commercial property, wills, trusts, probate, and family law. 

Our comfortable and welcoming office is situated in the centre of town with ample car parking nearby and easily accessible by public transport.

If you live in Oakham, Rutland, or the surrounding area, and are looking for a solicitor you can trust from day one, contact our Oakham office today.