Suddenly that guy who lives off-grid and grows his own vegetables doesn’t seem so crazy
Many people from the big city are inquiring since the pandemic brought on self-isolation and social distancing.
Before COVID-10 there were only a few inquires for a rural property but now we have many inquiries. We wrote deals on remote land listings even during the peak of the pandemic curve. The virus curve has begun to flatten, but the demand for rural properties is expected to swell.
Urban citizens are at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to stay socially distant and continue to remain active outdoors away from others. Many fled to their cabins and secondary residences away from the city, to wait out the lockdown, even though they were being asked to stay away from small rural communities with limited services.
Rural communities have been inundated with visitors during COVID-19. Many communities are reporting arrivals of summer residents who believe it is their right to travel to isolate, no matter what the provincial government recommends.
The search for rural retreats is not restricted to Western Canada. It has been experienced around the world. In the U.S., the demand for homes has shifted to rural areas as people react to the coronavirus pandemic and look to move out of dense urban areas.
We have seen that people are more interested in that house nestled at the base of a mountain in a secluded area that provides privacy. Perfect for a hobby farm or just a gardener’s retreat. Rural demand is much stronger right now than urban demand, and that’s a flip from where it’s been for the longest time, where everybody wanted to live in the city. We’ll see how it comes out, but there seems to be a profound, psychological change among consumers.
Suddenly that friend who lives off-grid on 20 acres and grows his own vegetables doesn’t seem so crazy. The bottom line is, for some, what used to be appealing about living in the city, its crowds, culture and public events, no longer count as pros but as cons.
Going rurally sustainable doesn’t mean you need to have a huge acreage. Even a half-acre of land gives you enough room for a home, a shop, a large garden and room to play. There are countless rural subdivisions across the province with half-acre to five-acre lots.
Back in the seventies, it was already forecast that something will happen in the future like depression and well see people moving from the big cities to the smaller towns where the cost of living, and most importantly, the stress is lower. Rural land has always been a safety factor for some people.
It is not a surprise for us that the pandemic has triggered an interest in out-of-city living. If privacy and space to breathe is important to you, yet you need to be close to amenities and the lake, we have acreages for sale that are close to town with all amenities.
