The latest movement of families in the U.S. is toward the rural or country living. People are tired of the hassle of living in the cities. Your neighbors know everything about you whether you want them to or not. You feel you need to keep your home, yard and area as nice looking as your neighbors?. There is all kinds of noise you can't do anything about. You want the country life without all of the complications. You decide to start looking for your dream home in the country. Excitement is thick in the air with the anticipation of moving and starting your new country life. Looking for country homes is a little different than looking for city homes. There are a lot of things you need to consider as you look for your country dream home.

Size is always a consideration. The size of your family now or in the future should be number one. If you find the perfect home to buy and are later blessed with an addition, you could have a problem. This problem is not insurmountable but can be expensive and inconvenient. Additions to existing home can open up a bucket of worms. Available land, architects, permits, and contractors are just of a few of the worms that will surface.

Location! Location! Location! This should be considered when shopping. Location involves several factors. How far will you need to travel to work, shopping, medical treatment, etc? Is your vehicle fuel efficient or is the cost of fuel not a factor to consider? If your new home is on a dirt road, can your vehicle navigate mud? Can your spouse handle the mud. How far to the closest fire department will have an effect on your home owners insurance.

How energy efficient is your new home? Is there enough insulation? What kind of energy is used for heating? The price of hydrocarbon fuels does not show any signs of going down. This drives up the cost of heating and electricity. Is there a wood stove or fireplace to supplement the heating system? Is it in serviceable shape? This should be checked out by a professional. Fireplaces and stoves can be a major expense if they need repair.

How much land do you want with your new home? Are you capable of taking care of a large yard? Cutting a large amount of grass can be labor intensive and very hot in the summer. How much edging will be required on your new home? Do you have the equipment to do this? If the current owner has the equipment, they might consider including it in the deal.

Where does the water come from? Is there a well or is the home on rural water? If there is a well, how much water does it produce? Does it run low during heavy use or during the summer when you and your neighbors will use more? Is it deep enough to have a sufficient reserve for use? If there is a pool or water feature at your new home, will the well handle keeping the pool or water feature full? Is there enough water for watering the grass or garden? Is the water drinkable? Some wells produce water in abundance but the quality leaves a lot to be desired. It could take months or years for your body to adjust to borderline good water. Have the water tested for quality and dangerous germs.

As you complete the deal for your new home, a home inspection will be required. Go with the inspector and listen to what he has to say. They are trained to find things the normal buyer don't think about. If you trust the realtor, they know the inspectors in the area. 99.9% of them are honest and will do a good job.

Now that you have bought your new home and moved in there are things that must be done on a regular basis to insure your home lasts for a long time. Continued in Part 2 - Insulation