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What You Need to Know About ... Moving to the Country

Posted on: Sunday, 12 March 2006, 15:00 CST

Country life is not all fresh air and pony rides, as many town dwellers discover when they move to a rural area.

Even home buyers choosing a country property near a town or city, may find out what rural dwellers already know -- the country is different.

Looking carefully at a prospective rural property and the neighbourhood can help avoid problems later.

Water supply

About 90 per cent of New Zealanders are on a community water supply. The rest -- mostly rural dwellers -- supply their own water. This is collected in a tank and can come pumped from the roof, a bore on the property, or from a local waterway. There may be an easement for water brought in.

Any property inspection should take in the state of water tanks, pumps, pipes and switching devices.

For rural properties on a community water supply, the quality of the water may not be as good as in urban areas. The Ministry of Health has water quality standards, but these are not mandatory, and problems can include unpleasant taste and odour, staining, contamination with bacteria, nitrates or metals, or the presence of dirt, sediment and rust.

Specialist rural water filters and purifiers are available commercially, and there are businesses which will run a test on your water.

Sewerage

Properties not on a town sewerage scheme will have a septic tank which collects all the property's wastewater from sinks, toilets, baths and showers.

Bacteria breaks down the waste and excess water drains into a soak pit, which should not be planted over if it is to work properly.

The septic tank system can be damaged if harsh chemicals are allowed down the drains. Toilet paper, soaps and detergent and food scraps are OK; sanitary products, excessive amounts of ammonia and chlorine, solvents, and grease and oil are not.

Septic tanks need to be emptied about every two years. This will cost $200 to $300 depending on how complicated the job is and travelling time. If you're buying a property with a septic tank, make a tank check a condition of purchase. Replacing a damaged tank can cost $10,000 or more.

Callers and deliveries

Ask locally where to find tradesmen who will call -- although those that do will probably take longer to get to you and will charge mileage. Most rural dwellers become do-it-yourselfers for this reason. Also check out how far away emergency services are.

Similarly, some businesses will deliver goods to rural areas on a weekly or monthly basis -- again, patience may be needed.

Communications

Check out cellphone reception if this is something that is important. Your area may have coverage from one network and not another.

Internet services, similarly, are often slow in rural areas and can suffer from interference from electric fences.

Most rural regions receive fewer free-to-air television channels and radio stations and poorer reception than built-up areas. Sky TV's digital service is available almost everywhere in New Zealand.

New Zealand Post collects from and delivers to properties on a rural delivery service, which you can apply to join at a New Zealand Post outlet. This is not available in very remote areas.

Schools

Country schools usually have smaller rolls and smaller classes with a bigger age range than urban schools. Classes may offer fewer subjects and extras but will have a higher teacher- pupil ratio.

A free school bus service run by the Ministry of Education collects eligible children either from their gate or from a local collection point. This applies to primary, secondary and area schools, with eligibility depending on distance from school.

Restrictions

While noisy dogs and machinery and smelly effluent, silage, sprays and burn-offs are part of country life, there are restrictions on what residents can do.

Check with the local and regional councils about rules and by- laws covering things such as: siting of houses, out-buildings and stock yards; water use; discharges and disposal of sewerage and effluent; fires; noise; planting and removal of trees and scrub; earthworks; and weed control.

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Source: Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand

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