ᐅ Building Back from Urban Migration to the Countryside: Home, City, or Rural Property
Created on: 30 Mar 2018 12:18
N
Nordmanntanne
Dear Forum,
I have registered here and hope this is the right place for my question. I searched for a suitable platform for a long time, and this forum seemed the most fitting. I would like to share my situation and would appreciate as much feedback as possible:
My wife and I have been living in Frankfurt am Main for four years. We were both born nearby, about 60 to 70 kilometers (37 to 43 miles) outside of Frankfurt in a rural area. We both grew up there, and until finishing high school, it was never in question that we would one day build a house with a garden in our hometown (we both come from the same place). After high school (we were not yet a couple at that time), we both went out into the wider world. My wife studied in Cologne and Bonn, with semesters abroad in Rome, and I studied in Freiburg and Munich. After completing my doctorate in Berlin, I lived in Australia for a year. Now, we both live and work in Frankfurt am Main. We are both civil servants. My wife is paid according to grade A16, and I am at B3. Our financial situation is therefore quite comfortable. Our workplaces are conveniently located. My wife can walk to work, and I can get there quickly by public transportation. Our living situation is good as well. We have been living for four years in a large apartment (120m2 / 1,292 sq ft), which, however, also comes with a correspondingly high rent (basic rent about 2,200 euros). The apartment is spacious, but its layout means that while we can live here for two or three more years with our one-year-old child, eventually our child will need a "proper" separate room. I won’t go into more detail, but the fact is that we will need to move in two or three years.
Two years ago, we became owners of a plot of land in our hometown. It belonged to my wife’s grandparents, who bequeathed it to us. The plot is a dream: 900m2 (about 9,688 sq ft), located on the edge of a forest, with an unobstructed view of the valley, situated in a quiet dead-end street. It really doesn’t get better than that. Our hometown has about 11,000 inhabitants.
We have been constantly wondering if we should build there. Money is not a problem. We are torn. Our commute would be longer. The town has its own train station with connections to Frankfurt am Main. The train runs hourly. The travel time from the station to my workplace would be 55 minutes, for my wife 62 minutes. We both have free public transit passes. The station can be reached by bike from our plot in five minutes. Commuting would be quite an adjustment for both of us, but I think this is something we could get used to.
One concern is that since finishing high school – which was quite some time ago – we have not lived in our hometown. We visit our parents regularly, and many acquaintances have moved back after studying elsewhere. Life there is completely different from that in a big city. We are both worried about “shrinking” into the small-town life. You also don’t have the anonymity of a big city. On the other hand, for 2,200 euros, you could build a nice house there.
So we are torn between the old dream of having our own “nest” at home and the worry that, without meaning any offense, we have outgrown the hometown and might no longer fit in there. Also, the commute would be an adjustment. We are therefore wondering what to do with the land? Should we move within Frankfurt or build there? Selling is not an option for now, as we do not need the money. Money in the bank doesn’t do much anyway.
I would be grateful for any input!
Thank you
I have registered here and hope this is the right place for my question. I searched for a suitable platform for a long time, and this forum seemed the most fitting. I would like to share my situation and would appreciate as much feedback as possible:
My wife and I have been living in Frankfurt am Main for four years. We were both born nearby, about 60 to 70 kilometers (37 to 43 miles) outside of Frankfurt in a rural area. We both grew up there, and until finishing high school, it was never in question that we would one day build a house with a garden in our hometown (we both come from the same place). After high school (we were not yet a couple at that time), we both went out into the wider world. My wife studied in Cologne and Bonn, with semesters abroad in Rome, and I studied in Freiburg and Munich. After completing my doctorate in Berlin, I lived in Australia for a year. Now, we both live and work in Frankfurt am Main. We are both civil servants. My wife is paid according to grade A16, and I am at B3. Our financial situation is therefore quite comfortable. Our workplaces are conveniently located. My wife can walk to work, and I can get there quickly by public transportation. Our living situation is good as well. We have been living for four years in a large apartment (120m2 / 1,292 sq ft), which, however, also comes with a correspondingly high rent (basic rent about 2,200 euros). The apartment is spacious, but its layout means that while we can live here for two or three more years with our one-year-old child, eventually our child will need a "proper" separate room. I won’t go into more detail, but the fact is that we will need to move in two or three years.
Two years ago, we became owners of a plot of land in our hometown. It belonged to my wife’s grandparents, who bequeathed it to us. The plot is a dream: 900m2 (about 9,688 sq ft), located on the edge of a forest, with an unobstructed view of the valley, situated in a quiet dead-end street. It really doesn’t get better than that. Our hometown has about 11,000 inhabitants.
We have been constantly wondering if we should build there. Money is not a problem. We are torn. Our commute would be longer. The town has its own train station with connections to Frankfurt am Main. The train runs hourly. The travel time from the station to my workplace would be 55 minutes, for my wife 62 minutes. We both have free public transit passes. The station can be reached by bike from our plot in five minutes. Commuting would be quite an adjustment for both of us, but I think this is something we could get used to.
One concern is that since finishing high school – which was quite some time ago – we have not lived in our hometown. We visit our parents regularly, and many acquaintances have moved back after studying elsewhere. Life there is completely different from that in a big city. We are both worried about “shrinking” into the small-town life. You also don’t have the anonymity of a big city. On the other hand, for 2,200 euros, you could build a nice house there.
So we are torn between the old dream of having our own “nest” at home and the worry that, without meaning any offense, we have outgrown the hometown and might no longer fit in there. Also, the commute would be an adjustment. We are therefore wondering what to do with the land? Should we move within Frankfurt or build there? Selling is not an option for now, as we do not need the money. Money in the bank doesn’t do much anyway.
I would be grateful for any input!
Thank you
H
HilfeHilfe31 Mar 2018 19:28aero2016 schrieb:
or man.not in our case due to income disparity
and not for the original poster either, since B2 is unbeatable for us
H
HilfeHilfe31 Mar 2018 19:29Nordmanntanne schrieb:
Hello,
thanks for all the responses. So, changing jobs is not an option. As I said, working from home is definitely possible, especially my wife has the great advantage of very flexible working hours. She doesn’t have to drive during rush hours. It’s similar for me. By car, it would take about 45 minutes (highway access is practically on the other side of the hill where the property is located and reachable within exactly three minutes; I’ve already driven the route). The question was raised about what attracts us to city life. That’s a good question since we are not exactly the type to go out to bars every weekend or try a new place every time. Of course, it’s nice to have the option of eating out at an exotic African restaurant, for example, and not – like in the countryside – only have the choice between two pizzerias. Ultimately, for us, the wide variety of leisure activities in the city would be something we could do without.
What we definitely enjoy are the grocery stores like Rewe, ALDI, etc., within walking distance that stay open until at least 10 pm (22:00). Also, we have two bakeries reachable on foot that sell fresh bread and pastries even on Sundays. Such options are just not available in rural areas.
What I am really worried about is losing the anonymity of the city. For me, it’s a nightmare to stand at the butcher shop and have the staff know who I am and what I’m about to order. That is an absolute horror scenario for me. Also, there is the added social pressure in rural areas that you don’t experience in the city.
My wife and I both don’t know if the “feeling of home” – which we think will come with moving there, as a type of “feeling of completeness” – might just be something we convince ourselves of, and suddenly everything turns out differently. Life there is definitely different from the city. We would probably like to try it out for a trial period, but as I said, that’s difficult because the rental market there is very limited.You won’t be anonymous in a small town. At least not with neighbors. But you do have bakeries, butchers, etc. there as well. And Kaufland, Globus, etc. are open until 9 or 10 pm (21/22:00) here too.
HilfeHilfe schrieb:
and with TE not either since B2 is unbeatable and a family can’t live on A16, or what?
Ridiculous.
In this case, every possible combination can be imagined (he at home, she at home, both part-time, one part-time and one full-time, etc.).
The financial argument no longer applies here.
aero2016 schrieb:
And a family can’t live on an A16 salary, or what?
Ridiculous.
Especially in this case, every imaginable combination is possible (he’s at home, she’s at home, both part-time, one part-time and one full-time, etc.).
The financial argument doesn’t apply here anymore.Neither salary group B nor A16 positions are usually part-time jobs. Keep in mind, 14 A is equivalent to a senior teacher or upper-level official. So 16 is quite a level. And in the B salary class, you’re already near the top, just below the ministry level. Part-time doesn’t really count there; you are expected to be fully committed, serving with all your heart, soul, and strength — which is reflected in the salary.
It’s also important to understand that those in these roles aren’t just in a job, but in a profession. It’s about more than just earning a living. So the statement that the money is enough if one partner stays home or both work part-time is just theoretical.