Many people dream of living in a rural area. A country estate can offer you the ability to have land of your own, live further away from your neighbors, and enjoy the slower pace of life associated with rural living.

Unfortunately, your dream could quickly become a nightmare if you don't take the time to gather all the facts before investing in a country property.

There are some critical pieces of information that you must uncover before making an offer on a country estate if you want to end up with a rural property that will meet your needs.

Available Utilities

Potential buyers who have not lived in a rural area before can be surprised at the utilities available in these rural locations. It's important that you verify the utilities available on a country estate before you make an offer so that you can factor any additional utility costs into your estimated monthly expenses.

Some utility costs that you may encounter when purchasing a rural property include the pumping of a septic tank, the refilling of a propane or oil heating tank, and maintaining a private water well.

Your Realtor can help you identify the available utilities so that you can determine if you are willing to maintain these services once your purchase is complete.

Accessibility

You will need to pay close attention to the area around a country estate before you make an offer on one of these rural properties. Accessibility can become an obstacle to rural living.

Evaluate the condition of the roads leading to and from the property. Find out who is responsible for maintaining the roads, and determine if they can be traversed safely in inclement weather.

You will also want to ensure that you don't have to pass over any farmland or other property lines to reach the estate itself. If you do, your Realtor will have to obtain easement rights from landowners.

Zoning Restrictions

If you think that you can get away with doing whatever you want on your rural estate, think again. Rural properties are subject to zoning restrictions, just like their urban counterparts. Your Realtor will need to help you research deed restrictions and zoning laws that provide information on what you can and can't do on your land.

If you want to hunt, keep animals, or construct additional outbuildings after purchasing rural property, you must consult the zoning restrictions that apply to the land before making an offer.

Contact a company like Debbie Durkee: RE/MAX T-town to learn more.