Are you a town mouse or a country mouse? It is possible to have the best of both worlds, you know

‘Let me out,’ we hear them cry. City dwellers craving fresh air, green fields, birdsong and neighbours who smile when they see you. Lockdowns proved the catalyst for life-changing decisions concerning lifestyle.

From concrete jungle to open wilderness – well, maybe not quite – but the difference should not be underestimated. Each have their advantages, and in the end both give inhabitants opportunities. So, can a town mouse become a country mouse? Can you exchange the buzz of the city for the buzz of a bee?

How many city evacuees will hanker after the bright lights after a year or two and return to their comfort zone? We shall see. In the meantime, the much-needed boost to the property market has enjoyed unprecedented levels of activity, and the country house market in particular seeing inflating prices.

Where is it taking us all? A change in social activity, an attempt at recreating times past but benefiting from 21st-century technology? Whilst everything has moved forward at a frightening pace in the last 30 years, it is interesting that what so many people crave is the lifestyle long gone. Whilst technology is the driving force, the immediacy of the world will dictate the pace of life. The balance is almost impossible as future generations will only know of a calmer pace from the history books, and accept the here and now as normal.

Having said that, in the 2020s we can still hold on to country life and dictate our pace of life, and where better to embrace that than in the Cotswolds; the rolling hills, sweeping tracts of farmland and meandering country lanes provide opportunities, yet you’re still never far from that takeaway coffee that symbolises city life!

It’s all about coming home.

If you require help with your property search in The Cotswolds, contact Adam Phelps abp@recoco.co.uk or Suzanne Welch srw@recoco.co.uk