Does it really exist? And does it really matter?
Rachel Johnston of Stacks Property Search says: “When we question clients about what kind of community they really want, they will often talk about facilities. Top of the list is a school, shops, doctor's surgery, pub, church, sports field. But it's not so much the facilities themselves that turn a collection of houses into a community; it's the fact that these places are provide the opportunity for residents to come together. The alternative is a dormitory, somewhere that home owners come home to, but rarely do anything collectively.
The advantage of living in the village that has these kind of facilities is that they draw residents of surrounding, less well served, villages in to what effectively becomes a hub. The facilities are useful in themselves, but more importantly, they're a meeting place, somewhere that people will find other people with similar interests, however day to day those interests are.
It sounds obvious, but village facilities also mean that people walk rather than drive, and that brings with it the whole stopping in the street to chat scenario.
“So far, so good. But the desire for a good community has become something of a cliché. There's a danger that people will say they want it without really thinking it through. My advice would be to examine the reality carefully. If a buyer is coming from a city where anonymity is a real option, or a place of rural seclusion, living in a community can be something of a shock, and it may take some effort to acclimatise.
Bear in mind that a community is only a community because residents put in rather than just take out. Sometimes it can seem that there's more give than take. Churches rely on input from residents, at the most basic level putting in an appearance! Shops rely on customers, whether or not they stock the kind of bacon / eggs / bread that you want, and whether the parmesan is suitably aged, and the pizzas are properly thin crust.
Sports fields require coaches to run the cricket club, and willing (generally) mothers to make the tea and bacon rolls. Village schools need to be properly supported, not just for the first three years of primary education until you send little Daisy to the prep school that feeds Cheltenham Ladies College.
Simply using the facilities on your doorstep is, of course, the bare minimum. The enormous range of societies and organisations that you will find in a good community all have committees that require active members; and there will be endless events that need organising and manning.
My advice would be to engage at a sensible level. Don't go overboard as soon as you move in; you will find yourself overwhelmed and will spend the next six months trying to extricate yourself from your over-commitments.
- Pick things you know you're good at. So if baking is your thing, produce cakes at every opportunity. But if you've never baked a scone in your life, offer your marketing / finance / law skills to relevant committees, or help put the parish magazine together.
- Use all the facilities that are on offer – even if there are better ones nearby. If there's a struggling village shop, avoid the disapproval you will undoubtedly attract if Tesco or Ocado turns up on your doorstep once a week.
- Turn up as a family for the annual church yard tidy-up.
- Give your children money to spend at the shop.
- Volunteer your kids for things.
- Use the local sports facilities and clubs, and if your children are away at school join them up for anything appropriate at weekends and holidays.
- Don't just use children's clubs as a babysitting facility – help out when you can.
- Use your contacts to help with sponsorship of local events.
Expect to invest – in terms of both finance and time – in your desirable village location. If you ever think of all this investment as a burden, consider the benefits. Not only will your input give you a philanthropic glow, it will also add significantly to the value of your property. There's a strong argument that the onus is on you to look after the value of your property by taking a wider remit in the care of your village. It's in your interests to ensure that the community thrives, by supporting its facilities and keeping it looking gorgeous.”
