The Definitive Guide to Owning a Country Home

The Definitive Guide to Owning a Country Home

Seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of urban life, country living has long been associated with romanticism, escapism, and healthy living.

Indeed, since the Colonial era, country living has been an aspiration for many.

Inspired by the grand estates and manor homes owned by the English regent class, country living is one of the most important and profound cultural imports to the United States, with large and impressive country homes and estates appearing in the Mid-Atlantic as early as the 1700s.

The essence of a Mid-Atlantic country home is often associated with the ideals of the agrarian and the extravagant. Indeed, many of the Mid-Atlantic’s most iconic country homes were built less for their agricultural uses and more for entertaining and leisure — as destinations for sport, hunting, and gentleman farming.

Today, through the careful use of historic preservation and land conservation, the ideals of country living in the Mid-Atlantic remains intact.

From the rolling hills of Virginia Hunt Country to the salty environs of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a country home offers a distinct sense of place and point of view.

The Quality and Character of a Country Home

In the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, many country homes leverage traditional English architectural styles and leverage local materials such as flagstone and stucco. Home styles such as Georgian are among the most common, while more grand and opulent styles such as Neoclassical Revival exist as well.

Given the typical age of a country home is often older than a more modern or contemporary home located in the close in suburbs and dense urban, certain architectural details remain in tact, including agriculturally inspired outbuildings and sporting facilities, such as barns, paddocks. coops, and more.

When you step foot on an older country property, you are immediately taken back into time.

“Things like sun rooms and porches serve as remnants of a more simple time, where luxuries like air conditioning and central heating did not exist. Things like kitchens may be located in the basement and bedrooms may include fireplaces.”

Another key element of the country home is the land and its multitude of uses. The essence of a country home implies a deep care for the land and its highest and best use. For those who own a country home with significant acreage, forest, orchards, and gardens may be present, as are things like hunting trails working farmland for cattle.

Maintaining a Country Home

One of the main attractions of country living is the ability to own significant acreage. And perhaps the most significant adjustment to owning a country home is maintaining and managing land.

From regular bush-hogging of fields and mending of fences to navigating land use and conservation easements, owning a country home offers an abundance of opportunities — and possible issues — that home owners should recognize and apprecaite.

One of the primary benefits of owning a country home is acreage and the flexibility of its possible use.

While most maintain a country home as a primary residence or second home, a primary motivation is the ability to leverage alternative uses in sporting and agriculture. Depending on the use, there can be significant considerations for maintaing and managign the property — as well as opportunities to take advantage of unique revenue streams and tax benefits.

Regardless of use, however, owning significant acreage comes with some basic requirements for maintenance that may be different than a more common suburban tract home or a pied a tier in the city.

Riparian Buffer Zones

If your country home includes any type of creek, river, or stream, it’s critical to implement riparian buffer zones to prevent pollution and reduce erosion. The most common method involves a managed forest program run by private companies or by the county or state in which you inhabit.

Well and Septic

Due to their remote location outside of large, developed cities, country homes often employ well and septic systems for common utilities. So, ensuring you have an adequate system to maintain these critical amenities is important. Each year, ensure to have your well and septic system inspected and serviced to ensure the efficacy of these critical. Septic systems require thoughtful placement and careful consideration when conducting regular maintenance on your property to ensure your septic tank and drain fields are protected from any unnecessary weight or disturbances.

Pest Control and Wildlife Management

It’s a forgone conclusion that the more rural a setting the more common it is to encounter wildlife, such as coyote, deer, fox, raccoon, and even bear. Ensure proper protocols are in place the manage pests and wildlife, as county animal control and service providers may not be immediately available.

Grass Management

Additionally, significant acreage will require a more comprehensive approach to landscaping. Typically, a large mow will be required as well as semi-annual bushhogging of fields to prevent large trees and weeds from developing. Some owners of country homes employ the use of livestock, such as cows, goats, and geese to maintain the land and cut down on the need to actively maintain grassland. Additional attention to forest management as well as orchards, gardens, and vineyards should be taken into consideration.

Fences and Boundaries

Whether you are investing in a three or four board fence, a high tensile fence, or post and rail systems, fencing and boundary management is an important element of a country home. Further, when acquiring a country home, it’s important to ensure the legal description is complete. Obtaining a survey

“Since many country homes are older, many dating back to the Colonial era, you can run into issues during the title search because some of the properties were surveyed many years ago using a technique called metes and bounds.”

As an example, for certain properties in Virginia, legal descriptions start at the beginning of a landmark that may no longer be there. Or, the legal description starts at the beginning of a landmark but the description does not conclude back at the starting point, resulting in what’s called a break.

Conservation Easements

Among the many benefits of country living is the opportunity to conserve land. In certain areas of the Mid-Atlantic, the culture of land conservation is more prevalent. Ensure before purchasing your country home that you have the opportunity to explore your options with your county or state land bank, including organizations such as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Piedmont Environmental Council. If your property is in a conservation easement, it means there will be certain restrictions and rules you must adhere to to ensure your property maintains it’s land use designation. For properties that are not in a conservation easement, explore opportunities to learn more about the benefits, including tax credits and ecological benefits.

Sporting Culture and The Hunt

While a relatively niche pursuit, sporting and hunting culture is quite prevalent in the Mid-Atlantic region. From duck and deer to fox and rabbit, many country homes are within the cultural boundaries of hunt and sporting clubs. For land owners, hunt clubs offer the opportunity to participate in this Colonial era tradition through landowner relations strategies. Should you find yourself in an area where fox hunting exists, such as Virginia Hunt Country, expect invitations to hunt club parties and other community oriented opportunities in exchange for use of your land for the hunt.

Historic Designations

Throughout the Mid-Atlantic, country homes are often also historic homes. From the sprawling North Wales estate of Warrenton, Virginia to the iconic Mount Sharon of Orange, Virginia, historic homes come with their own set of additional responsibilities and benefits, which can include more meticulous standards for maintenance and repairs, as well as tax benefits.

Skilled Labor

It’s critical to have various service providers on speed dial in order to facilitate repairs and maintenance to your property. Some even opt to have a live in farm hand or farm manager, who they rent to at a subsidized cost in exchange for regular maintenance and labor. Often, for country homes that serve as second homes or vacation homes for their owners, a farm manager is typical.

Where to Find Your Next Country Home

Country homes naturally exist in more rural environments — but not all country homes are created equal.

Indeed, there are certain areas in the Mid-Atlantic that embody the ideals of country living better than others.

Put another way, for those who seek to live the life of a gentleman farmer, a huntman, or the romantic ideal of the country home owner, you will find certain values more present in certain areas than others.

Perhaps the most iconic countryside is Virginia Hunt Country and the Northern Piedmont region of Virginia. These cultural and geographic regions include: Western Loudoun County, Fauquier County, Rappahannock County, Orange County, and Albemarle County, Virginia. Notable country enclaves in Virginia Hunt Country include Middleburg, Virginia, Upperville, Virginia, and Keswick, Virginia.

In Maryland, the country lifestyle is alive and well.

Perhaps the most interesting location for those seeking the country lifestyle in Maryland is Northern Baltimore County. Though only minutes from the densely populated urban core, Baltimore County, Maryland — including the towns of Reistertown, Sparks, and Glyndon — features some of the finest rustic landscapes and privately owned country residences in the Mid-Atlantic.

In addition, certain areas of Howard County, Maryland are regarded for their beautiful landscapes.

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Talbot County and the towns of Easton, Saint Michaels, Centreville, and Queenstown offer a unique perspective on country living.