Building land in the middle of nowhere with the house prices?!

I agree that you probably can't offer a primary school child piano, riding, swimming, and art lessons because that is hard to manage. But even there, there are arrangements with other parents (if they want to talk to each other), and let's be honest: it doesn't have to be the "parent performance package," children don't actually want that much of these things.

Especially riding lessons or keeping a horse are significantly cheaper in rural areas; that easily makes a 300-500 euro difference in stable rent.

I go even further: if I pay 300k less for a similar house in a more rural area, then the horse can almost be financed from the interest income (300k, 3% fixed deposit).

That’s rather the question of how much you open up the solution space. You can also change the employer - then the mobility time doesn’t even increase.

But that’s not so easy to do in every job.

I know the FAZ article, but unfortunately it is also viewed very one-sidedly and merely represents the opinion of one journalist.

Maybe, nevertheless I consider the points valid.

It is also forgotten what mobility gain you have through a car. Urban infrastructure is nice and all, but if I want to go to a certain forest or the mountains with my bike, I’m not going there by train with 3 transfers - and then I would have to buy a separate ticket for the bike and only come back the next day because the trains on site no longer run so late.

No one is saying not to have a car – but just one instead of 2 (or 3 with adult children, at least that was common in my school’s upper grades). We actually wouldn’t need one in everyday life, but we have one for comfort (exactly for day trips, holidays, my parents live 250 km away, or just really bad weather or a big weekly grocery shopping).

If every other weekend there are demos or climate activists glued to the streets and you can therefore not even leave the city to go to nature (experienced that myself).

As you already say, there is no “the city.” Ours is politically very green and we indeed already had glue protesters right next to our apartment, but they disturb at most about 30 cars at a time?

There are pros and cons to both concepts and everyone has to find the best solution for themselves.
First of all, the budget is fixed and based on that you have to maximize ‘happiness.’ Several hundred thousand euros don’t just fall out of your pocket.

Exactly, the decisive factor is the time of purchase – I am aware that not everyone has a choice. But there is also the option to stay in the city and downsize a bit (e.g. terraced house instead of detached). Another question of priorities, depending on how much weight you give to the factor ‘type of housing.’

The time difference will be about 1-2 hours per day.

So with a classic nanny I was thinking full-time. But even if it’s only about babysitting in the evenings: I don’t believe that. Just if you take a child to sports training, for example. 1.5h training + 30 minutes shower/changing + travel time is already >2 hours, and that only covers one child, and only for a leisure activity. The same child in our case (!) would have to take the bus at 6:30 to sit in class just before 8. Then hang around school for 45 minutes before (yes, great time to do homework, but still not nice). After school, the same annoying trip back home. Alternatively, mom can drop off the child on the way to work, but then work can’t start before 9, so again a loss of time on one side.

You can discuss and weigh this endlessly, we really talked a long time about it. But for us it wouldn’t have been the right thing. Of course, everyone can see that differently.

YPG I disagree for once Ballet possibly switching to street dance Show dance Swimming Horse riding Skiing in winter - if there is enough snow Recorder will be replaced after the holidays by violin/piano/flute not yet decided Gymnastics was not for me/football neither English for kids also did not find appeal Self-defense has also already been offered Culture within 20 km there is more than enough Musical, theater, opera, ballet, performances for children etc Various holiday programs In addition, children can move much more freely. School bus, after-school care until 4:30 p.m., full-day care during holidays from 7:00 a.m. Nursery/kindergarten/after-school care places without waiting list, modern buildings. The care in the after-school centers and OGS is provided only by professionals, no assistants. School bus no changing buses, seats for everyone Dentist, general practitioner, speech therapy, daily needs shops, good library, HVO. Only public transport is missing. A solution is being worked on there as well Municipality with 12 villages under 8000 inhabitants This is how a village can also look. In the place of the original poster, the commuting would bother me.

Riding lessons or keeping a horse is definitely much cheaper in the countryside, that makes a difference of about 300-500 euros in stable rent.

I don't mean and/or, but _and_. So the AI package for the child.
As a mom, I would put the brakes on a bit: trying 2 things in one season is fine, but not the wish-for-everything full program: that usually doesn't go well with work.

then the horse can almost be financed from the interest income (300k, 3% fixed deposit).

For God's sake

YPG I disagree

And what do you disagree with?

As a total country bumpkin (I live in a village with 800 inhabitants), here is my opinion: You have to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages and like them. My husband and I always had to commute, usually about 45 minutes each way by car. That was okay for us. But we also had flexible working hours and could be at the office by 6 a.m. The roads were still empty on the way there, and it was manageable on the way back too, if you can finish work at 3 p.m. My husband now cycles to the train station and then continues by train. That also takes a bit over an hour but is more relaxing. He could also work from home twice a week in the last 2 years, which made it even more relaxed. If I still had to work full-time, I could also do home office twice a week. I don't know anyone who works 8 or 9 hours straight in home office. Usually, you arrange your day differently, do something at home or with the family in between, put on the washing machine, etc. You can sit in the garden with the laptop... All things that make life more relaxed.

I have 3 children who were not very young when we moved here (the two youngest were in primary school). We have a daycare in the village, and you really get a spot immediately. School is two villages away, there is a school bus that also goes to the after-school care center. Secondary school is reachable by bus (with a transfer) or by bike. It doesn’t hurt the kids to bike somewhat longer distances. On the contrary, when I see teenagers taking the bus for just one stop nowadays... parental taxi in this regard is unnecessary. Sports and other leisure activities are available in the villages; many are offered at school. So parental taxi is rarely needed.

Yes, there is no ice cream parlor in the village. Why would there be? Ice cream is much better in my garden and in a nicer environment. There is also no restaurant anymore. You have to drive 10 to 20 minutes; there you have plenty of choices. You don’t do that every day anyway. For culture, we go to the city, but we are not the kind of people who need that daily anyway.

There is also no store left in the village. So if you forgot something, you either do without or have to drive 5 minutes by car or 15 minutes by bike. Usually, you manage without. You organize yourself accordingly and have everything in stock as much as possible. We rarely shop on Saturday morning; that can be done on the way home from work. Conversely, my brother in the big city also does that on Saturday morning.

For that, I have a large property with a lot of open space around me. Here, you can leave the door open; here it is quiet. Here children and grandchildren can learn to ride a bike undisturbed and then try things out. They can romp around here, on the street, in the fields, and in the forest. Life is more relaxed.

Would I do it again? Yes, definitely. I lived several years in the city, right in the middle of the neighborhood with all the amenities mentioned here. I would not want to live there again.

But everyone has to decide for themselves what they want in life and what is important to them.

I have disagreed with your statement here

I agree that you probably cannot offer a primary school child piano, riding, swimming, and art lessons because it is difficult to manage. But even there, there are agreements with other parents (if they want to talk to each other), and let's be honest: it doesn't have to be the "parent performance package," children don't actually want that much of these things.