We moved from the city to a huge farm in the countryside, and it completely changed our lives. Take a look around.
Judith Schaus
- Judith Schaus, 32, left Berlin with her husband and son for a farmhouse in the countryside.
- She said the move's changed their lives and that farm DIY has given her a sense of self-confidence.
- She told Insider what the family's new life on their 6.2-acre farm is like.
This is a translated version of an as-told-to-essay based on a transcribed conversation with Judith Schaus about her family's move from Berlin to the countryside. It originally appeared on Jan. 1, 2023. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Around a year ago, I moved from Berlin to a farm in Dessau, in the German countryside, with my husband, Lukas, and our son, Janosch.
There are only 200 people in our new village, so it's a very different life compared to when we lived in the middle of Kreuzberg, a hip district in Berlin.
Back then, we had all the best cafés and bars right on our doorstep, but there was something missing. We wanted to be closer to nature and be able to go out and see more than just cars.
Judith Schaus
We got the idea of moving to the countryside during the COVID-19 pandemic after we toured Brandenburg in a van.
But it was difficult to find the perfect place. We looked at more than 20 different farms around Berlin, until we finally stumbled across this one on eBay's Classifieds section.
As soon as I saw the photos, I knew it was the one.
Judith Schaus
I called the real-estate agent immediately, but he said he already had a prospective buyer coming at 1 p.m., so I said I'd be there at 2 p.m.
We put down 6,000 euros, or around $6,490, to reserve the property, but, unfortunately, so did the other potential buyer, and it ended up being a real bidding war between us.
The owners eventually accepted our bid. I think my job as a doctor played a role — there was a shortage of them in the village, and the original owners were happy to see that change.
Judith Schaus
In the end, we paid 555,000 euros, or around $599,000, for the entire farm. We bought 20% with equity, for which we had help from our parents, and we financed the rest through a loan.
The farm is gorgeous. It comes with 6.2 acres, including a huge garden, rustic buildings, various animals, and our own mill.
There's also a river that runs through our land and a large vegetable garden, which means we can support ourselves if we need to. So far, we've planted peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, carrots, and onions.
Judith Schaus
We also have raspberries, currants, and loads of fruit trees on the property.
It's made life completely different compared to when we were in our apartment in Berlin. There we lived in an old ground-floor apartment that measured just 75 square meters with no garden. We did have a terrace facing out to a courtyard, but that was it.
The new farm also came with three apartments, each with their own kitchen and bathroom. The apartments are each around 110 square meters in size, and we can rent them out for 850 euros, or around $920, a month.
We already have one family living here with us, and it's worked out great so far.
Judith Schaus
We have another family moving in during spring, and the combined rent from this will almost cover the loan we took out to finance the property.
It wasn't just financial motives that led us to move here. We wanted our children to grow up around nature, in a place where they could play outside with their friends. We didn't want life in a city apartment to isolate them.
Lukas and the parents from the family renting one of the apartments work from home, and we have friends come from Berlin or Leipzig almost every week to work by the river, so there are always adults around to look after the children.
Judith Schaus
If you want to buy a farm yourself and have no idea about country life, it's a good idea to take your time and look at a range of options before you buy.
Unless you happen to be a civil engineer or an architect, it can be quite overwhelming at the beginning. If you know anyone that works in fields like these, I recommend that you take them along on your visits.
Judith Schaus
Fortunately, we didn't have too much to do when we moved in.
But every once in a while, you have to do some DIY, like painting some walls. I think it's important to give things like that a go, and that's something I've learned about myself here.
It's given me the self-confidence to try new things, which is a feeling I never had in Berlin.
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