W HY do people choose to live in a city rather than the countryside? It baffles me, when I wouldn't give up the green, open spaces of home for love nor money.

I asked a born and bred Bristolian why she has never moved out of the city and the answer surprised me.

I know she loves the bustle of bars and boutiques on her doorstep, the culture and the nightlife. And to be honest, sometimes, I wouldn't mind being able to jump in a taxi and be in the heart of Bristol in minutes, too.

But above all, my city dwelling friend said she loves the anonymity of living cheek by jowl with tens of thousands of other people. Yet all those faceless people are the overriding reason why I would never want to move into Bristol.

I love the sense of belonging that I get when people I know wave or nod in greeting as we pass on the High Street at weekends. It's not hard to spot familiar faces when there are only a few hundred people living nearby.

I'm fine Christmas shopping in a crowd, or at a concert, or on a plane. But just thinking of all those people tucked away in their terraces and flats, even in semi-detached cul-de-sacs, makes me feel like the walls are closing in.

I need to see fields beyond the rooftops and I like passing the time of day with my neighbours.

Husband and I have been thinking about moving in recent weeks. The perks of renting should include the landlord fixing broken boilers and temperamental showers and when he doesn't, it's time to move on.

As renters, we can up sticks with no more than two months' notice and with a few hundred pounds in the bank as a deposit, assuming we can find something suitable. But I'm picky.

We can't spend a fortune (we've been saving for a deposit for a house for a decade, constantly playing catch-up with prices and mortgage deals) but there are a few essentials.

I need a garden, for a start. And by garden I don't mean a balcony or a courtyard, which rentals tend to favour. I'd like a lawn, and a veg patch and preferably a few flower beds, too.

While I don't mind having neighbours, I really don't like being overlooked. I don't want to see into other people's windows or gardens, as that means they can also see into mine. See, I really couldn't do city living.

Then there's the open spaces, the rolling fields, footpaths and byways, which are rarely specified in the description but need to be within close proximity, preferably within view.

And all that before we've even looked at the house itself.