Dutch rural areas have changed into a post-modern countryside and have become marketable commodities. The demand for rural space and rural amenities has increased, with concomitant tensions on the rural housing market. There appears to be a large demand for rural residential environments. This paper reports the results of our research into the preferences of urban households for living in a rural residential environment. These preferences will be linked with images and representations of the countryside. We assume that individual images of the countryside (whether idyllic or not) affect residential preferences and these preferences have, in turn, their effect on migration behaviour. Empirical evidence suggests that countryside images and preferences for moving to rural residential environments are indeed inter-related. The Dutch countryside commands a very positive image and there is a considerable demand for residential environments with rural characteristics.