pistolpete
Well-Known Member
Top tips please for field shopping! I am going to try and have my own patch after ten years of yards and renting I’m in a fortunate position to afford a field of my own. Two hardy good doers.
Buying a field!!
- Thread starter pistolpete
- Start date
merry neddy man
Well-Known Member
Access , water supply, good fencing, preferably good drainage, trees for shelter, safe vehicle parking nearby, council tax costs (it will not be classed as agricultural land if only horses on it ) probably 10K an acre minimum cost
JennBags
HHOSS Wonder Woman
What sort of tips? Register with all your local agents, follow all of their Facebook pages, keep trolling their websites. Make sure you can prove you have the funds ready and waiting, sometimes that will make you the most attractive buyer. Be first to view and first to offer.
pistolpete
Well-Known Member
Thank you. I forgot about rates! What sort of cost is water supply? Also muck removal costs?
Hack4fun
Well-Known Member
Things I would look for as priorities are:
- fencing that is secure enough for your horses.
- water available - saves a lot of effort
- gateway to park - make sure you can get there and stay.
- toxic plants - sycamore, oak, ragwort etc
- soil type - will it drain or be horrible in winter
Don't worry too much about much removal - re-use it to fertilise your field.
You will want electric fencing in order to control access to grass for your good do-ers. If you can get a shelter then that would be good. Check with your planning department about planning permission. Mobile ones should not need planning permission. Good quality land is c £10k/acre but prices vary and less productive land will be cheaper. Look out for public footpaths that cross it too.
Exciting!
- fencing that is secure enough for your horses.
- water available - saves a lot of effort
- gateway to park - make sure you can get there and stay.
- toxic plants - sycamore, oak, ragwort etc
- soil type - will it drain or be horrible in winter
Don't worry too much about much removal - re-use it to fertilise your field.
You will want electric fencing in order to control access to grass for your good do-ers. If you can get a shelter then that would be good. Check with your planning department about planning permission. Mobile ones should not need planning permission. Good quality land is c £10k/acre but prices vary and less productive land will be cheaper. Look out for public footpaths that cross it too.
Exciting!
meleeka
Well-Known Member
£10k an acre?! It’s much higher here.
My best tip would be to check for sycamore/oaks on any land you are interested in. Everything else you can work round but a field with loads of nasties just won’t be worth it.
Water installation depends on how far the pipe has to come. Mine was a couple of thousand, but well worth every penny 😀 water bill is around £80 every six monrhs so pretty good value I think.
Get yourself on mailing lists. Land goes very quickly round here.
My best tip would be to check for sycamore/oaks on any land you are interested in. Everything else you can work round but a field with loads of nasties just won’t be worth it.
Water installation depends on how far the pipe has to come. Mine was a couple of thousand, but well worth every penny 😀 water bill is around £80 every six monrhs so pretty good value I think.
Get yourself on mailing lists. Land goes very quickly round here.
pistolpete
Well-Known Member
Thank you. Yes dearer here too Hampshire! More like 65k an acre!!!
Twohorses
Well-Known Member
1. While having fence already up would be terrific, I would put that at the bottom of my needs as you can readily put your own fence up. You would just have to hold enough money back to get it done.
2. I am in the US so your prices are not something I can talk about.
You don't want to buy a heavily wooded parcel (mosquitoes and bugs). Plus if you buy too much wooded area and not enough pasture, then you're stuck with the expense of clearing land plowing, seeding, then having to wait a couple years for the grassroots to take hold so the horses don't tear the roots out of the ground .
Nor do you want to buy something that's a lowland as your horses could be walking in mud up to their knees when the rains come.
Pay attention to the type of grass that's growing. I referred to Lowland grass as swampgrass. It has a different look and color to it, almost a putrid green. Often times when low land dirt is dry it will have cracks in it.
3. Some areas across the United States have limits on the minimum amount of acreage one can own to put livestock on it. Be sure you check zoning regulations ( or whatever they are called in your world ), so you know you will be able to put your horses on the property
2. I am in the US so your prices are not something I can talk about.
You don't want to buy a heavily wooded parcel (mosquitoes and bugs). Plus if you buy too much wooded area and not enough pasture, then you're stuck with the expense of clearing land plowing, seeding, then having to wait a couple years for the grassroots to take hold so the horses don't tear the roots out of the ground .
Nor do you want to buy something that's a lowland as your horses could be walking in mud up to their knees when the rains come.
Pay attention to the type of grass that's growing. I referred to Lowland grass as swampgrass. It has a different look and color to it, almost a putrid green. Often times when low land dirt is dry it will have cracks in it.
3. Some areas across the United States have limits on the minimum amount of acreage one can own to put livestock on it. Be sure you check zoning regulations ( or whatever they are called in your world ), so you know you will be able to put your horses on the property
JennBags
HHOSS Wonder Woman
If you have at least 1.5 acres/horse without stabling it's still classified as equestrian and no council tax.
Better to spread your manure back on your fields rather than have it removed. Cost really depends on who you can get to do it! Befriend some local farmers.
If you can afford to get yourself a little tractor and harrows, a roller etc, you're much more in control, otherwise you're forever trying to get contractors to come when you want them to.
I still haven't had a bill for my water (been there since October last year!) So I've no idea how much it is.
The Xmas Furry
Old Timer
My water bill is about £25 a half year, 4 fuzzies. I have water barrels which catch rain water off the stable roofs which is used for bucket and my boot washing etc. Its classed as a field supply. The standing charge includes 5 cubic metres, occasionally I go over by a couple of quid.
Muck heap here is about £70 a load (a 10 x 12 by 5ft high heap) and I get it taken twice a year.
Harrowing and rolling need to be factored in, plus hedge cutting, ditch digging, fence maintenance etc, I budget between 800 to 1k a year for these.
Grazing land here in my immediate surroundings is at least £70k an acre, price dropping to 60ish if over 5 acres, but increasing tho if any stables etc on it.
tda
Well-Known Member
Most definitely drainage/type of soil .
Don't take anyone word that it isn't muddy in the winter, most places are 😑
Small the acreage, bigger the price, Penelopes Pony Paddocks often go for as much as folk are willing to pay, £25k per acres plus
Don't take anyone word that it isn't muddy in the winter, most places are 😑
Small the acreage, bigger the price, Penelopes Pony Paddocks often go for as much as folk are willing to pay, £25k per acres plus
DD
Well-Known Member
no public rights of way across it. choose a place far enough away from bad areas so horses will not be subjected to abuse. other than that take whatever comes up, land for sale in smallish parcels is few and far between.
Hollychops
Well-Known Member
All the above posts have said what is pertinent, just make sure it is secure! As in, ponies/horses cant get out and tow rags find it difficult to get in to nick anything or do any damage to your animals.
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
As above posts but I would add general security of field/area. Access to to hacking especially if no arena, and definitely type of soil/drainage, look out for reeds growing. There's fields around us that you would need a large acreage per horse to be able to use in winter. Things like fencing and water although they will cost money to do are sortable on a long term basis but look at the things you can't change and make sure it's workable.
If you need to put in a water supply it can be expensive but our water bill is around £5 per quarter, a local farmer takes our muck and helps us out with topping and we get our hedges cut with theirs. We borrow a neighbours tractor and are able to harrow and roll when we need to and he'll take a cut of hay if we have too much grass, a barter system that has worked well for the last 8 years.
Good luck, buying our field although it has brought it's own problems has been the best thing we've done.
If you need to put in a water supply it can be expensive but our water bill is around £5 per quarter, a local farmer takes our muck and helps us out with topping and we get our hedges cut with theirs. We borrow a neighbours tractor and are able to harrow and roll when we need to and he'll take a cut of hay if we have too much grass, a barter system that has worked well for the last 8 years.
Good luck, buying our field although it has brought it's own problems has been the best thing we've done.
Polos Mum
Well-Known Member
Lots of good suggestions but I would add avoiding places with footpaths/ pavements nearby or backing onto housing. Lots of posts on here about strangers feeding horses or gardeners tipping grass cuttings over their fence into the field behind.
I would focus on what you can't change - neighbours, access, soil quality, large poisonous trees. Almost everything else can be worked around.
I would focus on what you can't change - neighbours, access, soil quality, large poisonous trees. Almost everything else can be worked around.