Buying own land.

Oberon

Oberon

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There is a farm being sold off locally in parcels.

Two plots are meadow and of a size within my budget (I have some savings).

The guide price is £10,000 per acre.

There's water supply to some plots (but not the ones I'm looking at).

No buildings in situ.

This is new territory for me.

Any advice on the guide price and what to offer?
Any other advice?
 
Well that seems to be the going rate, although you could always haggle. Water would be a problem, how are you going to get water there. How big are the plots? If it is going to be year round grazing it will have to be large enough so you can fence off and rest some of it. Horse needs shelter as much in the summer if not more so than winter. What sort of soil is it? Clay become a bog in winter, rock hard in summer. What is the quality of the grass?


Questions you need to know - right of access, what fencing is there (fencing is expensive), is it OK with the local council. Who are your neighbours going to be? Think about security, yours and your horse and possesions.

Around here gypsies often buy these plots and then put a caravan there, followed by stables, tarmac and then sit it out and wait for the council to evict them or grant them permission to be there.

I expect that others will have more advice to add.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I think as it's new territory the services of a local land agent to advise you might be well worth the money. Good luck!
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Yes, I am rather at sea with this all :D
Would our family solicitor (and personal friend) do? I'm fairly certain his firm handles property. Or is a land agent a specific role?
 
Orangehorse said:
Well that seems to be the going rate, although you could always haggle.
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It looks to be the going rate in my area. Not sure how to haggle :o

Water would be a problem, how are you going to get water there.
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There is water on one of the plots and there are some houses nearby, so I'm thinking I could get hooked up?

How big are the plots?
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Ranging from 35 acres to 2. I'm looking at 5 - 7 for a max of 4 horses.

If it is going to be year round grazing it will have to be large enough so you can fence off and rest some of it.
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Agree.
I have the option of creating a track system to save the land in winter. Obviously, it would be an ongoing process :)

Horse needs shelter as much in the summer if not more so than winter.
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Mobile field shelter would be the way to go initially to get some shelter without planning initially.

What sort of soil is it? Clay become a bog in winter, rock hard in summer. What is the quality of the grass?


Questions you need to know - right of access, what fencing is there (fencing is expensive), is it OK with the local council. Who are your neighbours going to be? Think about security, yours and your horse and possesions.

Around here gypsies often buy these plots and then put a caravan there, followed by stables, tarmac and then sit it out and wait for the council to evict them or grant them permission to be there.

I expect that others will have more advice to add.
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All good points and things for me to look into.
Thank you :)
 
we bought some agricultural land years back. We added water, electric and built some stables/arena/barn

Adding water and electric is a costly business, the amount depends on where you can tap into the mains, or get a link into a neighbours supply.

So, in your shoes, id walk the land and check for any neighbouring property, contact united utilities and ask them for a quote to connect. if you are lucky there will be mains running close by. Does the land have road frontage ?. Also have word with the local planning officer, and see if you are able to get planning for stables. They are usually very helpful. You will probably have to apply for change of use anyway, from agricultural to equine use.

Good luck, but if you ant facilities, be prepared to spend a few quid.

Also, bear in mind, if you build stables etc, you will be liable for small business rates
 
Oberon said:
Yes, I am rather at sea with this all :D
Would our family solicitor (and personal friend) do? I'm fairly certain his firm handles property. Or is a land agent a specific role?
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No you need an agri specialist I think really. He might be able to suggest someone. They are more like estate agents but for farms than solicitors and will know the things you need to know. You'll need an agri solicitor too.
 
Lovely to see you here again .
Small parcels of land for horse/ hobby grazing makes easily 10 to 15k an acre round here
I don't think you will regret buying your own grazing nothing beats having your own grazing .
 
Sheep said:
good to see you back Oberon :)
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^^ OH and I have used a local conveyancer (from a small solicitors firm) to buy land a few times. He has just retired but was brilliant - very thorough.
What is the access like? Exciting, I hope it comes off for you.
 
Asha said:
we bought some agricultural land years back/
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It's good to hear of someone that's done it.

So, in your shoes, id walk the land and check for any neighbouring property, contact united utilities and ask them for a quote to connect.
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Will do.

Does the land have road frontage ?.
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Depends on the plot, I need to have a nosey

Also have word with the local planning officer, and see if you are able to get planning for stables. They are usually very helpful. You will probably have to apply for change of use anyway, from agricultural to equine use.
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Cheers

Good luck, but if you ant facilities, be prepared to spend a few quid.
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Agree. It will be a process. There's a local livery yard with a super duper arena I've hired for £5 a few times and I have my wagon, so I can potentially manage without my own facilities at first.

Also, bear in mind, if you build stables etc, you will be liable for small business rates
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Does that include mobile field shelter?
 
Gift Horse said:
^^ OH and I have used a local conveyancer (from a small solicitors firm) to buy land a few times. He has just retired but was brilliant - very thorough.
What is the access like? Exciting, I hope it comes off for you.
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Thanks. I'll look into it.

The read through takes great pains to highlight all the access points, but I really need to go have a look.
 
In my area 10K an acre for 6 to 10, about 9K for 10 to 15, and add a bit for electric or water on site. A field shelter should not make it into a small business nor should stables for your own use. (but maybe some one who's bought land lately may quote me as wrong).
 
How is the sale being handled? I bought 7.5 acres in the summer by informal tender- basically sealed bids so you have to offer what you think the land is worth but at a compeitive level to beat off other bidders. Try to guage from the agents which plots are popular etc to guide you on your offer. I paid very slightly over 10k per acre and it already had water, decent fencing and a large mobile shelter in place. I paid about 3k to run a water pipeline up the field, put in hard standing at the gate and upgrade some of the fencing. Owning land is an expensive business!
 
TheMule said:
How is the sale being handled?
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Private treaty/informal tendre.

Can I find out who owns it and offer sneaky cash? (while wearing requisite dark clothing, fedora and sunglasses, obviously)

I bought 7.5 acres in the summer by informal tender- basically sealed bids so you have to offer what you think the land is worth but at a compeitive level to beat off other bidders. Try to guage from the agents which plots are popular etc to guide you on your offer.
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Owning land is an expensive business!
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I'm getting a sense that staying at the current livery yard (which I love) might be the cheaper option :o
 
Check the access rights, when we were looking to buy our house with land something we were very aware of was the need for access for everything from on foot/hoof to agricultural machinery. We live at the end of a single track private lane and have had some problems recently with a neighbour having visitors who blocked the lane and then tried to argue that we shouldn't have tractors coming up the lane to deliver hay etc. We were able to point out clearly that we had the right of access for anything we wanted to bring up the lane and that the householder may have to rethink her parking if the access was being compromised :p
 
YorksG said:
Check the access rights, when we were looking to buy our house with land something we were very aware of was the need for access for everything from on foot/hoof to agricultural machinery.
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I need to look at the plots but I admit to having some concerns re access. The description leads me to think it may be too narrow for most vehicles, which would be problematic for deliveries.
 
Oberon said:
Private treaty/informal tendre.

Can I find out who owns it and offer sneaky cash? (while wearing requisite dark clothing, fedora and sunglasses, obviously)

I'm getting a sense that staying at the current livery yard (which I love) might be the cheaper option :o
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I love having my own land, but I have to admit I'm glad it has a very well set out access point, ring fencing and is connected to water- I wouldn't consider it without those things because adding them is a money pit! It took me 7 years to find the right bit. Keep looking, it will come up
 
Welcome back Oberon :)

My yard was part of a death duty fund-raiser sale of the big farm, all in several plots back in the 70's. 150 acres all in parcels of 2 - 20 acres each.
Mother got a very good solicitor, who managed to sort out a seperate access (original was shared), also the terms too (for non-commercial livery, as it was at the time) and the bounday lines - v important as the land was being divided up for the 1st time in over 100 yrs.
The water supply was installed just for our yard, tho next door 3 plots share same meter between them!

Hope you strike it lucky :)
 
Do you know anyone else interested in buying? I know someone who wanted 5 acres and bought with a neighbour, who wanted a much bigger acreage. He then got his 5 acres at 2k per acre instead of 10k which the original vendor wanted for a small parcel!
 
Oberon said:
Private treaty/informal tendre.

Can I find out who owns it and offer sneaky cash? (while wearing requisite dark clothing, fedora and sunglasses, obviously)





I'm getting a sense that staying at the current livery yard (which I love) might be the cheaper option :o
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It might but for 2 very good reason I would go for it if I could,
1, not beholden to YO or YM though I realise they don't all act like the devil in jods it is nice to make your own decisions
2, no matter how little you pay in livery you'll never get the money back, the land even if you sell it in the future for what you paid you'll get your money back but I think we all know land increases in value with time.

I rent but am really lucky in that I do what I want and the owner leaves me alone, though actually we have become good friends.
 
Anywhere outside the M25 corridor is actually a falling market at the moment so dont get carried away ! down some 10-15% over where it was good grazing land is 6-8k acre you are better off going in low rather than being silly. What basis is it being sold on? Watch out for uplift clauses ! Check first with planners that you will get change of use as its worthless to you without unless you really only want it for grazing.
 
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