Why so many big yards for sale?

SEL

SEL

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I need to get buying lottery tickets. I know we've got HS2 planned to go through the area and there are discussions on the new road linking Oxford to Cambs, but I'm trying to work out if there is something else going on which means these big local venues are coming up for sale. Perhaps its just a case of horses don't make money :(

First up is Attington, which I use regularly. Sadly I don't have £7m to spare.
http://www.windsorclive.co.uk/equestrian-property/oxfordshire/attington-stud

Then followed by Quainton (which might be affected by HS2). It looks a bargain compared to Attington
http://www.windsorclive.co.uk/equestrian-property/buckinghamshire/quainton-stud--lot-1--9975-acres

**starts hunting down the back of the sofa for pennies**
 
They maybe for sale, but Quainton has been on the market for 2 years, and now being sold off it lots, it seems at auction later this year. So sad, as it’s a lovely venue, and very handy for me.
Attington is lovely, but can’t imagine with its price tag people will keep that open to the public either.
However, will they sell is another matter. Houses with land seems to currently be a very slow market. We managed to sell my fil place in Bucks, a 4 bed bungalow with c 5 acres about 18 months after it first went on market. 2 friends nearby have their places on the market, one with c2 acres and one with c5. Both have had a handful of viewings, none from the horse world and no offers.
Paddocks which come on the market, however, in the Bucks/Herts borders are snapped up for several times the advertised price, it seems.
 
We have one near here which they can't give away - it's been empty for about 6 years now. Beautiful galleried indoor with canteen area, covered warm-up, huge outdoor and an even huger outdoor with judges gallery building. All weather cross country. Acres of estate riding. Stabling for I think 60 horses. Separate breeding unit. Accommodation, tack rooms, feed rooms, rug rooms, canteen - you name it, it's got it. But it is in the back end of nowhere (albeit a beautiful part of the world) and nobody will travel to it. It's the epitome of a white elephant :(
 
Spottyappy said:
They maybe for sale, but Quainton has been on the market for 2 years, and now being sold off it lots, it seems at auction later this year. So sad, as it’s a lovely venue, and very handy for me.
Attington is lovely, but can’t imagine with its price tag people will keep that open to the public either.
However, will they sell is another matter. Houses with land seems to currently be a very slow market. We managed to sell my fil place in Bucks, a 4 bed bungalow with c 5 acres about 18 months after it first went on market. 2 friends nearby have their places on the market, one with c2 acres and one with c5. Both have had a handful of viewings, none from the horse world and no offers.
Paddocks which come on the market, however, in the Bucks/Herts borders are snapped up for several times the advertised price, it seems.
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Whereabouts in Bucks are you? It is such a wide market from the multi million pound pads in Marlow and Beaconsfield out to the more farming communities near Buckingham. I'm always hoping OH will give up the commute to London so we can head further out and buy land!

I agree £7m for Attington is steep. Esp when the M40 is practically at the end of their drive.
 
There are a couple of big yards, with great facilities, for sale where I am too. Haven't managed to scramble enough pennies together, but it would be great...
 
Quainton has been up for sale on and off for years. My understanding is that the house is not that big and planning is unlikely to be forthcoming to put up a new house.

Milton Keynes Eventing Centre and Oldencraig have both also been up for sale on and off over the years.

From my experience of my own small yard I think the running costs and on-going maintenance can just become very draining.
 
My biggest query on this is that I don't understand the £4m difference in price for properties so close to each other and only 25ac. difference in land? Facilities are relatively similar bar the gallops and the surfaced XC at Attington? Begrudging sale there?
 
SEL said:
Whereabouts in Bucks are you? It is such a wide market from the multi million pound pads in Marlow and Beaconsfield out to the more farming communities near Buckingham. I'm always hoping OH will give up the commute to London so we can head further out and buy land!

I agree £7m for Attington is steep. Esp when the M40 is practically at the end of their drive.
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I’m on the Bucks/Beds/Herts borders. Without posting too much publically, TRing/Leighton Buzzard/Aylesbury triangle. Very well placed for many of the local show centres. Sadly, no off road hacking.
Attington is lovely, and the access is easier than Quainton, which from me, is down lanes that need resurfacing and I have to drive in the middle to not give the Horses a horrendous ride! Better do the lottery tomorrow night and hope One of us wins!
 
Rowreach said:
We have one near here which they can't give away - it's been empty for about 6 years now. Beautiful galleried indoor with canteen area, covered warm-up, huge outdoor and an even huger outdoor with judges gallery building. All weather cross country. Acres of estate riding. Stabling for I think 60 horses. Separate breeding unit. Accommodation, tack rooms, feed rooms, rug rooms, canteen - you name it, it's got it. But it is in the back end of nowhere (albeit a beautiful part of the world) and nobody will travel to it. It's the epitome of a white elephant :(
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There's one similar to that round here - https://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbcfrscrs160149
It's got the best off-road riding in S Wales and amazing views of the coast, but it's a pain to get to. This one has been on the market for 4 years - original price was 3 mil!
 
I suspect a major factor in running profitable business is business rates - lots of buildings and facilities to charge for. And environmental and H&S factors - a friend who runs a RS has to have a licence for her muck heap and regular H&S inspections, not to mention doing risk assessment for everything connected with big dangerous animals like horses.
 
JillA said:
I suspect a major factor in running profitable business is business rates - lots of buildings and facilities to charge for. And environmental and H&S factors - a friend who runs a RS has to have a licence for her muck heap and regular H&S inspections, not to mention doing risk assessment for everything connected with big dangerous animals like horses.
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I know of three yards around here that have diversified and have built chalet type apartments with some of their old stables and they attract a business men/women clientele looking to stop the night somewhere clean but cheap. So you end up having a livery yard with chalets for business people clattering and banging buckets around at 7am in the morning. I think the attraction of these places is that its cheap and also by the motorway network which suits. One of the ones Alex Politizi - THe Hotel Inspector ended up filming was the Harrogate County B&B which was a riding school/livery yard that also offered B&B accommodation. Now that was an eye opener!
 
The yard next door sold recently, I was expecting it to be on the market for a while but it sold to a cash buyer for close to £2m (asking price of £1.2) with a fortnight of going on the open market.
It's 49 acres, a collection of pretty run down barns, 3 small stable blocks, a wooden chalet and an old slightly knackered school.
Makes Attington seem quite reasonably priced to me!
 
DirectorFury said:
There's one similar to that round here - https://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbcfrscrs160149
It's got the best off-road riding in S Wales and amazing views of the coast, but it's a pain to get to. This one has been on the market for 4 years - original price was 3 mil!
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That is a truely lovely part of the world!! Now I am also hunting down the sofa...found £2.75, so might buy some posh chocolate to get over the fact I cant afford a new house! :)
 
I think a lot of people are happier on a private small yard with less drama. A large yard with 60 odd horses would be my idea of absolute hell, no matter the facilities.
 
I'm pretty sure Littleton Manor is for sale still too, or it was last year/earlier this year. Would love to have the £££ to buy a place like that but sadly all I can do is dream!
 
equi said:
I think a lot of people are happier on a private small yard with less drama. A large yard with 60 odd horses would be my idea of absolute hell, no matter the facilities.
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When I win the euromillions I might have 60 of my own 😊 isn't there a phrase "the best way to become a millionaire with horses is to start out a billionaire....."

But I think my crowd funding idea has legs. We've raised about £50 from this thread so getting there!!
 
Down in Hertfordshire any yard is targeted by developers even before the owners think of selling. Patchetts was the prime example - a thriving top class competiton venue and livery yard, close to amazing hacking and on the edge of London with great transport links. Sold to developers because of greedy owner and council. How many of these on the market are hoping to get developers knocking on their door? Btw, where is Attington?
 
Didn’t realise attington was up for sale, that seems like a really nice venue. Such a shame but must be very hard to keep a big hard nowadays. All going up for housing I assume!
 
gingerfan said:
Down in Hertfordshire any yard is targeted by developers even before the owners think of selling. Patchetts was the prime example - a thriving top class competiton venue and livery yard, close to amazing hacking and on the edge of London with great transport links. Sold to developers because of greedy owner and council. How many of these on the market are hoping to get developers knocking on their door? Btw, where is Attington?
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"Greedy owner"? If I owned somewhere like that and could get squillions from a developer, I might just bite their hand off myself.
 
gingerfan said:
Down in Hertfordshire any yard is targeted by developers even before the owners think of selling. Patchetts was the prime example - a thriving top class competiton venue and livery yard, close to amazing hacking and on the edge of London with great transport links. Sold to developers because of greedy owner and council. How many of these on the market are hoping to get developers knocking on their door? Btw, where is Attington?
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Not sure I’d call the owners of a business that was losing money greedy. It was a wonderful competition venue but if they couldn’t make it viable then it’s hardly fair to expect them to subsidise the competitors and liveries!

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/patchetts-equestrian-centre-to-close-499578
 
gingerfan said:
Down in Hertfordshire any yard is targeted by developers even before the owners think of selling. Patchetts was the prime example - a thriving top class competiton venue and livery yard, close to amazing hacking and on the edge of London with great transport links. Sold to developers because of greedy owner and council. How many of these on the market are hoping to get developers knocking on their door? Btw, where is Attington?
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Define 'thriving'? In my world thriving means making a good return on your capital investment as well as running a marginal business. Rather unfair to describe the owners of Patchetts, who kept the centre going for many more years than most people would have done, as 'greedy'. May I suggest Gingerfan that you invest your own capital into an equine business venture inside the M25. then run it and see how well you can do?
 
sport horse said:
Define 'thriving'? In my world thriving means making a good return on your capital investment as well as running a marginal business. Rather unfair to describe the owners of Patchetts, who kept the centre going for many more years than most people would have done, as 'greedy'. May I suggest Gingerfan that you invest your own capital into an equine business venture inside the M25. then run it and see how well you can do?
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This exactly. I live on quite a horsey lane but it's on the outskirts of a big tourist town (and not a nice, clean one either). What is now a skating park and lane pub was once a huge yard that held competitions. It's such a shame...
 
Rowreach said:
"Greedy owner"? If I owned somewhere like that and could get squillions from a developer, I might just bite their hand off myself.
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You and me both - and probably a fair proportion of others too. Why would you not want to be set up for life?

I understand it is inconvenient for the people that used to use the venue but they aren't being run as a charity and take an enormous amount of money and commitment to keep running.
 
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