Author Topic: Looking to rent this land - what needs to be done (Read 5599 times)

googlemad · « **on:** March 29, 2015, 03:42:39 am »

Hi guys,

I have approx 15 acres of land at the rear of my property. I has been left derelict by the owners in the hope of planning permission in the future.

In the meantime, I was thinking about asking them if they would be interested in letting me use the land for sheep etc

Now I've no idea what needs to be done to this land to get is in the correct condition for putting sheep, chickens a pig and honey bees on there in the future but any advice appreciated as this will effect how much rent I offer them.

That leads me to my next question, how much would you give for this land per annum and how do you think it best to approach the owners, there are a total of 4 owners as the land was left to them in trust

Thanks in advance

googlemad · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2015, 03:43:35 am »

Hers a pic from my house of the land

twizzel · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2015, 03:22:26 pm »

It's hard to tell if there is actually any grass or whether it's all weeds (which I suspect is probably the case given it's been left for what looks like many years). So for sheep it would need a lot of work, spraying ploughing and reseeding I expect. For chickens I expect you could probably trim a patch down, fence it off adequately and let them scratch around to their hearts content. But for a grazing animal like sheep I think it would need a lot of time and money to get to a graze able state.

bloomer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2015, 05:30:23 pm »

and theres issues of fencing etc, which if they hope to develop in the future is money down the drain with out some form of guaranteed tenancy...

most developers are happy for land to sit until they need it and dont usually want it to be seen to be used for anything else as it can hurt there chances for planning permission, the scruffier and messier it is the better as far as a developer is concerned...

good luck

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2015, 10:50:34 pm »

What a fantastic patch of land! It looks very wild and not very field-like at the moment.

Pigs dig everything up so maybe they'd be useful. Otherwise, cut everything down, mow/top brutally and keep doing so until you either kill all the weeds off, or the grass that remains (if any) has a chance to get a good foothold. I would expect re-sowing it may well be necessary. Possibly top sowing rather than ploughing and starting from scratch.

I'd write to all 4 of the owners individually and see what happens. Possibly follow up with a phonecall or visit. I imagine they will price it at whatever they see fit, from absurdly high because of it's useful position to you, to nothing at all because it needs clearing up, especially if there are injurous weeds present.

Good luckwith an exciting project!

pgkevet · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2015, 12:58:47 pm »

One little cheat would be to get neighbours (keeping your name out of it) to complain to the council about weed seeds blowing in...so council harrasses land owners and you get it cheap 'cos you'll mow it....

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2015, 01:46:24 pm »

My goats would love that! How about boer goats(meat) if you don't like milking?
I think fencing would be your main cost, if you could get something on before the weeds start growing then they should keep on top of it. But you would need to check for poisonous ragwort, wild rhodo's etc before stocking.
pigs sound a good option if you can fence them in, can imagine what the neighbours would say though :-).
As to price I think only you can decide what its worth to you. Difficult knowing you may be turned off it in a couple of years?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** April 12, 2015, 02:16:24 pm »

Could you do a toe-in-the-water exercise and use it for grass keep for a year if there are no inurious plants? Small rent, buy some hoggets, let them graze over the summer and sell them ready to go to the tup in the Autumn. If the fencing was OK and there's no footpath on the land you'd just have to keep them healthy and provide water.