The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: enzyme on February 05, 2010, 07:50:20 pm
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Hi
Looking for a bit of advice on some land we would like to buy.
The land joins onto our house/current garden and is a field of just under 3 acres.
It is owned by the factory (dairy) next to us, but has been farmed by a local farmer for 40+ years. He does not pay to farm the land and now in his 60's is very much winding down. e.g last year he just left his straw bailed in the field to rot. He lives over 20 miles away and I suspect he will not plant anything this year.
We are on good terms with the dairy manager / farmer, and as such we already have an informal agreement for a strip of the land along out fence of approx 50 x 10m which we have grown veg in for the past two seasons.
The next adjacent farmer (“proper” farmer, whos land I shoot on) says in it current state it is worth max £3k !!! But I assume that is as pure agricultural land and not connected with our house?
The field would need major drainage works and soil preparation for any serious growing, hence "proper” farmers price
The field has no road access as it is surrounded by our house, the dairy and the other farmers field (over a ditch)
My plan is to make a very large pond, making use of the natural low of the field, a small wooded area and addition of pigs.
Any thoughts?
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Sounds like a very good price to me!
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I know land in your area is definitely cheaper than where we are.
Its said that land is worth between £3,000-£5,000 per acre, but in reality we are finding it goes for a lot more. So, your land sounds a good price to me.
Just as an example, the 4 acre field along from us, not good grass, full of gorse bushes and brambles went for auction. I went to watch, and it made £36,000. A one acre paddock went for £15,000, so both plots exceeded expectations.
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A local friend of mine sold half her field about 3 years ago. The area was about an acre and she got £7000 for it.
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If it joins your house, you are very lucky to get the chance and I would bite the farmers hand off at that price. If you think about it if someone else buys it, you will have little control of whats goes on around your house! And would almost certainly never get the chance to buy it again.
Good luck
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Go for it! It's a good price, and it sounds ideal for what you want :pig: :pig:
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The minute that you go to buy agricultural land to add to your house some smart alec will decide that it is amenity land and up the price
that is what happened to us, the farmer reconed that it was worth £1,000-£1,800 an acre but when we came to buy it he had it valued and as I said the Valuers decided that it was now amenity land and worth £6,000 an acre. We did still buy it and reccon that it has increased the value of our house by a lot more than we paid.
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Is there anyway round this? Like getting a friend or relative to buy it that is not even in the same county?
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Im not sure what the land prices are like in yorkshire but I have just bought 2.5 acres in Norfolk and it cost me £32000
Which believe it or not was not too bad a price
So yours sounds VERY good to me
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The next adjacent farmer (“proper” farmer, whos land I shoot on) says in it current state it is worth max £3k !!! But I assume that is as pure agricultural land and not connected with our house?
Dangermouse
Thanks for the vote of confidence in the price, but I think you are all mixing up the owners and the prices quoted!
The land is owned by a factory next to us, they rent it FREE to a farmer that has "farmed" it as a hobby for nearly 50 years simply due to an old agreement.
The price quoted of £3k was from the other farmer that farms the next field/ farm, how said in it current state i.e very poor drainage, poor soil etc etc £3k.
I have not had a quote from the true owners (The factory)
My view given the condition of the land, no road frontage access, no running water, elec etc would be £8 - 10K for the 3 acres.
Anyway, a few years of buying it at the moment, just need to save up a bit more. We have 50 x 10 m from the factory free to rent as long as they do not need the land.
Some honey dropped round today, and some veg in the summer to the factory manager to keep him sweet!
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Land prices have got really ridiculous. I heard the other day that Icelandic, Chinese and Dutch investors are buying agricultural land up in the UK - unbelievable!
I bought a bit of land (about 2 acres) next to my house for £20000 last year, and it seems that seems to be pretty much the going rate down here despite it being on solid clay and badly needing decent drainage. A previous owner went bankrupt and the mortgage holders sold half the land to pay off debts, leaving the rest of the land unsold until the right price can be agreed. We were told by local farmers that it was "worth" about 3k an acre. Having said that, whilst it was expensive the fact that it is right next to my house, increases the value of my property by considerably more than we paid, so was extremely worthwhile. But hey - my pigs seem to like it which is the most important thing!
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there was some land going up here last year very wet poor condition with some ones septic tank soak away. that went for more tham 3k an acre. so if your lucky enough that the factory would sell it for that the snap it up.
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But will the factory actually sell it? Maybe they are thinking of expanding their factory at some time?
Any bits of land round here, get snapped up at auction by horse people. Not much goes up for sale, and then when it does, the world and his brother want it.
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Same happens here!
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But will the factory actually sell it? Maybe they are thinking of expanding their factory at some time?
The dairy announced nearly 40 reduncancys last month, reducing the work force down to about 60, so expanding is not on their minds!
But maybe a few pounds in their pocket from the sale of the land might help them out?
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Couldn't hurt to try sweetening them first with some honey and stuff ;D. Maybe renting it for a few years, whilst you save up to buy may actually be the better idea. They may give you first refusal if they intend to sell it, and by renting and setting up your live stock there, they know you're reliable and serious about buying it. The only problem is the price rising in those few years you save up!
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If they are making redundencies this might just be the right time to ask about buying it or renting.
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I've tried that with a housebuilding company that has the field across the lane from me - running right alongside the railway line. I told them they 'd better cut their losses and take my money as they'd never sell houses next tothe line now. ;) ;D Hasn't worked so far but the MD will soon be my daughter's neighbour so will try him!