The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Oldyellar on August 01, 2015, 09:19:22 am

Title: Water and electric
Post by: Oldyellar on August 01, 2015, 09:19:22 am

Hi guys I'm looking at a potential parcel of land it's a field with decent access the seller a middle man for the owner says there is water and electric running along side the road, this is essential for me any ideas for how I would find out? If it's not true the land wouldn't really suit me tbh  :'(

Thanks john

Title: Re: Water and electric
Post by: Creagan on August 01, 2015, 10:48:50 am

Can you find any evidence of water or electrical connections? E.g. Manholes, valves, power poles etc?
The utility companies themselves will know but it may take a long time to get an answer from them. Even if the services are there, that is not a guarantee that there is sufficient capacity to allow you to use it too.

You could make it a condition of sale/lease that services can be accessed.

Alternatively if it's for agricultural use you can get surprisingly far with off-grid solutions, depending on what you are planning to do with the land.

Title: Re: Water and electric
Post by: Cosmore on August 01, 2015, 01:03:01 pm

'running alongside the road' does not mean the services are connected to and available for use in the field. I would check for any manholes/meters and enquire further to ascertain if they were ever able to be used in the field. If not, you would end up paying for the initial connection of the services which could be moderately high, and I would factor this into the cost of the land.
In my experience with the water company is that their location plans of their (especially) rural service routes are somewhat less than perfect sometimes. ::) .
Presumably the electricity supply is overhead (probably cheaper to connect than underground) and should therefore be obvious by its existence, to supply the field I think at a minimum there would have to be a pole erected and basic ancilliary termination in the field to carry the cable connected to the main supply.
Good luck, hope all goes satisfactorily for you. :fc: .

Title: Re: Water and electric
Post by: Oldyellar on August 02, 2015, 11:03:05 am

Thanks for you replies guys I think only thing that's over head at this side of the road is telephone cables, there is power lines a good few hundred meters away in another feild but I would reckon that wouldn't be any good as the cost may be very high. Thanks john