[marigold]

hi from the glens in Angus
We have 10 acres here - luck not design. I think Annie's point about the fencing is really important.
Our biggest headache since moving here is lack of fencing and out buildings. We stretched ourselves to buy the land because it is the area we have rented in for 20 years and plots like this are like hens teeth around here. However we overlooked how much time effort and money fencing and building sheds would take.
So when you're looking, think about what you might need on the land and what is there already.
Ideally I would want a small area of woodland, water, pasture and garden area all fenced. Our next door neighbours moved into a set up small holding so it was already to go. Oh and first try to find a plot that is on a south facing slope with good wind prtection from the prevailing wind. If you haven't got it already John Seymours book  A practical guide to self sufficiciency is where many of us start reading. I bought it 27 years ago and never recovered.It is a bit basic and is really just a starter for thinking. The river cottage everyday is a good starter book too. 

[doganjo]

If I had our lives over again, John would be bolted to the ground so he couldn't go climbing, we'd have found this forum, and he'd be too involved with working our 22 acres and tending the animals to worry about going up mountains!   Just pure dead brilliant - thanks to Rosemary and Dan!

[Elissian]

Hi Rob and Rachel, we're very new to all this too. we bought 17 acres nearly 2 years ago. we were looking at about 5 acres but this dream property had a massive price reduction and we ended up living in the dream!
i have few bits of advice, others may dissagree but if you genuinly feel you will end up with livestock make sure you.add the price of good fencing into your purchase pricing equasion. There is nothing worse than trying to round up escaped livestock especially if, like us you're near a road. also beware of people giving away bargains or getting you to take stock off them because you feel sorry for them, i have heard of so many people who have ended up with goats that don't produce milk or chickens that all turn out to be cockerels, do you get my drift. that being said all the farmers who've given me advice in the last year have been very helpfull and always happy to give advice. Finally, take it slowly don't be swept along by the excitment of it all. Get a few chickens and learn about them, plant some veg and sort out where the best place is for everything. you don't have to use all your land at once you can always get a contracter in and make hay and sell it. If you can afford it go on some courses, there are plenty of adverts in smallholder and country smallholding magazine. read lots of books. tim tyne is great for sheep, john seymour is a good alround read and there are some great farming biographies, chas griffin is a good read just to keep you chuckling.
No matter what the weather, standing in the middle of your own field and breathing in the morning is one of the greatest joys in life, my only regret, not managing it when my children were small.
have fun, Helen

[Micko]

Hi Robin and Rachel....we're really new as well and have bought some land in Tyneside (16 acres) and are going to attack it and get it developed as soon as the lovely pigging snow dissappears.

My one piece of advice, cos we've been having discussions with the planners, is to buy land in excess of 5 hectares if you can (around 12.5 acres) as this seems to be the magical figure for them when you're wanting to erect barns/polytunnels etc under the permitted developments rights. Otherwise is gets more tricky.