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Author Topic: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?  (Read 9131 times)

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« on: June 12, 2016, 04:08:59 pm »
Hello,
We thought we had it all so well planned out.... but it looks like our purchase of a smallholding in Powys is about to fall through :( 

Been looking for a plan B and cant seem to find anywhere affordable apart from ceredigion/cams/pembs area. I do love it around there (it's where I grew up) but would rather be somewhere new (too many terrible teenage embarrassments keep me away!).

So, can anyone suggest an area where we could afford a nice house with at least 3 acres, not too far from civilization and maybe a friendly inclusive community? We have about £260,000.  My dream is to set up a community supported micro dairy with goats and maybe some icelandic sheep.

 I prefer rain to sunshine if that helps  :fc: thanks everyone

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2016, 04:28:02 pm »
Have you looked on Rural Scene? They have a couple
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

CarolineJ

  • Joined Dec 2015
  • North coast of Scotland
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2016, 07:24:12 pm »
You could buy the house next door to me for £215,000 - 3 bedroom house, 18 acres, common grazings rights, barn, stables, sheep pens and views over the beach.  The downside is that it's on the north coast of Scotland, which is not most people's idea of a desirable place to live, but we love it (husband was born up here, I'm an import from Bristol though).  It's not on the agent's website at the moment, but it's been on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/206532089529687/photos/a.206991919483704.1073741826.206532089529687/570312813151611/?type=3

It was on before Christmas with 28 acres for £235k, not sure if the other 10 is still available or not. 

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2016, 08:36:06 pm »
Mmm I think its a bit North for my o/h sadly.... but I do like the idea of Scotland!

Jan and Dave

  • Joined Oct 2014
  • Aberdeenshire, UK
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2016, 09:06:49 pm »
Aberdeenshire still has some affordable smallholdings, and if Scotland appeals to you look at aspc.co.uk and add the filter "acres".  There are a couple under your budget at the moment, alternatively try the Aberdeen and Northern marts properties page. (it looks like they are updating their website at the moment so the links don't all work at present)

We used both extensively and found our smallholding that way, but you have to be patient - it took us two years and several false starts but got here eventually!


mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2016, 08:47:39 am »
Thank you! I am also considering Cumbria/Nothumberland area. Does anyone on here live near Hexham?
The trouble is we have already sold our house, we would consider renting for a bit but would need a place for our goats, dog and cat....

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2016, 09:14:18 am »
Thank you! I am also considering Cumbria/Nothumberland area. Does anyone on here live near Hexham?
The trouble is we have already sold our house, we would consider renting for a bit but would need a place for our goats, dog and cat....

You would have to go outside the Newcastle commuter belt to get anything reasonable I would guess. same for the Scottish Borders (Ednburgh commuters obviously and also not many smaller holdings - mainly large farms and estates, plus horsey country), maybe Dumfriesshire?

Also if you want to run a micro dairy - no sale of raw milk in Scotland, so your costsmay make it prohibitively expensive to set up, and away from large conurbations you may not have much of a market...

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2016, 09:34:27 am »
I'm not far from Hexham.  Prices near to 'civilisation' don't seem cheap around here to me - much cheaper over the border or on the higher, more remote ground. 

As Anke says, restrictions on selling raw milk may rule Scotland out for you.

If you head into the higher ground south of Hexham, through to Weardale, you might find something more affordable.  As you're community-minded, it might be worth exploring the area around Nenthead/Alston.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2016, 09:45:18 am »
Hello,
We thought we had it all so well planned out.... but it looks like our purchase of a smallholding in Powys is about to fall through :( 

Been looking for a plan B and cant seem to find anywhere affordable apart from ceredigion/cams/pembs area. I do love it around there (it's where I grew up) but would rather be somewhere new (too many terrible teenage embarrassments keep me away!).

So, can anyone suggest an area where we could afford a nice house with at least 3 acres, not too far from civilization and maybe a friendly inclusive community? We have about £260,000.  My dream is to set up a community supported micro dairy with goats and maybe some icelandic sheep.

 I prefer rain to sunshine if that helps  :fc: thanks everyone
Try the smallholding centre a lot of their properties are very reasonable. There was one availble just down the rd from me which was cheap but nice but it soon got sold.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

mariegold

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2016, 10:19:55 am »
Mmm i didn't realize about the raw milk restrictions in Scotland... that's very useful to know.

I've seen a couple near to Alston and we will try and do a trip up there later this month...


Porterlauren

  • Joined Apr 2014
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2016, 03:08:18 pm »
When it became the 'in thing'. . . . . the prices went through the roof.

I'm from Wales. . . . and when back in rural Wales, especially the West and North. . . . . . no one else appears to be!

MAK

  • Joined Nov 2011
  • Middle ish of France
    • Cadeaux de La forge
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2016, 07:23:16 am »
France.
Just like the uk some areas are cheaper than others and the geograph, climate and quality of land differs to. Depends what you want to do and if you want to renovate the dwelling. All rural properties will have outbuildings and the remains of livestock pens etc etc
www.cadeauxdelaforge.fr
Gifts and crafts made by us.

benkt

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Cambridgeshire
    • Hempsals Community Farm
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2016, 09:04:27 am »
With ag ties: Dead cheap and getting easier and easier to comply with it seems:

http://swarb.co.uk/shortt-and-another-v-secretary-of-state-for-communities-and-local-government-and-another-ca-18-nov-2015/

"There is no obvious reason why this condition should be read as applying only where the agricultural worker provides financial support to the family members living with him or her. Indeed, it would be very surprising if the intention were to permit an agricultural worker to have family members living with him or her only so long as the agricultural business was profitable, or to require family finances to be organised in such a way as to channel profits from the agricultural business into meeting the family’s ordinary living expenses rather than, for example, allowing them to be reinvested in the agricultural business while relying on the spouse’s income to meet the living expenses."

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2016, 10:56:13 am »
Just a quick thought that was important to us:

We seriously considered moving to Northern Scotland, The Hebrides etc, and I'm sure we'd have loved it there. However, whilst it's true that you can get a lot more for your money, there also aren't the same employment opportunities that there are in more populated areas.

So for us, since the bank won't take mortgage payments in the form of eggs, it made most sense to fork out a bit more for the smallholding, but buy somewhere still accessible for work in town. This means that we can enjoy the smallholding, but don't have to make it pay. (Don't get me wrong, I'm full of admiration for those who do, but I'm soooo glad we don't have to be in that category, as I think the stress would have killed me by now!!)
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

benkt

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Cambridgeshire
    • Hempsals Community Farm
Re: Where are all the affordable smallholdings!?
« Reply #14 on: June 15, 2016, 11:43:24 am »
+1 Womble, Also 'cheap to buy' places tend to be 'cheap to sell produce' places too. I'm always surprised in the huge difference in price people make for half pigs when we have a thread on it, feed costs don't seem to be equivalently cheaper up north/out west either!

 

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