Buying a Smallholding

[the.fee.fairy]

Right. You must all know by ow that we are offiially moving to Gloucester at some point. Preferably around October/November...

Anyway, Dad has his heart set on a smallholding type thing at the moment. he wants a house for him and Mum, and some oubuildings that can be converted for me and my sister.

However, we don't know where to start looking.

Does anyone know the best places to try to get this type of property? I'd like somewhere with some land, so that i can have sheep and goats...and llamas..but they're a long way off!

I'd also like to give John Seymour's 'an acre for self sufficiency' a go, so a couple of acres or so would be great.

Are there any places that specifically sell this type of thing? Or are they a 'stumbled upon' property? Are there any specific auction houses, or companies that do them?

I'd like somewhere that i can convert for me to live in in the outbuildings, and i'm really interested in doing it all greenly.

[Stonehead]

There are a few specialists, but they tend to be country or region specific. I'll put a few in as there may be people looking in areas other than Gloucester.

Rural Scene (UK)

Strutt & Parker (UK, but their rural properties tend to be larger and expensive)

Savills (UK, look more at rural houses than farms & estates)

Farmsearch (mainly England and Wales, but some Scotland, have to pay a subscription )

Fisher German (central England)

HNRural (Northumberland, Durham & Borders)

C&D Property Services (northern England, southern Scotland)

The Smallholding Centre (Wales)

Clee Tompkinson Francis (south and west Wales)



School bus and cycle time. Back with more later.

[Stonehead]

..........

[Annpan]

I am sure that Stoney has given you enough food for thought but have you tried the small holders magazines too???

Can I add

Remember that some buildings will be beyond rescue - what I mean is that sometimes you would have to pay too much to get them fixed up to be habitable. But you might also want to keep an open mind to building a new home on the site (on the footprint of an older building)... or perhaps just a new home on some of the adjoining land, but you also need to think about planning permission. You might also need planning permission to change the use of farm type buildings too.

Good luck... it is all very exciting

[red]

try contacting the local small holders assn. people often have a go then sell up.. and the other members will be able to point in the in right direction.

Also.. when house hunting look for equestrian property too.. as that will likely have land and outbuildings.

[Gytrash]

Also.. when house hunting look for equestrian property too.. as that will likely have land and outbuildings.

Around here, adding 'Equestrian' to the search criteria seems to hugely increase the price of land...

[red]

well thats true.

[the.fee.fairy]

Wow! That house is really really nice...bu slightly over budget!!

Thankyou for all the links, i'm going to pass them all on to Dad and see what he can find.

Its a right pain in the backside being here not being able to go and look at places. He sent me the details of a gorgeous 16th Century 4 bed farmhouse, with permissions to renovate the outbuildngs and make 2 properties out of them, its in our price range and everything, but i can't see what needs doing to it. It seems incredibly cheap for what's there...its not got as much land asothers that he's looked at, but the building is beautiful.

He's going to have a look round it when he can.

I'll also try the Small Holders Association, thankyou for that one too!

LLamas here i come!

[hamster]

Am I right in thinking Permaculture magazine (and possibly smallholding magazines as well) have adverts in the back for property?

[mybarnconversion]

In my experience you've got to get your feet on the ground ... visit towns and villages & the estate agents in the areas you're interested in - build relationships so you'll be able to find out what's coming to market and get in there first. Despite all the gloom and doom in the property market the types of property you're after in that area will always shift quickly unless they are in some way less than ideal.

Like that property you've seen that looks cheap, there's probably something that brings that value down, close to a road or a small industrial unit etc. You need to look and get to know the area.

[mybarnconversion]

Am I right in thinking Permaculture magazine (and possibly smallholding magazines as well) have adverts in the back for property?

Certainly permaculture magazine carries property ads - worth a look although many are abroad.

[Gytrash]

Am I right in thinking Permaculture magazine (and possibly smallholding magazines as well) have adverts in the back for property?

The Smallholder magazine often has quite a few ads regarding smallholdings for sale. (Most of them seem to be in Wales and the Welsh borders, for some reason ).

[mary steen]

is 2 acres enough ? If so please see my forum entry of today