Topic: LAND TO BUY OR NOT

[bazzysbarn]

hi all     we have found some land for sale but not sure if we are doing the right thing? We would like a smallholding but cant afford it so we thought about buying the land now and then try to buld on it when the children have left home and get a caravan to live on site. We need to borrow the money so thought about adding it to the mortgage. Has anyone any tips on this?   

[star]

Thats a hard one to answer Bazzy, things might be ok now. But in the current financial crisis, if your wages dropped or either of you were made redundant. The extra repayments could mean losing or keeping your home. Only you know your own financial situation as it is now.

Its always a gamble, but just a thought. If you were to sell your house and buy the land and caravan now(provided you could get planning permission of course). I don't know how old your kiddies are.

And as long as you could become more or less self sufficient.........I dunno hun. Its a big step. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you well and very good luck. :D

Lots of other opinions, Im sure, will pop up too ;) 

[betula]

Has the land got planning permission for residential?

[bazzysbarn]

Dont no but its got farm buildings already on it. There are a couple of houses nearby so i guess we could get it will have to find out i guess before we go ahead.

[Hosta]

You really must find out about permission before you even consider buying. 

Ex boss couldnt get planning to build on her own land even  though there was plenty of building going on around her.  They wanted to sell their house and build a new house for her and husband on the land they owned at the side - but was refused everytime.

[betula]

It is essential that you find this out before purchase :)

We have been trying to get planning permission on some land we own for
seventeen years :(

[star]

Im not sure that farm buildings will qualify as they are not residential, depends what they are built from and how high they are. But its certainly worth looking into ;)

[ACE]

Horticultural planning regs have changed. You used to be able to build a house so you were on site and be able to run your business. Loads of people opened a smallholding/nursery then built the house, then closed the nursery, bingo! a nice house built legally in the green belt.

Now, if I understand  the regs, you can only build a house for an 'essential' nursery worker, not yourself and family. This stops all the wide boys jumping through a black hole in the planning regs.

I don't think you can even put a caravan to live in on an unlicenced site.

[Barnowl]

There used to be a dispensation for a disused farm building to be replaced with a house, but this has probably changed.

[Hyacinth]

There used to be a dispensation for a disused farm building to be replaced with a house, but this has probably changed.

Yes, it has (according to the DT Q&A pages) and ACE is spot-on. Had the land been offered for sale with planning permission for a residence already granted, this would have been reflected in the price, too!!!

Worth asking tho - if only to reassure yourselves that you'd not have been able to do what you wanted, and forever left wondering...

[Sinbad7]

If it was me it would depend where the land was and how much it was going to cost now.

[bazzysbarn]

Thanks for all  your replies. Still unsure as to go for it or wait until the children are older and then move. The area is ok and its on a bus route so if anything happened to his lordship he could still get about(he cant drive!).  Thinking about going for a smaller area and just grow veggies and relax on it.  With the price of land its about the only thing its worth investing in i think.