Buying a field for a glamping pod

[MikeTren]

Hi all, I've lived in the country my whole life but I'm a dog walker rather than a farmer. I want to buy a plot of land in an idyllic location to have my own little piece of England but I want it to earn it's keep too. I was considering setting up a shepherds hut with a wood-fired hot tub, as well as grazing. As much as I'd love to buy a few sheep for my own flock I think that might be too steep a learning curve so perhaps I could rent it to a neighbouring farmer?

I have a couple of questions if anyone would be so kind.
1. Buying- I have really struggled to find the right kind of land for sale, most are selling as "house building investment opportunities" and therefore overpriced and close to built-up areas, which is not what I want. I have considered just hiking around until I find a field I love and approaching the landowner directly. Do you think people would mind this? Or are there more specialist rural listings that I haven't found? I don't want to spend too much but could stretch to 50k for the right piece of land.

2. Planning permission- I've seen people here talking about the "28-day rule" but how difficult is it to get planning for year-round camping? Bearing in mind I would only have the one glamping pod (possibly two or three if the lay of the land allowed me to have them isolated from each other, we know what that hot tub is going to be used for after all!).

3. Finally- I'm getting married summer of next year and I'd like to have reception on my own field, are there any laws that would stop me from doing that?

Thank you, and I apologise if these questions have already been asked.

 

[StaycationConsultants.com]

Hi, I hope I can help.

Best bet is to become familiar with the local council planners and discuss your plans once you have plans for the cabin and land that you are interested in, if your plans are for a highly sustainable cabin and the land itself isn't AONB or a nature reserve you should be fine, but it will require planning for commercial use, subject to it being a temporary structure and subject to planning.

Hiking isn't going to work but I love the initiative! I'd look for actual listings for land for sale, just Google it, keep and eye out for the auctions too, and get yourself to a point where you know exactly what you want and where.

So ultimately you can buy a piece of land then then rent it out for grazing. The way my business works is to pop cabins into locations that allow the farm to continue to work as normal, so you could rent out the land for agricultural use, if there's a taker, with the cabin on site. Again, still needs to go through planning but they will be much more comfortable with a cabin on plinths or wheels that doesn't look like a static caravan or holiday lodge with car parking etc etc.

 

[Highland Mule]

I don't want to spend too much but could stretch to 50k for the right piece of land.

That’s your problem right there. £50k is pony paddock price so won’t get you more than a very small area. Couple that with your access needs (roadside) and I can’t see you managing anything near what you plan - unless you go very rural.

Oh, and don’t expect any income from letting the land out at that area either - the farmer will be doing you a favour by putting his flock on to keep tidy (and may not even want to, when you’ve got a dog - both a worrying and a disease risk for livestock).

 

[HatsOff]

I have considered just hiking around until I find a field I love and approaching the landowner directly. Do you think people would mind this?

You know what, that's an interesting idea for a YouTube channel.

 

[D14]

Hi all, I've lived in the country my whole life but I'm a dog walker rather than a farmer. I want to buy a plot of land in an idyllic location to have my own little piece of England but I want it to earn it's keep too. I was considering setting up a shepherds hut with a wood-fired hot tub, as well as grazing. As much as I'd love to buy a few sheep for my own flock I think that might be too steep a learning curve so perhaps I could rent it to a neighbouring farmer?

I have a couple of questions if anyone would be so kind.
1. Buying- I have really struggled to find the right kind of land for sale, most are selling as "house building investment opportunities" and therefore overpriced and close to built-up areas, which is not what I want. I have considered just hiking around until I find a field I love and approaching the landowner directly. Do you think people would mind this? Or are there more specialist rural listings that I haven't found? I don't want to spend too much but could stretch to 50k for the right piece of land.

2. Planning permission- I've seen people here talking about the "28-day rule" but how difficult is it to get planning for year-round camping? Bearing in mind I would only have the one glamping pod (possibly two or three if the lay of the land allowed me to have them isolated from each other, we know what that hot tub is going to be used for after all!).

3. Finally- I'm getting married summer of next year and I'd like to have reception on my own field, are there any laws that would stop me from doing that?

Thank you, and I apologise if these questions have already been asked.

Location location location. To entice holiday makers they want both rural and idilic but also they want a cinema, restaurants and swimming pools within 20 mins drive. That means you'll be paying pony paddock prices of £40,000/acre.

 

[flowerpot]

Fields come up for sale every so often and usually have an estimated price, if not published then ask the agent.
I think you need to decide on your geographical area, however wide, then get familiar with the land agents who sell farms and land and keep an eye on what comes up and what it sells for. That is the beauty of a public auction, you can see how much it makes on the day.

If you can narrow it down a bit more you might even go and have a chat with them, and ask what you might get for your £40,000 + (remember stamp duty) although they work for the seller so obviously want to obtain the highest price possible. That might be enough to give you sufficient information about the local land market and, bravely, approaching a farmer to see if they might want to sell something - but be warned, the reply my OH always gives is "I buy land, never sell it." But you never know.

Depending on where you are, I wouldn't expect much from renting out the grazing, for a small area simply keeping the hedges cut and the fences in order would be usual and if you did get some rent treat that as a bonus.

 

[Still Farming]

Anything with the public will soon ruin your idyllic veiws.