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Frustration that we cant buy a farm...

Selectamatic

Member
Location
North Wales
Ladies and Gents,

I happen to be sat here watching 'Escape to the Country' (I say watching, its on in the background, while I'm doing something constructive) and its frustrating the hell out of me! A couple in their 50's ish, are trying to find a new home in Herefordshire, with £700,000 to play with they manage it...lucky buggers.

There's a smallholding near here, going on auction soon, guide price is £600,000, what do you get for your money? A small farmhouse, which you could live in, but could ideally do with some restoration and rework, some basic old farm buildings, a few byres, a granary, stable, in relatively good fettle. There is also a shed, that has seen better days, would be no good for much other than pulling down and weighting in really, and 22 acres of some fairly heavy, wet, but not extreme land, that could certainly be used to grow some good stuff and keep some livestock.

Now, my partner and I, both 30, with a modest amount of savings and full time jobs would kill for the chance of this place, I am a farmer in everyway other than actually having a farm, have some knowledge, have the kit, and am keen to get on with it. The other half is not from Farming stock, but has a dream of keeping a Farm Shop. Between us, I'm sure we could make a good little enterprise.

Problem is, the numbers just dont stack up, do they...? By some miracle, if some bank funded our wish, and we could afford this little 22 acre holding, unless you grew illegal drugs on it, or turn it into a brothel, it will never, ever pay for itself, will it? If tomorrow I win £600,000 on't Lottery, I still wont be able to make a living from a very modest 22 acres, will I? Even if the produce is sold for a premium through the Farm Shop...!

No problem, I have still a profession to draw a living from, and my other half is not shy, she could find some work I'm sure. But how to get a foot on the ladder when the first rung is so far out of reach?!

Not sure what I'm after here, other than somewhere to vent my frustration by beating up the keyboard! But any comments, suggestions, ideas, etc always welcome! :)
 
It's sad how the country has changed over the last half century. The good old tales of someone starting off contracting with a major bought for £100 at Cambridge a borrowed plough and ten bob in their pocket and then thirty years later own a farm and a big business just wouldn't happen now. My grandparents took on their fathers(father in law in grandads case) mortgage after he had a stroke, with nothing, no money for simple groceries for years until through hard work their situation improved and they payed off the mortgage. That was on 60 acres. They lived a simpler life I suppose, no tv licence, well water, no phone or electric, just coal, yeast, cake salt and paraffin were their bills, maybe that is why it was easier? Those things today you can't do without, not to mention transport. It's frustrating to the limit, I truly understand your predicament, am of a similar age and a similar situation.
 

Gulli

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Just looked on Saville's website , there is 350 acres there in Brecon of all places up for 3.5 million

The worlds gone mad
65 acres just down the road from me for 2.2 million
big house with a traintrack running through the front garden...

I can't afford to buy a house round here let alone a farm
 

bigw

Member
Location
Scotland
it is more sad some folks think that farming is some dream ideal.

Too true, especially some of the prices people are prepared to start farming on their own and end up saddled with a lifetime debt burden. The sums really dont stack up at all and at some point something will have to change.
 

exmoor dave

Member
Location
exmoor, uk
65 acres just down the road from me for 2.2 million
big house with a traintrack running through the front garden...

I can't afford to buy a house round here let alone a farm

bought my latest ebay purchase from a chap with a railway right around his garden!! built it himself, 12" gauge track.
 
I think there's a distinction between being able to buy some land to farm (and buying or renting a house nearby) and being able to buy a farm with a farm house in situ on it. The second is probably out of reach but the first may not be......
 

Sussex Martin

Member
Location
Burham Kent
I can remember a place came up close to me, it had 50 acres of grassland a pair of semi detached cottages fitted out as one house but not completed and a couple of half reasonable buildings. The price was £60k and I could not afford it! At the time I think my house was worth about £7k and I had a barely affordable mortgage of £6,800 and was paying £46 a month. My take home pay at the time was about £35 per week and I dreamt of winning the football pools as it was the only way I could ever have afforded it. The same place now for a new entrant would be a lottery win so nothing changes.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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