150 acres / business ideas ?

[vvaannmmaann]

Obvious answer really.No noise to bother the neighbours.Trees for people to admire.Very very eco friendly.
http://www.nativewoodland.eu/

 

[Mpg]

4x4 Off road driving center.
Go kart track
Mountain bike trail

 

[Mpg]

Obvious answer really.No noise to bother the neighbours.Trees for people to admire.Very very eco friendly.
http://www.nativewoodland.eu/

Then you can go down the paintball route

 

[dharm999]

Hi,

Looking for some ideas from you guys, my situation is this -

My fiances parents own 150 acres of land and currently just rent it out to local farmers for crop production (minimal rental). They are not really interested in this land, it just generates some pocket money for them??

Me being me (very business minded) just cannot understand why they do not diversify. Their land is situated a mere 5 minute walk from the outskirts of a heavily populated (middle class) town.

I am looking for some ideas here, to dte we have come up with the following

• Trout fishery
• Livery for horses (we have a huge steading that could be converted)
• Cattery
• Boarding Kennels
• Childs play centre (I think this would go down well but huge start up costs)
• Activity centre - Fishing, cafe,interactive farm, quad bike track, clay pigeon shooting etc etc (build a brand bit by bit)
• Allotments (not much revenue)

An overview of our area is basically loads of young families (target market) with money to spend and nowhere local to go that offers them a great day out for all the family.......

I am currently a manager in the oil industry and my fiance is a senior medical rep and we have a combined income approaching £120k but we are desperate to escape the rat race and start something new and exciting for us to work on. We are realists and know it will be tough but we have a head start re. the land and the location - I really think we can do something great here and have success and the way of life we crave.

In summary - Do any of you guys know what the best ideas would be for such a piece of land - basically what sort of things generate the most interest / income ???

Sorry for the life story - Any ideas greatly appreciated !!

Thanks

What about a wind farm? There is capital required, but the generating companies are always looking for good sites for wind turbines. There is a way you can structure a deal to avoid a significant capital outlay.

 

[leemason]

How about caravan storage? If you can get registered with CaSSOA that's very good as it also impacts on insurance premiums for caravan owners storing their vans with you.

 

[Barnie]

An airfield with a flying school.

Little dream of mine for semi retirement, but you can share my dream, maybe make it a reality.

The problem you will face is getting planning permission, for any kind of building you want to put on the land. Like a small aircraft hanger.

flying school he may not get away with but private runway he may as its 15acres, private strips are in good demand, i know im looking for one

did you know on farmland you dont need permission to change use for 28days of the year, hence so many flying strips are on farms and only used for 28 days cough a year



fisheries are in good demand at the moment but investments are huge, talking 500k to 5m, its pretty eye watering


one thing that is working well is allotments, they just done this with some land near cardiff £5/week and they sold out within days

 

[Esk247]

for 150 acres..you're laughing your chops off. you can do a million and one things with that amount of land (dependent on restrictions/based on buildings etc) but for outdoor activities centres, wind farms, holiday parks..you'll be rolling in cash.

they dont make land anymore! (note: maybe in Dubai..but thats land shifting).

try not to build on it with permanent residential property though as it only releases a block of cash up front..after that..you end up with ever decreasing amounts of land to work from so the next generation end up with a house and a cabbage patch..surrounded by a small village.

there are lots of ideas above for you to consider...perhaps trialling some things first to kick it all off and see what you get..don't get involved in massive building projects too soon.

 

[barry502]

Thanks,

Not planning on any serious building projects just yet.

I know we are lucky to have this land and the options do seem endless to some extent but I really need to check with local authorities first to see what restrictions may apply.

I really need to do some serious research first before I commit to any kind of project, hence why I am on here - this is deemed as the start of research for me.

Thanks to all the replies, some good ideas here !!

Barry

 

[PureIT]

If i had the land i would have a horse livery yard! I would get a nice block of stables up, sand school, indoor school people pay alot per week for one stable....sorry this is my dream ill wake up in a minuit.

Come to the yard where my wife keeps her horse - that dream will soon turn in to a nightmare with all those *****y women!

 

[Kirstyflash]

Come to the yard where my wife keeps her horse - that dream will soon turn in to a nightmare with all those *****y women!

ahh still my dream, i would just have nice people on my yard.The only chance of me reaching my dream is winning the lottery!

fancy giving the land away save any planning hehe?

 

[jelly3]

What ever you do, allow the locals some sort of discount and make them know about it or else they will be moaning from the off and scupper your planning permission.

On top of that why do you and your better half not head into the nearest villages pubs and churches and conduct a local survey, all ages, to ask them what they would and would not like.

There is no point planning something that will immediately put the locals backs up, if there are any peeps who can hold a grudge it is country folk.

'Your greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgranda shot my greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgranda in 1766, etc.

 

[Fuzzy]

I'd def go for a few of your ideas, allotments are a great idea as councils have huge waiting lists and cannot cope with the demand we are number 300 odd on the waiting list and have been on it for 3 years I know of a few companies in Devon and Cornwall who have done exactely that.

You could also add in something that would attract families - as some of the suggestions here already.

Ooh sounds exciting - can I come and work for you?

 

[bluelight]

Choose a piece of the land, mark it off and fence it then add 2 or 3 polytunnels and some form of wooden benching (you havent mentioned if you have access to water on the land?).

Get hold of some pots, compost, seeds and plant them you need to start in January and will see the start of your returns in May next year.

It would cost around 75p per pot and dependent upon your local market etc etc you could be looking at a profit of around £1.50 per potted plant.

A nice little pension earner for yourselves and not a bad return on the investment in years 2 and 3

Simples!!!

 

[barry502]

There is a piped water supply to all the fields as they are sometimes used for cattle grazing.......so water to polly tunnels or allotments is there already.

I actually had a look on the internet last night at local authority maps of our fields. The one thing that hit me is that there is an oil pipeline running through some of the land which scuppers residential building in some areas due to health and safety / excavation issues.

This does not really concern me as I would hate to think of the land being covered in houses one day.

We measured out the stone steading / barn this evening and it is huge !! Almost 900 squared metres. There are loads of individual rooms / storage areas but I think in time these could be totally redesigned - this building is ideal for development. I guess that we could build about 50-60 stables in there if we wanted...........the possibilities are endless. I am going to visit my stepfather (ex planning officer) and see what he thinks. I am sure he will offer some sound advice / solutions.

Exciting times for us at the moment. I will keep you lot updated.

Thanks
Barry

 

[jelly3]

Can I have 5 acres of this land to pursue my dream to live as a gypsy?
Say the word and I will rescue a suitable looking nag from Winalot and head towards my solicitor to rustle up the deed papers and change my name to
Gypsy Rose Jelly.

I can bring my own hooped earrings.

 

[jelly3]

I've packed my bags, handed my house keys to the dog,said goodbye to the cat.
Wheres my land?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

The simplest year round income would be a golf driving range, cheap to start up and cheap and simple to run, can even run unatended for short periods with machines dispensing balls for lovely dosh

Could be backed up with a small say 30 caravan site, costs to lay on electricity, shower block, water and sewage

Pony trecking around farm and area on weekends, couple of girls could run it

Old farm buildings turned into craft workshops and cafe

 

[Esk247]

camping/caravaning seems to be one of the growth areas. Some of the sites near us were booked up 6 months to a year ahead

all they need is some land to rock up on and a little bit of security/lighting and such.

 

[Digger]

Can I have 5 acres of this land to pursue my dream to live as a gypsy?
Say the word and I will rescue a suitable looking nag from Winalot and head towards my solicitor to rustle up the deed papers and change my name to
Gypsy Rose Jelly.

I can bring my own hooped earrings.

Ah Winalot biscuits....mint.
used to eat more of them than my old dog...poor hungry mutt....no wonder he was such a good Rabbiter.

I can't remember if it made my poo white though ..oh the mind when age comes

WOOF!

 

[Arsh4d]

I would say a karting circuit, it would be appeal to the middle class, who want to take their kids for lessons etc

And you could hold National karting events there too.

 

[sanjiv]

The tarmacing costs would be expensive (if thats how you spell tarmacing)

 

[barry502]

The driving range idea is a good one as one of the main concerns re. any business that I am going to set up on this piece of land would be NOISE POLLUTION as there are neighbouring properties. Go Karting is a great idea but I think the noise may well lead to rejection from planners.

Out of interest what do driving ranges charge these days for say 30 balls ?

Thanks
Barry

 

[roydmoorian]

Over 60 responses to this thread so far and not one suggesting that the land be farmed.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

The driving range idea is a good one as one of the main concerns re. any business that I am going to set up on this piece of land would be NOISE POLLUTION as there are neighbouring properties. Go Karting is a great idea but I think the noise may well lead to rejection from planners.

Out of interest what do driving ranges charge these days for say 30 balls ?

Thanks
Barry

You missed my suggestion then?

 

[barry502]

No money in farming especially with only 150 acres which is small for a farm. This land was farmed by my fiances grandparents at one time and they only just managed to scrape a living - we live in different times now and I think it would be even harder to make a living from farming now than it was 30 odd years ago.

The farmers who currently rent the land do make money but one of them has thousands of acres at his disposal and has been doing it for years. The other has about 400 acres but has also diversified with a B&B and a small pheasant shoot to subsidize his income.

Besides, we know nothing about traditional farming which would be a slight drawback............hence looking for some original ideas to market to a modern middle class market.

 

[nextdayprint]

Good!

Does it help??



BTW, I got a City and guilds level 2 in pottery and clay modelling, didn't get a distinction, me pot was too wobbly.

Thanks is for making me laugh! Also was good to see you point out that things arent always as simple as they seem and even if you exaggerated a little it had the desired effect

 

[sanjiv]

About £2-3.

 

[Digger]

The driving range idea is a good one as one of the main concerns re. any business that I am going to set up on this piece of land would be NOISE POLLUTION as there are neighbouring properties. Go Karting is a great idea but I think the noise may well lead to rejection from planners.

Out of interest what do driving ranges charge these days for say 30 balls ?

Thanks
Barry

£1.00 for a bucket of battered balls ( never counted them mind)

 

[vvaannmmaann]

£1.00 for a bucket of battered balls ( never counted them mind)


Makes a change from Mars Bars I suppose.

 

[Digger]

£1.00 for a bucket of battered balls ( never counted them mind)


Makes a change from Mars Bars I suppose.

with my swing - it would be an improvement

 

[Gord]

Trout fishery
Activity centre - Fishing

If you are thinking of going down the fishing route, feel free to PM me & I'll put you in contact with a chap who will gladly give you advice & an idea of the payback, pitfalls etc.
This is an old prototype website of the ponds he created & runs in Leeds, it gives you an idea of the project.
( requires flash )
http://www.orbyte.co.uk/gbl/prototype/ldasa_08_01.html

 

[nextdayprint]

Go-kart track is a dreadful idea unless it has a lot of tarmac down already, or if you have some really great spin on the whole idea. Go-kart tracks dont tend to make much money vs the space they take up. I used to race them in France and most of the places we went were only really just getting by. Cost of fuel, wheels, engines, karts, insurance, etc...

With your combined income you are going to have to think long and hard about this before dropping those jobs. Maybe ask the inlaws to gift the land to you guys (avoid inheritance tax etc), sell it and reinvest it in something you guys either know or in a property portfolio with long term tenants for not massive returns but enough to live well on I would have thought.

 

[barry502]

Our combined income at the moment is pretty high but it is not about the money for us. My job is 24/7 and very stressful and my other halfs job is long hours and lots of travel - we are both knackered and stressed at the end of every week. I have to do a lot of corporate presentations etc and it is just not me - I am a country outdoor type who would rather be out in the wilds than attending meeting after meeting in the corporate oil business.

Our ideas are basically for a better way of life - we would both love to be our own bosses full time. I think with our work ethics and my business knowledge (knowledge through running an engineering business) I think we make a good team and could do something special with this land that benefits us and the local community...............here's hoping.

Today, I visited a local fishery (caught two rainbows) to see how they run the place. I was snooping around researching their set up whilst fishing..........basically doing research. To be honest I don't think the fishery would be a money spinner - seems like a hell of a lot of work for not much financial gain but then again I would love to run something like that - nice chilled out lifestyle.

I have so many ideas that it is just a case of researching each idea and coming up with a shortlist / plan. Local authority research is underway - I have found lots on the internet about my area........some pretty grim reading to be honest - our local planners seem to take a dim view of any sort of developments..........our town planners just don't want to move with the times. I think our best chance is to prove whatever we do is something that the community want. I can see me having to conduct some large surveys in the future......................ongoing research required................

Thanks
Barry

 

[vvaannmmaann]

I'll mention it once more.Green funerals.
Quiet.Very green and a benefit to the local area.And eventually lots of trees for people to enjoy.

 

[nextdayprint]

I'll mention it once more.Green funerals.
Quiet.Very green and a benefit to the local area.And eventually lots of trees for people to enjoy.

Yeah, and you could charge businesses to carbon offset the trees at the same time Maybe even rent the coffins to the greenys

 

[adventurelife]

Our combined income at the moment is pretty high but it is not about the money for us. My job is 24/7 and very stressful and my other halfs job is long hours and lots of travel - we are both knackered and stressed at the end of every week. I have to do a lot of corporate presentations etc and it is just not me - I am a country outdoor type who would rather be out in the wilds than attending meeting after meeting in the corporate oil business.

Our ideas are basically for a better way of life - we would both love to be our own bosses full time. I think with our work ethics and my business knowledge (knowledge through running an engineering business) I think we make a good team and could do something special with this land that benefits us and the local community...............here's hoping.

Today, I visited a local fishery (caught two rainbows) to see how they run the place. I was snooping around researching their set up whilst fishing..........basically doing research. To be honest I don't think the fishery would be a money spinner - seems like a hell of a lot of work for not much financial gain but then again I would love to run something like that - nice chilled out lifestyle.

I have so many ideas that it is just a case of researching each idea and coming up with a shortlist / plan. Local authority research is underway - I have found lots on the internet about my area........some pretty grim reading to be honest - our local planners seem to take a dim view of any sort of developments..........our town planners just don't want to move with the times. I think our best chance is to prove whatever we do is something that the community want. I can see me having to conduct some large surveys in the future......................ongoing research required................

Thanks
Barry

Barry

Some facts of life in any business

1. None are chilled out. If you think a business in the sector your are proposing is chilled out think again. It is mega competitive and your marketing needs to be outstanding.


You might be knackered at the end of the week at present but you have money in the bank. Think about being double knackered and having nothing in the bank

I am not trying to put you off as it has worked for me, but I am in a minority of a very, very small % and the reason I know this as I look at the books of companies like you are proposing to set up every month.

If you decide to do it, do it as one person not as a couple keep one wage coming in.

 

[Esk247]

yeah be careful with the whole..family business thing..i've been working in that sector recently and it's a headache and a half. clue as to why my interior accessories business in my signature ain't up and running yet..3 months behind schedule now.

just make sure you plan something thats potentially profitable at the earliest opportunity and creates the minimum amount of fuss with the Council.

I'm only a young'un but i've been involved with lots of projects over the last few years including dealings with councils and oh my lordddd they are DIFFICULT!

dancing goal posts is one way of putting it.

 

[peebles]

I would agree that by being self employed you will work longer, harder, and for less money than you do in your current job. The question is whether you'll enjoy it more. You'd better do or it won't be worth it.

The beauty about working for someone else is
a) It's easy money. So long as you do ok at your job you'll get that wage slip at the end of the month. Being self employed there's absolutely no guarantee and it's hard work getting money from people.
b) You leave work and leave it behind you. You have no responsibility to have you tea then start work again till midnight. Self employed means there's always something to do on a night, always something you could be improving, hopefully you're really interested in it so you eat, sleep, and dream your business. There is no let up.

I'm just trying to point out the realities before you make the leap. I agree with adventurelife that it would be really sensible to keep one wage coming in, even it means a change of location but one of you works employed for someone more local.

Good luck.

 

[gwalton]

Essentially with land, this is a Town Planning question.

Being a land owner myself, I was shocked to discover that in reality all development rights to land were nationalised in 1947.

That's right, the government own (and control) any development rights on your land.

However, they allow you to do things they agree to(this being delegated to the LPA/council) through Planning Permission, and in most cases you get to keep any uplift in value(except with section 106 agreements and others relating to allowing development they would otherwise restrict in the area, eg open countryside).

Another major factor with land are business rates.

And Business rates apply not only to buildings but use of land too. For example, you want to have a leisure activity on your land, then in most cases you'll have to pay business rates, and of course you pay out of gross before profits...you could make a loss (or have no income/no use during the year) and still be liable for business rates, this alone has forced the sale of many a property so beware.

That's the bad news.

The good news is by sticking to agriculture, there's no business rates, and more importantly, agriculture(and forestry) does not fall under the definition of development, so you don't need planning permission for anything agriculture related, with the exceptional of very large buildings or dwellings.

So, as long as you have more than 5 hectars (12.5 acres), you can build a pretty large building with no planning permission, you can create a new access, new hardstanding areas you can live on the land in a caravan if you're working on it, etc etc.

And if you have a viable agricultural business on the land, you can build a house, have your mates landing in their private airplane/helicopter...and live happily ever after.

The alternative, getting planning permission, paying business rates etc etc will be sure to drive you insane. If you don't fancy some form of agriculture, then I'd recommend partnering with someone else and leasing them the land to avoid the headaches.

All the above assumes you want an income from the land.

If however you want a windfall from the development potential, with a view to selling after getting some form of planning permission, then first stop is a professional planner from RTPI.

Hope that helps,

Granville.

PS.

Christmas trees are very profitable over the medium term.

Ho Ho Ho

 

[newlocs]

Wind farms.
This could be quite lucrative. I believe there are grants awarded for this too.