the daydream fund challenge thread

rozeepozee

A question for Davesnave the self confessed property expert (or anyone else who can help)- where did you look for all the smallholdings you viewed. I've googled smallholding wales and there are a few specialised property websites for the area. Also check rightmove and trovit, zoopla... some of the bigger sites are more helpful than others in allowing you to se your search criteria (I think it's zoopla that lets you search by acreage?) Any other leads would be great.

We're about to take delivery of a campervan and intend to use it as our roving accommodation giving us the chance to check out locations and view properties, so we will start looking in earnest in late summer I think.


TIA!

Is there a links page on this thread? I just googled "smallholding" and there's loads of info out there - slightly overwhelming in fact. Here are the links I gleaned from just two pages of my search

http://www.countrysmallholding.com/
http://www.thesmallholdingcentre.co.uk/
http://www.smallholding-wales.co.uk/
http://www.greenshifters.co.uk/
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/
http://www.self-sufficient.co.uk/Buy-a-Smallholding.htm
http://www.smallestsmallholding.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallholding
http://www.ascott.biz/
http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-smallholdings/
http://www.rural-smallholdings.co.uk/
http://www.lowimpact.org/courseoutlinelowimpactsmallholding.htm
http://www.smallholdingcourses.co.uk/
http://www.portugalsmallholding.org/
http://www.smallholder.co.uk/
http://www.guildengate.co.uk/
http://www.foxgrant.com/Smallholdings.htm
http://www.thirdleafbooks.co.uk/
http://www.blpbooks.co.uk/

Davesnave

Hii roseepozee, I'm sure I did rural agent links somewhere for someone, but I can't say if it was on this thread or somewhere else altogether. (I used to hang around a lot on the Debate House Prices & Economy Board.)

We spent three years looking in Wales, and then bought in Devon, such is the power of the Internet. We already knew Devon, but didn't expect to get anything decent within budget here.:D

I still have my old bookmarks for agents that cover West Wales so here are some agent sites not on your list:

http://www.profilehomes.com/
http://www.ruralscene.co.uk/look/frame.asp
http://www.evansbros.co.uk/
http://www.ctf-uk.com/
http://www.terrythomas.co.uk/
http://www.jjmorris.com/
http://www.morgananddavies.co.uk/
http://www.johnfrancis.co.uk/
http://www.fred-rees-and-son.co.uk/
http://www.frankmason.co.uk/
http://www.bjpco.com/
http://www.dai-lewis.co.uk/
http://www.westwalesproperties.co.uk/
http://www.philipling.co.uk/

As for the Westcountry, specifically Mid & North Devon and East Cornwall there's:
http://www.stags.co.uk/index.php
http://www.phillipsland.com/
http://www.kivells.com/property/
http://www.millercountrywide.co.uk/index.php
http://www.seddons.com/
http://www.helmores.com/

In the Westcountry, I wouldn't bother with gentrified areas like the South Hams. Best value (and freedom from NIMBYs) is found in the non-touristy areas away from both coasts, but I expect you know that.
We still have a real village community where I live, but the locals don't go 'Ooh arrh!' any more, because a good % are incomers.

In West Wales, there are more smallholdings than anywhere else, I think, and the value for money tends to be better, but prices don't always drop much if a place doesn't sell. In fact, there are still quite a few properties around at the same, or similar price, as when we viewed them in 2007!

I expect your DP knows he can't teach in most parts of West Wales unless he speaks Welsh fluently. There is certainly a political aspect to buying in parts of Wales, but communities are very different according to location and, in some places, every other smallholder seems to be from elsewhere.

Best of luck with your search. Bearing in mind what I said about Welsh property, starting now with a view to purchase in a few years time would seem about right!;)

Davesnave

Poppycat1 wrote: »

Another question please, I have a few bedding plants that I bought about three weeks ago as plugs, I have replanted them to bigger pots today. My question is: can I put these in the greenhouse now?

Errr......No! :eek:

Not sure about your area, but where I am we have been promised -3C tonight. I am still bringing peppers and toms out of our conservatory at night, even though that doesn't freeze, unless we go back to January's temperatures. Things need to be hardened-off slowly.

rozeepozee

Thanks for your post Davesnave. I'll check out those links. I know what you mean about the property prices not coming down since 2007. I can only assume that the advertisers don't want to announce that they'll take a lower offer, or how "keen" they are to sell. I guess it's a case of being cheeky enough to put in a lower offer and wait - if someone is serious about selling/needs to sell, you'd assume they'll have to come down at some stage. What I do know is that there are plenty of properties out there, the market is certainly not rising and we are cash buyers and in no hurry to buy. I'm hoping that if we do wait another 18 months to 3 years, we'll get more for our money than if we were in a position to buy now.

I have to say Devon appeals, particularly for the weather and I've been surprised by the prices of some of the properties I've browsed despite them being down South, but it's too far from our families, so I think it has to be North or West Wales. Yes, teaching jobs are an issue as we don't speak Welsh. Another reason why we'd need to rely on income from elsewhere I think. I'm qualified as a lawyer but have requalified as a mum and I enjoy that job much more Certainly have no plans to revert to my previous career any time soon.

We need to consider what additional income streams might be feasible/worthwhile and how we can keep our running and living costs down by being as self sufficient as possible and looking into making the running of the place as ecofriendly and frugal as possible.

Davesnave

rozeepozee wrote: »

Thanks for your post Davesnave. I'll check out those links. I know what you mean about the property prices not coming down since 2007. I can only assume that the advertisers don't want to announce that they'll take a lower offer, or how "keen" they are to sell. I guess it's a case of being cheeky enough to put in a lower offer and wait - if someone is serious about selling/needs to sell, you'd assume they'll have to come down at some stage. What I do know is that there are plenty of properties out there, the market is certainly not rising and we are cash buyers and in no hurry to buy. I'm hoping that if we do wait another 18 months to 3 years, we'll get more for our money than if we were in a position to buy now.

That isn't quite what I meant. We put sensible offers on a couple of Welsh properties and got nowhere, so what I'm saying is that some vendors are only willing to sell on their terms. They'd like to sell, but they don't need to.

FWIW, I agree a lot of Welsh property is well overpriced now. People read about the 'recovery' and they think, 'Prices soon back to normal, then.' They will have a long wait IMO.

Davesnave

Karmacat wrote: »

Hi there.... I've only just happened on this thread, and just seen your reference,Dave, to burning - it sounds like you're burning to get rid of stuff, is that right? Does local planning law or something prevent you from burning for fuel? Even if you saved it for BBQs in summer, if you can't burn it now, sort of thing. I found out a little bit last year about burning your own wood as fuel in France, and its absolutely essential out in the sticks.

Just interested to know what the situation is in this country .........

Sorry, just spotted this.....No, we can burn what we like, but I wouldn't want to burn old brambles, nettles and apple tree thinnings 3/4" and below!

Anything of a decent size, we cut up and will burn next winter. Wood is cheap here though; forester's yard just down the road, cash, no questions asked, delivery to suit them!;)

Karmacat

Thanks Dave! I see what you mean

rozeepozee

Davesnave wrote: »

That isn't quite what I meant. We put sensible offers on a couple of Welsh properties and got nowhere, so what I'm saying is that some vendors are only willing to sell on their terms. They'd like to sell, but they don't need to.

FWIW, I agree a lot of Welsh property is well overpriced now. People read about the 'recovery' and they think, 'Prices soon back to normal, then.' They will have a long wait IMO.

I take on board what you say about people will stay put if they don't have to sell but surely this can't always be the case when people put their property on the market and some need to sell for one reason or another? I'm not looking to take advantage of anyone but I don't want to pay over the odds. If I had to sell one of my properties now, I'd have to take a significantly lower amount than it might have been valued at 3 years ago - but I'd accept that because I'd expect that the rest of the market had also fallen.

I spent an age browsing through the properties on some of the links you provided (thanks again). There was definately a lot of daydreaming going on

Lots of the ones around £250K were showing as "Sold". I'm assuming that as long as you have the address, you can check how much they actually sold for on mouseprice or the equivalent still? It's a while since I did any price checking.

Cheers

mambury

rozeepozee wrote: »

I take on board what you say about people will stay put if they don't have to sell but surely this can't always be the case when people put their property on the market and some need to sell for one reason or another? I'm not looking to take advantage of anyone but I don't want to pay over the odds. If I had to sell one of my properties now, I'd have to take a significantly lower amount than it might have been valued at 3 years ago - but I'd accept that because I'd expect that the rest of the market had also fallen.

I spent an age browsing through the properties on some of the links you provided (thanks again). There was definately a lot of daydreaming going on

Lots of the ones around £250K were showing as "Sold". I'm assuming that as long as you have the address, you can check how much they actually sold for on mouseprice or the equivalent still? It's a while since I did any price checking.

Cheers

I would also bear in mind the English/Welsh political aspect that Dave alluded to on an earlier post. I personally have no experience of this however, I have friends who live in South Wales and they have come across quite a bit of abuse because they have an English accent. The funny thing is she is welsh, speaks fluent welsh but has an english accent as she grew up in Sussex.

They did struggle to negotiate house prices as the Welsh didn't want to be seen to be selling to English people... But they don't have an issue with me as I am Irish.....

This does not happen everywhere, but be prepared for it....

I found a bit of it here in North Devon.....

Good luck...

Mambury

rozeepozee

Yes, I've spent quite a bit of time in Wales as I studied law in South Wales (the North Waleians don't like the South Waleians much, let alone the English!) and we holiday a lot in North Wales and sometimes in the West. I actually like the fact that they are so proud and protective of their nationality and culture and would be delighted for my little boy to speak Welsh (think me and DP are a little bit too long in the teeth to learn the language meaningfully now). I didn't actually think that it could be a stumbling block in buying now - my DP's second generation Irish so maybe that'll help