Anyone searching for a smallholding this year will have seen a big change in the market. Parcels of land in the countryside — with or without property — are being snapped up faster than ever before as an increasing number of people set their sights on living far from the bustle of urban life.
Right now anything in an attractive location that has a decent amount of outside space seems to be selling well — and for good money, too. Although property experts predict turbulent times ahead for the sale of conventional homes, it seems likely that smallholdings, along with land with development potential, will continue to be popular.
Not surprisingly some enterprising sellers have been hiking up their prices to cash in on the boom. Recent examples include a five-acre property in the north of England which, before the coronavirus lockdown restrictions were announced, had been on the market for months priced at £525,000. Once lockdown was lifted, it was re-advertised at £725,000, and it sold within days. At around the same time, property hunters in Somerset saw the price of one smallholding shoot up by an extra £300,000 — and again it sold.
As highlighted in Country Smallholding’s September issue, estate agents have reported record sales of rural properties, particularly those with several bedrooms or outbuildings suitable for conversion into workshops or home offices as more people have warmed to the idea of working remotely.
Esta historia es de la edición November 2020 de Country Smallholding.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 2020 de Country Smallholding.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century
