Yes, this is true. You can claim land for free in the UK through what is known as Adverse Possession. It takes a total of 12 years to get the land title in your name. But it takes only weeks to start using the land and making money from it.

But be in no doubt that you can become the owner of free land in the UK. It takes a matter of years to become the true owner of that free UK land. But this does not mean you have to wait to work that land.

I have now started uploading YouTube Videos @TheSmallFarmerLife Channel. I will discuss everything from what it is to look for land whether that’s claiming it for free which I will be making a Video about.

Videos will be on so many different subjects around starting and running a small farm…!

Now Let’s Discuss What You Need To Know On Claiming Land

How can you claim this land for free you may ask? Well, there are thousands and thousands of acres of land out there in the UK that are unregistered. Now, this does not mean that nobody owns the land. It could just mean that the land has never changed hands since 1990. This is when it became mandatory to register land or property after a sale.

More Detailed Explanation On How To Find land To Claim Below

As you can see in the image above there is still 20% of land and buildings not registered in the UK which is around 12 million acres. This is because the whole of the Uk is made up of 59.9 million acres in total.

If you don’t have the time to Adversely Possess Land and have a little money spare to invest in farmland. This is how I managed to get 2.6 acres for free in the space of 4 years. Go check out my post on “How To Find Land To Farm” and see how I did it.

There are so many other reasons that land has not been registered. All land is owned by someone, somewhere. This could even be the crown, but this does not mean that you can still not claim it.

Reasons, why land is vacant and could possibly be claimed, is for many reasons. The land could have belonged to a business that went bankrupt. That nobody knew the land belonged to the business and it was forgotten about.

The land could belong to a gas, electricity grid or railways that run through the country. There is plenty of free UK land out there that has belonged to people who have passed away. This land has just been forgotten about and is just sitting there.

The point being is that there is so much out there that people don’t have a clue who owns it. Meaning you could claim that land yourself for free, it is really quite amazing.

I was even told in the past by one of our council leaders & planning chairman to just go out and claim land free. This is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to get free land. Some councils have land they do not even know they own.

Claiming Free Land Or Buildings

It is not as easy as walking up to a piece of land and saying “I Claim This Land In My Name”. There is a process that you need to go through to claim the land.

To claim the land in your name and have it registered in your name takes 12 years in total. 10 years to make the claim and 2 years for someone to object (The Rightful Owner). But you do not have to wait that long to use the land. It’s possible you are driving or walking past land, that you could claim and you’re passing it every day.

Living In Rural Area Or Caravan Like Me Choose Three Unlimited Data

If you are looking to claim land for free and this can include buildings also. You need to be looking for unkept land, which could be overgrown with weeds and trees. The fencing could be rotting or no fence at all and can come in a small patch or acres.

I have extended people’s gardens through my business. Land that has been covered in nettles and thick brush, with an old shed much further back. I personally would have claimed it all, which was about a 3rd of an acre or more.

I have also claimed free land here in the UK for my customers. This was to extend their gardens and they still have it. They still have the free land attached to their gardens to this day with no problems.

How you should go about the first process. Let’s say you have seen a piece of land that is overgrown. It may have old fencing, that looks like it hasn’t been touched or repaired in years.

Firstly you would like to know if a local owns the land or if it has been registered. Now you can do this by knocking on local doors. You could also do a quick Land Registry Search for the registered keeper.

If no one knows who owns the land and you cannot find a registered keeper. This is a good start to staking your claim to that land.

Staking Your Claim To The Land

Staking your claim to the land for free is a little scary at first. But it is legal and you are not breaking the law. You will not be arrested and the police will not ever be called it is a civil matter.

That is unless you think you can just steal land in the UK. This is not what we are talking about, we are talking about claiming unused land.

Stealing Land: This is when you know that the land in question is in use by a current owner. They may or may not have registered it but they are using the land all the same. Do not do this there is plenty of land and buildings out there to claim without breaking the law.

Top Tip To Find Land To Claim

You should be looking for lots of potential land plots. Land that meets the criteria I mention in this article.

This is the key to finding potentionaly a couple of pieces of free land.

You do not want to put all your eggs in one basket so to speak. But this does not also mean you have only one piece of land in mind or even a building. Then you should stay away just claim the one piece of land or building you have your eye on.

I am just saying if you make up several signs and stick those signs on land and buildings. If you think could be possible to claim then your chances will become higher. You might end up being able to claim none of them. Then again you could end up claiming them all.?

Make Sure You Have What You Need In Your Vehicle As You Travel Around, Such Things As Keep Out Signs..?

So you want to print out or get yourself some “Keep Out Signs”. Also, place your mobile number on and trespassers will be prosecuted. Then laminate them and get a cheap mobile phone and place the number on the sign also.

Quick tip purchase a cheap mobile phone with a number that you will only use for this purpose. Then nobody will get hold of your personal number and when it rings you will know what it’s about.

A4 paper will do fine to place your keep-out notices on and get them laminated to stop them from getting wet. Make sure you get at least 10 made for the different sites you have spotted as potential plots.

Now you have your little signs and place them on the entrance to the land. If nobody calls, to say hey what is your number and sign doing on my land, within a couple of weeks. This is a good sign for you that nobody in the area actually owns it. If they do call move on what have you lost a printed piece of paper?

After a month or two of your sign being on the entrance to the land and in full view. Then you need to go and start to clear the land and patch up the fences and do this on the cheap. You can stick a couple of goats in there if it is only long grass and nettles they will have it down in no time.

If it’s used as a tip it could take more time, or you could just put a gate up and stick a sign up and wait longer. But the sooner you start to sort the land out the better chance you have to get free land.

Use Free Or Reclaimed Timber And Materials

Use reclaimed timber to repair fencing and gates. All the while you are doing this take images and take notes also. Make sure the images have a date stamped on them. This is what most mobile phones do nowadays anyway and even the location also.

Using reclaimed materials or even free materials to fix the fencing and gates is a great way to save money. There are lots of places to find free materials. Including Facebook Market Place, FreeCycle, Gumtree, Preloved

Check Out My Post On How To Find Cheap Or Free Building Materials

Making Your Claim Stronger

Now you have started the process then you can rent the land out your free land for grazing.

People will pay for grazing horses or as allotments and you then collect rent. Keep all the receipts for the rent of the land. If you have been collecting rents for the land you are claiming and have been doing so for several years. You are really looking good to eventually register the land in your name.

If you really wanted to and felt that you would like to farm it. Then you could start to farming the land yourself, it is totally up to you.

But if you do all this work and then someone turns up a couple of years into the process. This is unlikely if you have already been renting it out for several years. Make sure you are keeping the records for proof, showing you have been caring for the land.

Temporary Title Claim To Land Or Building.

After 5 years you can put a temporary claim on the land. This is all explained on the Land Registry website. The Land Registry will also confirm that this is totally legal. This makes sure nobody comes along after you gave been there for several years and tries to stake a claim also.

At this time you might be saying this is too much time and energy. But just think about it what have you spent up to now? Nothing you have probably made money if you have rented the land out.

This is your money, nobody can take this money from you. Even if someone does turn up and say it belongs to them.

If this does happen, then the person who turns up and says it’s their land. They have to prove it is their land. So do not just take their word for it. If anyone else starts asking questions about you and the land. You do not have to tell them anything, do not lie to them, just do not say anything.

Unless they are just asking you how you grow your vegetables. I mean, be nice to locals, this will prove you have been using and caring for the land. Also making local friends will only benefit you in the long run.

If you tell them that you are claiming the land because it hasn’t been cared for. So you thought I’m having this, then who knows what or who will come out of the woodwork.

People are claiming land in this way every single day. There are even people selling information on how to claim free land. The only information you need I am telling you right here.

Also, it does not just have to be you that has been on the land for 12 years. If you got the land off a person who was on there for seven years. Then you only have to wait another five years to claim it. Make sure you get any evidence they have. Make sure that they have actually been there for along as they say they have.

Making Your Claim

Once you have been on the land for 10 years. You can then apply to have the land registered in your name. The law allows 2 years for any owner who has proof to come forward and challenge this application. Now as I have said earlier they have to prove it belongs to them.

Most times if you have occupied the land for ten years. Then you can be pretty sure, you are in with a good chance that it’s going to be yours. I have heard of people coming to claim the land. Then the person who is claiming the land won and got to keep the land over the challenger.

Even if the land goes back to the original owner and they can prove it belongs to them. You have had at least made some money from the land. How much depends on what you used it for or rented it out for.

You can also put in for planning permission for land. If it does not belong to you, so do not be scared of this. Yes, it’s a big chance if you are trying to get planning for a home. But if you are just looking to put up small barns, greenhouses, and sheds. Then you can easily take these structures down and move them.

The point is that there is a lot of land out there unregistered and registered. They could potentially be claimed totally free. Many places to look are the side of railways, electricity grid land, corners of farmland, old buildings left abandoned, old farmhouses in ruins, land that is just in a weird place and overgrown.

keep looking along the roadsides there is land. Some people may never have left in a will or had a family. Land left abandoned in mountains of paperwork by bankrupt banks & businesses. This will only eventually end up in the Crown’s hands if nobody claims it.

You can go and claim land and buildings today for free. So why not when driving around keep your eyes open? Make a few signs and put them anywhere you think the land is unregistered.

You also do not have to pay the £3 for the title deeds. Just move the cursor over the land you have found on the land registry website. If it has been registered it will say deeds available, if not then it will say none available.

Make sure when you do the Land Registry search for deeds. That you are in the middle of the piece of land. Not near the edge of the land. This way you will actually get to see if the deeds are for that piece of land. Not some other that is next to it.

Small pieces of land are hard to pinpoint for the deeds. The map has around a 20 – 30-meter radius. So it could pick up deeds from land next to it. So make sure you are getting the right title deeds.

The larger the piece of land the easier it is to make sure it’s not registered land.

Tips For Finding Land To Claim Free

Look for overgrown land. Check for uncared-for fencing. Look for weeds growing through the entrance drive if any. Even if there is a lock on an old metal gate, how old is the lock? Has it been opened lately, you can tell if it has.

You can get a feel for what to look for. When you really take notice of cared-for and uncared-for land. Look for land that’s scruffy and hilly that cannot be farmed etc. These are excellent targets to claim.

If you go down this route I really hope you find a piece of land. I am almost certain there is some close to you and you don’t even realize it. Also, the advent of Google Earth is a great tool to look for potential land local to you.

You can look from the air and then go to street view. But remember these images can be a few years old. So once you have spotted your target piece, go out and take a look with your own eyes.

Please do not go and squat on land that obviously belongs to someone. This will do nothing to help you. You will only eventually be moved on and it is just wasted time and energy.

Good Luck With Your Search & Happy Hunting..!

The post Claim Land For Free UK appeared first on The Small Farmer Life.

Thinking of living in a caravan.? Well, people live in caravans for many reasons. Some are just sick of living like ants in the standard council or housing estates all over the world. They pressure us into thinking we must abide by the norm. Which is leaving school getting, going to college and university, leaving with debt that you’re never gonna pay back. Get a job, then comes an even bigger debt machine and the biggest of all a mortgage.

You can be stuck in a mortgage for 30-plus years and potentially working a job you no longer want to. But if you don’t, then you cannot pay the mortgage or debt back, which means you lose your home, car even belongings in some cases.

Well, choosing to downsize and live in something that you can purchase for as little as a couple of grand maybe you have this in savings.

A. couple of grand can get you a decent caravan, not a brand new model or even a top of the range second-hand one. But it will get you started and allow you to save more of your income to purchase a better one, later on down the line.

But I’m getting off-topic here or am I…? many people choose to live in a caravan to get rid of those long-lasting debts and be a little freer.

I mean, we have enough rules that we have to live by, so if we can get rid of a few of those, then we free ourselves from some burdens of life.

Also, most people who choose to live in a caravan want to downsize and get rid of the materialistic crap we acquire that we never use. One of the best days of my life was freeing myself of all that crap. I just gave it away or left it for someone else. I took what was dearest to me and that was it.

What Type Of People Live In Caravans

This is always the one that gets me the most. Soon as you say you live in a caravan, people automatically think that you are a traveller, which by the way, there is nothing wrong with. But they will get certain rights, rights that you won’t get. If there are enough travellers, then they will even find land for them to live on. You try doing this with a bunch of friends, see how far that gets you..?

But many of those people who choose to live in caravans, are people who work full-time jobs, small farmers living on their land, people living in residential parks because they like the perks that come with living there, clean-cut lawns, maybe an onsite gym. Some residential parks have the lot, but it comes at a price.

We will talk about the costs I face choosing to live in my static on my own land later on in the article.

There is no one type of person who lives in a caravan. It is no different to living in a brick and mortar home except you can pick your home up and move it. Yes, they may be a little smaller, but that’s what most people want and the freedom that goes with it. In fact, there is a small house revolution going on as you are reading this.

People are downsizing for so many reasons, whether to save money or they hate living alone in a large home. I know I hated it and now I’m living in a small home; it feels cosier and all my friends are envious of me living how I do.

It would be simple to just say that it’s these types or these types, but in fact, there is no one type of person who lives in a caravan.

Types Of Caravans To Live In

If you choose to live in a caravan, then you’re spoilt for choice: so many sizes, different colours, interiors and so on. It all depends on how much you want to spend, the size you want to live want and so on. Many factors will dictate your choice. If you want to move around, then you may choose a caravan that you tow behind your vehicle. Like the touring caravan below.

There’s a long history of Caravaning but mainly in the Uk and Europe in the US it’s mainly Motorhomes

But there was one caravan that became a piece of history and to this day, if you see one you’ll either already know what it is or you will want to know and that the AirStream they are stunning to look at and have been turned into some awesome things throughout the years.

Choosing a touring caravan, then the world is your oyster pardon the pun. But it literally is if you choose one city one day and another the next, you can do it. If you want to nip through the tunnel or across the sea to Europe, then you can. You can live where ever you want.

Now, if you choose to live in a touring caravan, you will have to stay in a caravan or camping park overnight. Unless you have plenty of friends all over the country, that would be happy for you to stay on their drive.

Caravan Parks can cost you a small price to park up, but you also get to use onsite facilities. Depending on where you choose to stay will dictate the price you pay.

Staying in caravan parks every night will cost you a good chunk of your income per month, probably more than it would to rent a home. You may get a discount if you choose to stay in a park for a certain amount of time and become a regular.

If you choose to travel around staying on friends and families driveways. If you use the caravan as a spare room to the home, taking one meal inside of the home, then there is no need for planning permission.

If you stay there for a long time and use the caravan as a separate dwelling, then you will need planning permission to do so and pay council tax.

Are You Allowed To Live In A Caravan

People always ask me this question when I say I live in a caravan “Are You Allowed? “. The answer is not as simple as it may seem. It all depends on where you choose to live in a caravan in one.

If you want to drive around the country pulling up in car parks and lay-bys to stay overnight or for a week, then the answer is “No”. The local council will not allow that and you will be visited and asked to move on.

If you choose to live in a residential caravan park, then the answer is yes, but some are only open for 9 months a year. Then you have others that a year-round so you can live in your caravan all year. You can buy your own caravan to live in or rent one from the site owner.

I think this is the worst type of living in a caravan. You have to keep your caravan updated, so replace them to meet new codes and standards. Then you have to pay ground rents and other fees. All this can mount up to a pretty penny.

These caravans have to be kept in good condition and habitable, with all the relevant fire and smoke detectors checked regularly.

Plus, there are rules to abide by when living on these residential sites. There are also benefits, what type of benefits depends on the site itself, but the better the benefits, the more expensive it will be to live there.

Can You Live On Your Own Land In A Caravan

Then there is the question most people want to know, and that’s can you live in a caravan on your own land..? Well if you do, then you need planning permission to do so and getting planning permission to live on your own land in a caravan will never happen.

You may get temporary permission if you are doing a self-build and already have planning permission to build the home. Many people do this when building their own home live in a caravan while you complete the build. Then the caravan goes once they build the main dwelling.

Some of these caravans, which are mainly statics can be a great buy. Most people who choose to live in a static caravan while building their dream home have double glazing, log burners, etc put in, regular sofas and so on. They mostly sell them fully furnished as well. This makes for a great buy if you can find one for sale, that is.

You still have to apply for planning permission to live in the caravan temporarily while building your main dwelling, even if you have planning permission to build the house.

But if you want to live on your own agricultural land and may have purchased for this specific reason. Then you better get your caravan on the land first and ask second.

The council or local planning departments all over the UK will never grant you planning permission to live on agricultural land, no matter where it is. Not that there aren’t people doing just that. Some people hide away and hope for the best going for 10 years 1 day and then claiming the right of lawfulness.

I know a couple that did just that and now have a huge caravan. It is classed as a caravan but is the size of a large bungalow and is built of 4 sections. Stunning home and in the area where they live, there are around 20 more families and people doing the same, not being bothered by anyone.

If you ask for planning permission to move onto agricultural land, it will be refused outright. Yes, you can go down the route of lawfulness but in a caravan that takes 10 years. You can get the right a lot faster than that, but you must in all instances, move onto the land first and ask second. You will not be looked down on. Planning departments are used to people doing things without permission.

What’s It Like To Live In A Caravan

It’s hard to describe what life is like living in a caravan. I mean, it all depends on many factors. Factors such as how big is the caravan, how many people live in the caravan, is the caravan on the move or is it stationery?

But many people have this idyllic idea of caravan life. Now I’m going to concentrate on life living in a two-bed static 35ft x 12ft wide, which is what mine is and I’m living on my own with 2 labradors. So one bedroom for them and one for me, the bigger one lol.

As you can see from the images, it all looks cosy. I had to do some alterations to the caravan to get it to be more homely. But some people think they can live in a caravan, no problem. They spent a week in one at the Lakes in the summer. That wasn’t bad. In fact, it was great. We had an awesome time.

Well living in one year-round is a little different than staying in one on a caravan park that’s for sure.

It may be fun at the beginning, but after a while, if there are too many of you, it could be a literal prison. When you have a 3 bedroom home with plenty of rooms, well, you can disappear to another part of the home where no one can hear you. In a caravan well, everyone can hear what you are doing and that can get on your nerves a bit.

Saying that if you are a close family and you love to spend every minute of the day together, then you may find the togetherness great. Now, if let’s say I was sharing this caravan with a partner and the dogs, then it would be enough space. But remember that being with a partner is not always bliss.

So there will be times when you want your own space and if I didn’t have workshops and other parts of the land to disappear to when things got a little heated. Then I think I would get a little stressed, so to speak.

Heating Your Caravan

Heating a static caravan, and this could be said for a touring caravan as well. The summer times may be warm. In fact, I think my static is too warm; it has a lot of glass which makes it a greenhouse when the sun is bright, so I am one for keeping the blinds closed.

Now for winter, I have that covered I use a log burner. I installed it myself and purchased it from Facebook Marketplace, my favourite online selling platform. The log burner keeps the caravan warm and toasty. Sometimes, to warm you need just the right amount of wood burning. Tip: Leave the bedroom doors open so that the heat can travel around the caravan easily.

If you don’t leave the bedroom doors open, then it will get really, really cool in there in the wintertime, but once you’re under the quilt, then you’re warm enough. But it’s when you need to pop to the toilet that you feel the cold air and I mean cold, not chilly but cold. That’s when you wish you installed a log burner.

I am lucky enough to be connected to mains electricity on my land, which cost a small fortune to get connected to the grid. But I dislike using expensive, outdated electric heaters. So when I am ready for bed, I place a couple of hardwood logs on the wood burner which last all night once you figure out how to use your log burner properly.

I don’t think putting expensive double glazing would make any difference to how warm the place gets. If you install a log burner and have a double-layered carpet on the floor, then you will be warm alright.

The couple of changes I made removing the fixed seating that comes with a static yes it may be ok for a week, but for living in not a chance. I purchased a more comfortable sofa like you would have in a normal home. Trust me, this makes a massive difference to how comfortable it is when living in a caravan.

Then I ripped out the fixed bed and purchased a quality bed. I mean, if you are going to be living in a caravan all year round, then you want some comforts, right?

I could talk all day about what it’s like to live in a caravan, but for you, well, you could find it totally different from what I do. You may want more space or be happy sharing what little space is on offer. This caravan is fine for me because it’s a means to an end. The end being, converting my stable block into a small bungalow.

Where Will You Choose To Live In Your Caravan

As I have mentioned above, there are many places you could choose to live in a caravan. You could choose residential sites. It may be an all year round site or it could be a part-time residential site, these sorts of sites don’t have full residential status or licenses but only for 10 – 11 months of the year so you have to find somewhere else to live for a couple of months. You could use this time to spend with family or friends.

If you were living in a touring caravan, you could spend a couple of months on a friend’s driveway or garden, then move back to the site when it reopens.

Also, if you are living in a touring caravan, you may choose to spend your time in different sites travelling around seeing different towns and cities, sometimes countries, but this would be the most expensive way to live in a caravan.

It would be great to spend the wintertime in Spain there are plenty of caravan sites out there.

If you are looking to live in a caravan because there is no room in your mother’s home or you just want your own space. Then you can live in any size caravan on your parents or even friends’ land, which could be a driveway. As long as the land we are talking about is in the garden’s curtilage of the house, meaning the garden, driveway etc.

But to do this, you need to take one meal inside the main house, not that anyone would know if you did or didn’t.

What you cannot do is use the caravan, whether it be touring or static, like a separate home or dwelling. If you do this, then you would need planning permission. If you got planning, which is very doubtful, then you would have to pay council tax.

Another thing you might think, you could just park up, leave the touring caravan attached to the vehicle, and sleep in it. Well, you could, but if the police are called, they will move you on and if you have been drinking and the vehicle’s keys are in the caravan they can get you for drink driving.?

There are lots of different opinions on this, but mostly, it is not workable to live in a caravan this way. You need to have a base no matter what caravan you choose to live in.?

Why Not Work On A Farm

Now, if you’re not working and you want to live in a static or touring caravan and you’re willing to work, then you could go around local farmers and look for some. Many farms have several static caravans scattered around their land for farm workers and seasonal workers. I know plenty of farms that let the workers stay in the caravans all year round and they never get bothered by anyone.

If you’re touring the country and want to earn some money in the process, then this is perfect for you. Also great for meeting new people from all over the world, farmworkers in the UK come from all over the place.

You probably be given a small patch of land or should I say allowed to use a small bit of land to set up home, so to speak.

Living In A Caravan On Your Own Land

You will need to start some sort of business to get the right to live in the caravan on your own land, and this will only be temporary permission for 3 – 5 years while you prove your business is viable. Plus, you need to prove a functional need to be there 24/7 – 365 days per year.

This is what the council or local planning departments will want you to prove to them. These are old and outdated rules and they should not use them, but they still do. Instead, they should judge on a need for a rural workers’ dwelling, but they still use the old rules to see if you need that dwelling is needed. You need to prove –

• Functional Need To Be There
• Prove The Business Is Viable
• Show Your Financials

If you are thinking of buying land to live on in a caravan, then I would advise against it. Unless you’re starting some sort of rural business and want to make that business work. If that is the case, go for it, but make sure you have everything ready for the business to start straight away. You only have 3 – 5 years to prove the business is going to work. It’s hard enough with a normal business, never mind a rural one.

This way, you are not messing around tidying the land and putting up fences, you can concentrate solely on the business itself.

There are plenty of small plots of land where sitting static and touring caravans would be appropriate for families wanting to live a country lifestyle.

This is what most people have probably come to read, and that’s can you live in a caravan on your own land. The answer is a resounding “NO” not unless you get granted planning permission. Your land will probably be agricultural or equine and as such, you would need to get a change of use to residential.

If you do not have the money or should I say savings available to buy yourself some land try and Claim Land.

Planning permission would never be granted, not for you to just move onto land in a caravan and live there. Councils are not in the business of letting anyone live on agricultural land or any land that they do not designate as residential. Then your only choice is to rent or purchase a property that is not what you want to do.

I have always said this in my videos. If you have been to my YouTube channel, The Small Farmer Life you have to find agricultural land think of a business idea. Get the land into a good state of repair so that when you move onto the land you are ready to go. Make sure you have a good business idea. It does not have to make you millions.

Trust me when I say that there are thousands, tens of thousands of people living on agricultural land all over the UK.

Now there is one thing that 99.9% of these people have in common and that’s they moved their caravan on first and ask second. Do not ask first, then be refused as they will refuse you, even if you have a fully functioning farm or business. They will just say well if it’s doing so good and you’re not there, then why do you need to be there now.?

They are more than willing to say no if you ask, but find it hard to evict you once you’re on the land. But you need to start some sort of business and it doesn’t have to be a huge farming operation. I know a guy who lives on an 8th of an acre plot and has a dog grooming business. That’s as far from farming as you can get. But it’s a business in a rural area and the local councils have to support rural businesses and the need for rural workers’ dwellings.

Heres A List Of Rural Business Ideas

• Dog Kennels or Cattery 
• Pet Hotel – People have lots of different pets, all of which may need hotel
• Petting Zoo
• Clamping Site or Tiny Home Site
• Farming Workshop Good Mechanic – Mobile Fix Farm Machines
• Rural Garden Centre + Nursery
• Composting Site + Mulching, etc
• Different Rural Business or Combine A Couple
• Countryside Wedding Venue
• Aquaponics Farm
• Fish Nursery + Breeding Site, etc
• Stud Farm – Horse Delivery – Horse Box Hire – Sell Horse Tack & Feed
• Tree Farm + Speciality Trees Different, Japanese Acres, Japanese Maples
• Lama + Donkey Trekking
• Grow Micro Greens & Mushrooms

• Country Joinery Shop – Chicken Coops, Rabbit Hutches,
• Sell Hardware To Local Villages 
• Small Rural Shipping Warehouse & Last Mile Delivery

This is the best shot you have got to live on agricultural land in a caravan. This way, they weed out the potential property developers. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But trust me when I say this once you’re in your new home, the caravan in this case, and have your own land.

The debt machine does not saddle you. There is no better feeling than living on your own land with acres of space. Running your own small business breathing in that fresh air.

Yes, you will still have to pay council tax as does everyone else, but it’s pennies compared to the costs associated with living in a 3 bed home.

Is It Cheaper To Live In A Caravan

The cost of living in a caravan is minimal if you are living on your own land. Now, as I have said, if you’re living on a residential site or travelling or touring as it is known, then it’s going to cost you a lot of money.

But if you purchase a piece of agricultural land and tidy it up, start a small rural business doing something like raising hens or breeding them to sell fertile hatching eggs like me. I get £20 per half dozen, so 6 eggs, with a profit of around £12 after costs are taken into account.

Personaly this is how I got the right to keep my caravan on my land.

This takes minimal time to do and is guaranteed less stressful than your old 9 – 5 job because we are not just talking in monetary terms here. We are talking about the costs of everything from income to mental health. These are all costs we pay in life to live how we do in homes that are too big for us, buying needless things to fill them and all on debt.

The best thing I ever did was get rid of all the junk I had acquired over the years and I never sold it. i just left it and told them to give it to the next tenant or charity.

Now all I pay is £40 per month electric, £2000 per year council tax, £20 per month internet and food bill which to be honest is not that much. Also, when I grow my salad and vegetables, it will be next to nothing for food.

I get my wood for the burner from a local tree surgeon who tells me when he is cutting certain trees down and he just dumps the chopped logs and chippings which I used for paths on my land.

He even cuts them to a size I can split them by axe. You may choose a log splitter, but I like the exercise and I don’t even let them dry. I use dry ones and leave the freshly cut ones at the side of the fire as you see in the images to be dried. It takes around a couple of hours for them to dry to a point where they are ready.

But I can honestly say that moving into a caravan on my land that I owe “NO DEBT ON” is one of the best things I have ever done for me, my health, and my bank account.

You cannot just look at the monetary costs of living on your own land, etc. You have to also take into consideration the joy of breathing fresh air well, as fresh as you’re going to get. The joy of the peace and silence, no more children playing outside your door unless they’re your own, that is.

The joys of growing your own food, picking apples from an orchard that you planted and collecting fresh eggs daily. These things are not just saving you your money, but also your health. Living as we do in this modern way of life is not how we’re supposed to live, not all of us anyway.

Yes, some people love it, but a lot of others don’t and it hurts not just their wallets but also their health. There is 92% of the UK that is open countryside and there are plenty of small parcels of land out of the way. Which could never be farmed in a way as we think of modern farming.

But they could be farmed on a smaller scale by people and families wanting to live the smallholder’s life.

It’s cheaper for you and for the country. The countryside is taken care of the land is managed in a better way. No more man-made fertilisers but natural manure. Mental health problems are sorted for people who don’t or dare not leave their own front doors because of what society has done.

They should not reserve the land or countryside for wealthy individuals. But all wealth classes and types of individuals should occupy it. Yes, this may be idealistic, but it is what most people want. Maybe not the top 10% but the vast majority of this country would like the opportunity to live in the countryside if they so please.

Bills That Come With Caravan Life

The bills that come with living in a caravan. In my case its a static caravan so that I can only testify to the bills I pay.

• Gas Bottle £40 per 3 – 4 months
• Food Bill £150 per month
• Council Tax £2000 per year
• Internet 4G Unlimited Data Three Mobile, £20

So not that bad, but this is just to live in the caravan. It is not for taking care of the land. But that’s all part and parcel of starting a smallholding. You are going to have to build certain things that will also add value to your land and now home.

How Do I Get Internet To My Rural Caravan

Yes, this is one thing we cannot do without and that’s the internet. We learn so much from it and it will be in daily use once you move onto your land and start living in your caravan. You will learn so many things to do around your farm from YouTube etc,

I use the internet a lot as you can see from my setup below. People think you need super-fast broadband. But from someone who does everything online from writing this blog to YouTube videos, streaming movies on a night time. The best service I have found is 4G Unlimited Data By Three Mobile.

The post Living In A Caravan appeared first on The Small Farmer Life.

Planning Permission For Static Caravan. Now there are many, many people who will say that you cannot place a static caravan on your small farm.

Well, they would if they don’t know how to go about it and what you need to do to get the legal right to have one on your land.

Now I’ve been to many forums and almost all of them say. If you ask the question “Can I Have A Static Caravan On My Land”

I Will put you in your place and say outright “NO” or why do you need a static caravan. Why not go with a Touring caravan..? Maybe it’s because you don’t want to.

It’s not like you’re telling them what car they should buy or drive. It’s your choice and you have the right to do what you want.

So stay away from forums if you want to know about this subject.

Many of the members are good-intentioned, but there are some that are just vicious. They don’t want to see you have a static caravan on land and if you are looking to do it. Then you must be a Traveler or something.

If you intend to live in the caravan straight away then you will need planning permission. You can live in the caravan without planning and if you don’t get caught for 10 years and 1 day then you get the right of lawfulness.

We will get to that bit a little later on in the post. At the moment we are just talking about being able to have a static caravan on your land without planning permission.

Not to live in at first but to use along with your farm.

How To Get A Static Caravan On Your Land & You Do Not Need Planning

The Difference Between Static & Touring Caravan

Now many people will say that they are totally different and yes they look different. Also as you know one you can pull behind your car another stays still. But they are both the same in the eyes of the “LAW”.

Legal Definition Of A Caravan?

The legal definition of a mobile home is the same as that of a static caravan.

It covers any structure designed or adapted for people to live in which is capable of being moved from one place to another.

Now whether by being towed or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted.

It also includes twin units separately constructed and designed for assembly on-site, provided that the twin unit is physically capable of being moved or transported on a motor vehicle or trailer.

How Do You Get A Caravan On Your Land Without Planning

If you are talking about placing a caravan at your home to live in. It has to be in the curtilage of your garden then no planning is needed to live in it.

But you do need planning permission to live in a caravan on agricultural land.

If you are placing a caravan on your land whether that’s a static or touring you also do not need to have planning permission to do this. We are talking about placing a static caravan on your land not living in it we will get to that in a little while.

What you do need to be doing is farming the land. The reason for this is because you as a worker or maybe you are going to employee workers. You have to provide “Health & Safety In The Work Place” this is the law.

And a static caravan provides all the amenities that would be needed to keep workers comfortable. You would also be abiding by the law by providing them with what they need.

If you are wanting to live on your farm in a caravan I will get to that in a minute.

But if you think you are going to be able to place a caravan on a piece of land and live in it without doing any sort of farming.

You are so wrong and will be moved off. After being served an “Enforcement Notice” to remove your caravan and given 30 days to do it or should I say comply.

Also, this is not about getting a cheap home without being a farmer. It’s about helping small farmers live and farm their land. Not for people to come in and make big money trying to buck the system.

So How Can You Go About Placing A Static Caravan On Your Farm

So as I’ve mentioned above you can use the “Health & Safety In The Work Place” this is needed for any employer to provide their workers. This is how I did it and you do not need planning for it.

Asking Local Planning Officer

Don’t do it…! If you ask a “Council Planning Officer” if you can site a Static Caravan on your Agricultural Land. Trust me you will get one of two answers. Either put in a planning application costing you money.

This will be denied unless you have a means-tested business plan for your farm. Or you will get an outright “NO”. Now you may think a Planning Officer knows all the planning laws…?

Wrong trust me there are a lot out there that don’t know most of the “Planning Laws” and probably never read their “Local Planning Policies” and “National planning Policies”.

Just Put The Caravan On Your Land

Now I say this even if you haven’t started farming yet. This is what I did because I needed to work on the farm. So I needed these amenities to use while building up my farm.

I had it on there for five years and nobody said a thing.

It was only because I purchased a newer model as the old one was looking a bit tatty. That someone called the “Enforcement Officer”.

Now I had also built 3 buildings without planning permission. But this is not against the law and you can apply for “Retrospective Planning Permission”.

I got my planning passed without a problem because I had such a good business idea and a plan for farming the land.

But the “Enforcement Officer” was walking around and saying this will have to go that will have to go etc.

I’m thick-skinned I don’t scare easily which I think he was trying to do. But I kept my cool and thought I don’t think so.

So I applied for planning and it all passed no problems except the time they took to pass it as they asked me for an extra £356 which I refused to pay.

The cost was only £79 so why should I pay extra for what the law says it should be…?

Think about how many people get ripped off every year from planning departments asking for uncalled-for extra income…?

If you come across this problem question the extra and research the answer they give you. If you apply on the online “Planning Portal” you will know exactly what the cost will be.

Let’s Get Back To Siting Your Static Caravan

Now, remember that I said bring the caravan on straight away without asking anyone.

Well, when doing this put the caravan in an area that is not going to make the caravan stick out like a sore thumb.

Do not put it right next to the road or your neighbour’s boundary. Pick an area of your land that is well away from both of these.

Maybe plant some large leylandii so that it breaks up the look of the caravan. Also, purchase a Green or Cream colour these seem to blend in with the area and surrounding farmland.

Now if you haven’t started your farm then you need to get on it straight away. If an “Enforcement Officer” turns up and you’re working the land. Then this is going to be a good look.

But if they turn up and it’s just a nice grass field and knocks on the door and you just look like you have fallen out of bed. Well, let’s just say that’s not going to go down with them very well.

But if you have turned all your soil over if growing for Market Gardens or have Lots of Sheep or maybe like me Lots of Chicken Tractors breeding pure breed poultry. Then they will see you are trying to become a farmer.

Also, the fact that fewer and fewer young people are getting into farming is good. Even if you only have a couple of acres like me that’s enough land to farm. And make a good living if you pick the right “Niche Market”

I mean would you rather test out your farming skills on a couple of thousand-acre farms..? You wouldn’t know where to start, start small, grow slowly and make your farming experience a great experience.

If You Want To Live In Your Static Caravan

Then you are going to have to put together a business plan that can show you can earn a minimum income of the national average of £26,000 a year.

But you can still move into your caravan without applying for Planning Permission while building your business up.

Now you have to do this carefully and what I am saying is. Let’s say you have started your farm and you’re doing just fine and making a profit while living at your regular home.

Then you ask for the right to live on your farm in a caravan because you are making the minimum income needed of £26000 if you were already living on the land.

But if you have grown a profitable farm while living away from the farm then ask the council if you can live on the farm.

The local planning department is going to say well why do you need to live on the land if your farm is doing just fine where you live now..?.

So it is always better to live on the farm while growing your business to the minimum income needed.

Now you can start your farm and start making money before you decide to give up your home to move onto the farmland but keep it below £26.000.

This way when you do move on the land you will already have a business making a profit but not as much as needed.

But you will have a good start to get to the amount to live on the land legally. You will be in a better financial starting position to make that one years minimum income.

Than if you started from scratch living in the caravan and had three years and a bare farm to make that amount and good business. So starting to farm your land first and getting things ready is going to stand you in good stead for your big move.

How To Get Around The Planning System For Living On Your Farm

Now, let’s look at from another angle you sell your home or give up your rented accommodation and move straight into the static caravan without planning permission.

You will almost certainly get a visit from the local council, but now you have nowhere else to live and evicting you from your home. Well, this just doesn’t look good for the council planners and its not good publicity.

I mean your only trying to start a small farming business to help the local community and hopefully give back to the community in the future. While also making a living from the land.

So what you need to be doing is writing that business plan if you haven’t already done it. I am also not talking about keeping just a couple of different animals. It has to be an economically viable business plan that will make you an income from the land.

Also a little. information you may not know and that’s in the history of evicting people from their land.

There have only been 3 cases one you may remember where an old guy shot the local enforcement officer dead. Probably not the smartest move for the enforcement department. But a terrible thing nonetheless.

Also, I’m not talking about large settlers of many caravans with families living in them. I’m talking about just one family.

So you have a great chance to stay on that land living in your static caravan. But at this stage, you will have to apply for planning and probably attend a “Local Planning Committee Meeting”.

You will be given 3 minutes to state your case. Please don’t say things like “Well They Did It” so we should be allowed. You need to be calm and have all the facts and figures in front of you. As well as your business plan.

Also, why do you think you need to live on the land? Now if you are not good at speaking in front of people. Then practice with your wife or in front of your family. If you still can’t get to grips with it may be your wife or a friend could do the speaking part for you.

Remember you only have three minutes to put your case forward.

Now some people will say you should use a “Planning Consultant” well if you want to waste thousands of pounds that could help you grow your farm then waste it…!

But I say if you read your Local Planning Policy and National Planning Policies, also with a good Business Plan, both policies state they have to support small and large businesses for farming in the countryside. Then you will be able to do this on your own and save that hard-earned cash.

What Happens Next After the Planning Committee Meeting

Well if you are trying to be a real farmer and you should be and have written a good business plan. Then they will give you 3-5 years to live in a Static Caravan Legally.

And they will want to see you make the average minimum wage from that farming venture for one year out of the term they have given you.

If you manage to do this then they will grant planning permission for a real home and the size of that home will depend on how much you can earn from your farm.

So this is why it is best to start your farm as soon as possible. Meaning getting the land ready, and your website and marketing sorted. Plan out everything you are going to do and how much you intend to do.

Take online courses at a place like “SkillShare” on marketing, copywriting, taking good-quality images of your products etc. You get 2 Months Free. Which is more than enough time and it’s only £10 per month after your Free Trial and they have many, many more courses?

Then when you are ready to start your farm move onto the land. Use any money left over from the sale of your home or savings you have to build your business up.

So go out there and build your dream farm, check out other articles on my “Blog” you may find something of help to you…?

Remember You Do Not Need Planning Permission If You Do Not Intend To Live In The Caravan…?

The post No Planning Needed To Place Static Caravan On Your Land appeared first on The Small Farmer Life.

There are so many variables that come into play with land prices that it can literally boggle your mind. I will try to break it down the best I can.

Latest Small Farmer Life News – YouTube Channel Videos

Before we get started I would like to tell you I started uploading YouTube Videos @SmallFarmerLife Channel. That covers lots of information on purchasing land and will be uploading videos on all sort of topics. Click the Link Here – @SmallFarmerLife to Subscribe & Press the bell button to be notified of new Videos

Now let’s get on with the subject at hand and that’s whats it cost for an acre of Land.

When it comes to pricing land by the acre if you are looking at purchasing a lonely one or two acres.

Then this will be extremely more expensive and difficult than purchasing one hundred acres. There are many more, larger parcels of land available than small.

Why Is The Cost Of One Acre So Much More Per Acre Than The Cost Of One Hundred

It’s simple if you purchase more land you get discount, as with most things in life.

The answer to this is simply more people have £25,000 – £30,000 to pay for one or two acres. Than have £600,000 for one hundred acres.

Which if you break it down per acre it is only £6,000 for one acre. I hope you are following me here.?

One acre of farmland in the UK can cost in 2019 – 2020 between £12,000 – £15,000 depending on where it is located.

But it can be very expensive if it is located right next to your home say in the field next door.

Then you could pay up to £50,000 for just that one acre. The reason behind this is because of the value it would add to your home etc.

What Affects Land Prices

There are more variables included in pricing land. Things like how close are the utilities to the land itself. Maybe the land already has water or electricity.

If so they will make the land more expensive. Does the land come with a barn or a couple of stables?

Has the land got planning permission attached? So on and so forth?

Now let me try and give you some idea of where to start with valuing one or two acres of say “Farming Land”. This is a farming blog after all, so farmland is what we will try and put a price on.

What Do You Want To Do With The Land

There are many other factors that come with purchasing farmland especially in the “UK” and a couple of big ones are “Covenants & ClawBacks”.

Let’s start with Covenants, these are in place and can restrict you from doing what you want with the farmland. Breaking these can cost you a pretty penny, so make sure to get your solicitor to read the small print.

Let’s say you want to start a horse livery, but 10 years ago another farm down the road owned the land, then they sold it.

They could have put a covenant in place to stop the land being used as “Horse Livery” because they have one.

This would make a “Horse Livery” just up the road a competing business and they will not want that. But you could still keep horses on the land, but not for business purposes.

Maybe the land is next to a housing estate and you want to put a small pig farm on there. There might be a covenant in place to stop this or even keeping chickens. This is why it is important to make sure you do all the relevant covenant checks.

If you don’t, your farming plans may be scuppered before you even get started.

What about ClawBacks, well clawbacks are put in place in favor of the seller. Most clawbacks in the UK are 50% of any increase in the value of the land for a period of 25 years or more.

This is to make sure you only use the land for farming purposes. If you do eventually get planning for a home or a development outside of farming.

Then you will have to cough up 50% of the increased land value within one year.

Most sellers do not even know about “ClawBacks” until they speak to the pesky “Land Agents” who will be selling on their behalf.

They will remind the seller of the potential of a “Clawback” and you can be sure the seller will want to add one to the sale.

But This Is Not All That Can Effect The Price Of Land

As I mentioned above the price of farmland can be affected by location. Is it in the countryside or edge of town region?

Land on the edge of towns will be more expensive and harder to find than out in the sticks. Utilities are also harder to find and more expensive to be installed. That’s if you can even get them installed in an area that is well away from a town.

You will also pay more for the edge of the towns. Top prices for one acre are around the £15,000 mark. It will also probably come with the dreaded “Covenants & Clawbacks” in there. Otherwise, they will want more than £15,000.

If you want it free from clawbacks, even though planning for a home may still be impossible to get.

Please don’t believe what the national average land prices say. These are nationwide & include the whole countrywide price of land sales.

These are rearly what you will see land selling for.

They do not represent the pieces of land sold in one-acre parcels etc.

They do not include the parcels of land sold privately. Land that is not sold through land agents, etc.

Development Boundaries

Every council has one of these development boundaries. These outline the area for the next 15 years or so. The land where it may be possible to get planning permission and build property on.

This land will be very expensive if in the boundary area because of this. It will also be a target for developers.

You can find your local council’s development boundaries online and download them. You can then check them to see if the land you are looking at is in that boundary.

Where To Find Cheaper Land

If the farmland is based further out into the countryside and away from towns and utilities etc. Then you can find land a lot cheaper. This will be land that is way out of the town’s development boundary.

You will probably find more land that doesn’t come with the “ClawBacks & Covenants”. Meaning this land will also have fewer restrictions on what you can do with it.

That is unless it is in a “National Parkland” then you might find you have some tricky things to deal with.

The drawback to being out so far is the distance to where you live and the land itself. If you ever want to live on the land one day. You might have to go down the total self-sufficient living route.

Don’t get me wrong lots have people have done this. There are even small communities out there like the “Lamas Project”.

This is a group of people that have purchased a parcel of land and practice low-impact living. This type of living is still not without its challenges. You have to able to get along with all the other people in the community.

But this does not say that you could not practice low-impact living of your own. It may turn out to be a little harder, as you won’t have a community of other people to help you.

So What Should You Pay For One Acre Of Farm Land

The price I mentioned above and is £12,000 – £15,000 per acre for Farm Land on the edge of a town and you will probably pay that price or a little more for it. Up to £25,000 and sometimes more than that price if people are willing to pay it.

You may also be asked to a new style of “Auction”. This is where buyers will put their bids in envelopes and see who is willing to pay the most.

But you may still have to purchase more than a one-acre. As one-acre plots are so hard to find and very rarely come up.

If they do come up they are normally building plots and run into hundreds of thousands.

Price Of Land In Different Countries By The ‘Hectare”

I have put together a list of countries’ average price per “Hectare” of farmland which is around 2.4 acres. This is the size of the plot you will probably find around for sale more than a one-acre plot. Plus almost every farmer will sell their land by the ” Hectare”.

• USA  $4,130 – $30,000

• UK £10,000 – £20,000

• Wales £18,900

• Scotland £10,990

• France €6,090

• Netherlands €63.000

• Spain €12,744

• Italy €40,153

• Luxuberg €26,030

• Bulgaria €3,937

• Greece €12,528

• Ireland €22,600

• Polland €9,100

• Finland €8,326

• Croatia €2,809

• Romania €1,958

• Russia $2,000 to $5,000

• Switzerland €80,000

• Sweden 23,200 SEK

• Brazil $1500 – $4000

Remember these are average prices and again the price will vary greatly on which part of the country the land is in.

Also taking into account all the other factors attached that will contribute to the land price. So bear this in mind when looking for farmland in your area or country.

The value of the land will depend on what someone is willing to pay.

Remmember land price is dictated by what someone is willing to pay.

If a person has horses who lives local and a couple of acres comes up for sale.

Then they will probably offer over the odds of the market value for the plot.

I have seen one-acre go for £30,000 because someone wanted the land badly

This happens a lot of times because people don’t want to travel far from home

There are easier ways to find land cheaper and without all the dreaded “Covenants & Clawbacks” if you do what I did.

If you want to know how I found my land you can read my post “How To Find Land To Farm”. There is also a way to find free land to farm. This might be out your comfort zone but there are hundreds of acres out there you can get to farm for free. Check out my post “Claim Land For Free UK”.

If you want something bad enough then you never give up. You go out grab the bull by the horns and show it who’s “BOSS”

Author Craig Langstaff

Remember that land is a finite resource, they are not making more of it. The value of land will only keep going up as populations grow. This makes land an excellent investment opportunity.

The post How Much Does One Acre Of Land Cost appeared first on The Small Farmer Life.

There are plenty of ways to get your hands on cheap materials, that cost very little money or even come free. You may have to be a little cheeky in your approach and certainly not be shy in asking. But this is how to find cheap building materials.

“You remember the old saying, “Shy kids get no sweets”

Well, this applies to getting cheap materials or as I say free materials. The first thing I did after purchasing my land was thought how the “Hell” am I going to get my hands on the materials. The materials that I need to get this place up and running?

How I Find Cheap Building Materials & Free Materials

Now I have been given everything from thousands of pounds of timber for a couple of hundred pounds. I have even been given a free £6000 mint condition caravan for a £400 moving fee.

I have even been given a full “Pub”. Yes, a full pub was being demolished, I needed the stone or bricks for the sub-base of my yard and they needed to get rid of it.

This is where it benefits both parties, I get free foundation stone and they get to tip for free. You may also get free timber or roof tiles in the process, if they have any, or get it for a really cheap price. I have to de-nail it, but hey it’s free right?

You have to find out where things are being demolished and ask, that’s it. What have you got to lose, they can only say yes or no.

Ways To Get Cheap Timber

When it comes to timber you can do exactly the same thing if you see a building being demolished, then ask if they would like to sell the timber out of the building.

You may have to pay £1 a length, but that’s a lot cheaper than brand-new timber from the wood yard. Also, the timber will be of better quality if the building is old. They used better timber back 100 years ago, even 50 – 60 years ago, you will be in for a shock at how good a condition it will still be in.

I have lots of timber this way, in fact, most of it really. Yes, you have to take a few nails out, as I mentioned here and there. This only takes a small amount of time. You save lots of money by trading that little time to take the nails out.

Try Your Local Builders Merchants For Seconds

Another way to get your hands on good timber is to go to the local builder’s yard and ask what they do with their damaged or bent timber. Now you might be thinking about what can I do with damaged and bent timber. Well, only a small section of a 5-meter long piece of 8 x 2 timber has to be damaged, then this cannot be sold and is normally placed to one side.

If it’s bent then it is really easy to get it back to straight timber, by soaking the timber with water and placing lots of weight on it and leaving it for a while. Again this is an excellent way how to find cheap building materials

All the timber in the image above, I have purchased from builders’ merchants, you can see the prices they sold it for, as it is written on the packs. That whole amount was around £300 for the lot. That’s a massive saving on the price of purchasing new timber for sure, I have used it for most of my buildings.

Other Materials

I also look for leftover materials from works being carried out locally. If I see big building sites, sometimes even small sites. I ask what they are going to be doing with the leftover materials. Most of the time you get something you can use.

Once I purchased 24 x 4.2-meter lengths of brand new 100mm Kingspan Insulated Roofing Sheets. They were leftover from a new roof being added to local building merchants literally less than half a mile from my land.

I stopped to ask the men working on replacing the roof if they would have any leftovers and if so would they think about selling it. After a little talk and explaining what I needed it for, he asked for my number and that was that.

Try To Stay In Their Minds

I always kept popping in as the job continued, so I was always in their minds. Not bothering them just saying, “Hi” and waiting till the job was nearing the end. Then I asked again, this time they had some idea of how much would be left over.

They sold me each length for £10 each now Insulated Kingspan Roofing sheets at 100mm thick cost around £50 per meter and they also gave me 40 Sheets at 1.2 meters in length for nothing and all the fixings. The whole lot cost me £240 and it must have been worth £8000 or so if purchased new, which it was.

Other Easy Ways How To Find Cheap Building Materials

Now I have been given hundreds of paving slabs 450 x 450 mm 245 in all to precise because one person did not want them and would have to pay to tip them. I was willing to take them for free, they even dropped them off at my piece of land for free.

The block paving I have for all my drive and stable block were given for free. I placed “Add’s” asking for local builders who need to get rid of bricks, blocks and anything I could use for sub-base for my roads. Then I picked out the block paving and reused it as the base for my mushroom cabin.

The image below shows concrete blocks that are made to look like sandstone all given for free by local people. I was given 7 tons of blue gravel that was over-ordered by someone who needed to relay their drive or a landscaping project. I had the means to collect it and he gave it to me for free.

I have had lots more things given for free, trees if they can be taken out like Japanese maples, chicken huts, large rocks for my ponds and lots more. To be truthful around 90% of the materials I use on my farm are given to me.

As I run a property maintenance business, I do a lot of fencing and the fencing boards are normally in mint condition. Fence posts are normally the thing that rots and then the fence falls. I keep all the fencing boards for use on my land.

Wanted Adds, Facebook, Builders

You can put “Wanted Adds” for free or unused materials in local Free Papers, Gumtree, Preloved, Craigslist, Facebook Groups, Freecycle, and Local Shops and also give your number to every builder you know and see what you get offered.

You never know what people throw away or want out of their gardens, or off their land. This can be another excellent way of how to find cheap building materials. If you are in the building or landscaping business then use this to your advantage. I have had full chicken runs and chicken houses given that are more or less brand new and some worth a pretty penny.

Now yes, my main business is property maintenance. But this is not where I get many of my free materials. I get most from the builders and demolition companies I stop to ask. So if you see these types of businesses around stop and ask small and large businesses alike, what they are doing with leftover materials at the end of the job

My business does take me to lots of homes and as I talk to my customers about my small farm, they are normally really supportive. They are always interested and ask me if I want to take this or that. But these are only small things like small trees, chickens huts, rabbit cages or sheds. All I can put to good use on my farm.

You Will Not Get What You Want

If you are going to be putting wanted ads up or asking local builders. You will not get exactly what you want or need on the first day of asking.

You will have to wait and see what you get offered and what comes your way, you will be pleasantly surprised I think.

So Much More Out There

The point is, do not be shy if you see a building site coming to the end or demolition sites around ask. I have mentioned builders, and merchants, especially if you purchase from them.

There is so much free material or cheap material out there. That you do not have to purchase everything brand new and you might have to wait a little time, that’s for a really good amount of materials, you could use.

I just keep renewing my “Wanted Add’s” when they are about to run out. Then I wait till I get new emails or messages, asking me if I want this or that. If I want it I will go collect it, if not then I say no thanks, but thank you for the offer.

All you need to do is ask or place simple “WANTED ADD” and don’t be shy when asking people. Be polite and make friends, you never know what they will throw your way in the future.

Remember to thank anyone who gives you something and also your number. Just in case they have more things to give away or know of any? Even if they don’t have anything then they might have something further down the line you could use.

The post How To Find Cheap Building Materials appeared first on The Small Farmer Life.

The reason I say this is because if you are looking to build a home on the land and farm it. If that piece of land has outlined planning or planning permission already passed on it.

Then it’s going to cost extremely more than a piece of farmland with the potential to start a farm and get planning permission in the future.

If you are like me and want to start a small farm, while also living off the land and building a business in the process. In the future, I may also want to live on my land. Then there are a few things you need to know about looking for land to purchase or lease and ways you can go about this.

First Of All, Do You Want To Rent Or Buy Farmland

If you are just wanting to farm the land and not eventually live on it. Then it maybe better to find a piece of land to rent and lease for your farming adventure. But if you are wanting to eventually live on the land it is going to be a little harder to find.

I say this because land that comes free from clawbacks and covenants will prevent this and it is hard to come by. So there are a couple of ways to find land to farm that fits your purposes.

Where to Find Land For Sale?

So let’s just say you are looking for a piece of land that you just want to start your dream of farming on a small scale. Remember this, that the good life comes at a cost, it’s not just to your wallet, it is going to be hard work. This type of farming is going to take time, lots of learning and a lot of ups and downs.

But let’s get back to finding the land you need. Now what I am going to say next might confuse you. The reason is simple, you might have been looking for land for a while now and you cannot seem to find any for sale?

The normal places to look would be the estate agents, land agents, and farmer’s magazines, etc. This is not the best way to find land for your smallholding.

This is were most people start to look for land

If you do manage to find land through any of these places. Then the land will be full of Covenants and Clawbacks and if you don’t know what these are. I will explain to you as simple as I can.

Checking Covenants & Clawbacks

What are Covenants and Clawbacks? Well, when you go through the normal channels of trying to find land, which in the places I’ve mentioned above. Then the people who are going to be selling the land for the private individuals the “Land Agents”.

Will be advising the sellers to put the Covenants and Clawbacks on the land. Covenants can restrict what you want to do with your farmland.

A Clawback is if you ever manage to build a business and profit from your farm. Then you may eventually want to apply for planning permission to live there. If you do manage to get planning permission for a new home. This will increase the value of your land massively.

Let’s say you pay £20,000 for the land and somehow you have managed to get planning permission for a house. Now your land is worth £200,000 you have to give the seller, who sold you the land 50 – 80%. That’s the increase in value from planning permission once granted on your land.

This is also in cash yes cash or bac’s whatever before you even build a home to live in “Ouch”.

This is why I advise you to go down the route I did and also my friends.

Some people say these Clawbacks are only applied to land which is in the development boundary of a town? I have seen Clawbacks on the land way outside the boundary of a town. So this is not true.

My advice, stay away from the normal way of doing things unless you are buying a home or looking for land with the planning permission, already in place.

The Best Way To Find Land To Farm

As I Said stay away from going down the traditional ways of purchasing land for this reason alone. I always do the leg work, which actually means “leg work” and that is getting out and start looking.

You say but I’ve been looking? But have you? When you purchase a new jumper, for some reason you look around and see lots of people wearing the same jumper? This is because you are really looking now that you have one. The same goes for cars you buy a new car and then you see hundreds of them, which you never noticed before.

Most of the time if you are looking for land you are looking for ” For Sale Signs”.

This is not how you need to be looking. Do you know we go through life taking in only around 10% of what we see around us. Yes, its true 10%, my advice is to open your eyes and look for fields, parcels of land that people may be willing to sell or lease.

Land thats looking untidy and full of dead trees, broken fences, etc.

Years ago houses were built on very large plots. Some houses belonged to farms and have large pieces of land attached.

Now that same house may no longer belong to the farm itself and they don’t want the land. Maybe they cannot manage it and some land is just sitting there, doing nothing.

Talk To Locals In Areas You Are Looking For land

You might be surprised and find it could be a local person who owns the land you may have seen. The owner may be willing to sell the land straight away, no agents just yours and their solicitors.

You don’t even have to use solicitors to purchase land, you can do this yourself through the land registry for a minimal fee. But my advice is to always use a solicitor. This makes sure all the proper checks are done and you have security in place if things go wrong.

Now when you see the land that you think is big enough for your needs. Approach the local houses in the area and make sure to be polite and nice and don’t be shy. Ask who owns that land and if they know how you can contact them.

Start a conversation and you will be surprised how open some people are. If the land is unkept it could be an eye saw to them. They would love to see a new owner for it as it will make the area a better place to live.

They will be able to tell you if the owner ever visits the land. Locals can give you lots of information, about the land in question. They live in the area so there is know better resource.

This is how I found my land, right on my doorstep by knocking on doors and asking local people. Yes, I was looking further afield, but it just so happened it was right in front of me, all the time I was looking. I literally walked into a horse tack shop and asked the shop owner, who pointed me in the right direction.

Land Registry Search

If you cannot find the owner by asking around then there are other ways and means of doing this. You can go on the Land Registry website. If the land has changed hands since 1990 it will have been registered with them.

If the land was sold before 1990 then someone will just have the Title Deeds unless they registered it, without selling it.

Once you are on the “Land Registry Website“. If you look at the Google maps, which is available on the Land Registry Site. Find the land you have found and put the cursor over the land in question. This will tell you if they have the land registered in their system.

This is of course if you manage to find it, sometimes it takes a little time, but you will find it. It just takes a little time to get your bearings on the map.

Quick Tip: I would always look for the closest home to the land I have seen and think it would make a good purchase. Make a note of where it is, this gives you the general idea of the area on Google Maps. Then it is much easier to find the land and where it is situated on the Land Registry Maps page.

Once on the land registry site, you can purchase a copy of the title deeds. These will have the owner’s name, address and everything else you need to know about the land for a small fee of £3.

Time To Contact The Owners

Now you have the information at hand contact the owners by letter or if you can find their email or any other contact information. You can ask if they are willing to sell the land? If they say yes you are in luck and now you just have to negotiate the price.

If they say no which is probably going to happen unless you are really in luck. It would be really good luck if you found someone willing to sell on your first shot. But what has it cost you £3? This is nothing to your ultimate goal, move onto the next piece.

If its farmland you are not going to pay over the max price per acre, which is at this time of writing around £12,000 – £15,000 per acre. This can be lower £6000 or even less or higher and change depending on where the land is. If the land is close to your town or the land is hilly, etc. Lots of factors come into play when it comes to the selling price.

You can check out my post on How Much Does One Acre Of Farmland Cost

The smaller the pieces seem to cost more as they tend to come up less frequently. The reason being more people can afford let’s say £20,000 – £30,000 for a couple of acres. Than £600,000 for a 100 acre at the price of £6000 per acre.

How I Got My Land For Free

The land I ended up purchasing, turned out great for me. I had to use all my savings and I also sold everything I could to purchase the land. I managed to purchase 6 acres of land which was great but it was too much and double what I needed.

It was not the best land with direct road access. I have to access my land through the same access as several other homes and small landowners around me, but I do not mind this.

Now I was only looking for around 2 – 3 acres of land. Which I could not find local anywhere and I looked for some time. The man selling the land would not split it up and would only sell in one piece. I was in a little pickle, but I found a way to pay for the whole plot.

In the end, I managed to purchase the land in question and had a plan for how to get my money back and have the size of the plot I wanted. Knowing lots of people looking to purchase smaller pieces of land and there are lots of people out there. I waited for 4 years to get the right person to purchase half of my land.

Meaning the right person who would care for their land as I did mine. Then I sold them half of the land for the price I paid for the full piece of land, which left me with my piece of land for free.

While I was holding out for the right person to come along to sell half my land. I carried on with the infrastructure of my farm.

The piece of land I kept, had the planning permission and electricity connected. The planning permission was for 6 horse stables.

I also put a few other details into the sale of the Land and that was –

The buyer had to install the road for access to his plot, also pay and install my water connection, in turn. I let him have access to my electricity connection through my land for free.

Having paid £6000 for the electrical connection to the national grid. I could have charged him to access that electricity and to cross my land. This could have been several thousand pounds.

The buyer also paid for the fencing to split the land into two parcels of 3 acres each. He now also has planning permission for stables also.

After the sale, I then turned my land back to agriculture and the stables have now been turned into animal housing.

If You Do Manage To Find Land To Farm

If you’ve found a piece of land that you think looks great for your farming needs but looks a bit of a mess now. You might need to look further down the line and use your imagination.

Check Out My Post On Planning Your SmallHolding you can see how I planned my small farm out. This is the best way to start and that is with a plan to follow.

A plan also helps to show people or the council planning department what you are going to be doing with the land. It also gives you an idea of what your farm will look like after you have finished.

It could be a look a mess now, but you can soon sort that out. Just like I did it will take a little hard work. You can soon hire machines to clear the land. This will cost a lot less money and take a lot less time than by hand.

This is where a plan of what you want to put where and how is great. You can make good time savings with the use of the machine following your plan. Instead of stood there scratching your head thinking what to do next?

If you choose to do it by hand it will take a lot longer and cost you more in the long run. I only purchased a long hayfield, it also had an area of boggy ground.

It also had broken fencing and other minor issues. Things like building the access track that I needed to get to the land. This was all done in a couple of weeks or so after purchase.

I also turned that boggy ground into a pond by digging it all out with a borrowed 360 Mini Digger. Placed a few land drains in and let the pond fill up naturally and now it is a haven for wildlife.

Do Your Checks

By checks, I mean you want to make sure there are no restrictive Covenants on the land already? Some covenants like mineral rights etc are on most deeds for some reason. Most of the time it means nothing that will affect you, they will have been on there for many years.

Some other things you will see might be wayleaves and easements for water and electric companies, which can be good for you as you know the utilities are nearby.

But you could also find not so nice Covenants that say the land should not be used for what you want it for. You can see this information on the deeds you paid for from the land registry. Things to look out for are things like, do you have the right to access the land by vehicle or is it just foot access?

You want vehicle access for sure if you will be using it for farming. Others could be things like you cannot build a large slaughterhouse or smelly pig sheds etc. Some others could be you cannot start a business on the land that affects the neighbors.

This will all come down to what you want the land for and what you are planning to do with it. Most land can be used for farming and it is very rare that you could not start a farm on the land.

If you are just looking for a smallholding you should have no problem. Local councils are mostly supportive of farming, but this does not mean you can just move on in and live on it.

If you wanted to do that, that is a whole different ball game and takes time, business plans and a lot more. So farming is easy planning to live there is not, take it from me.

Double Check The Land Itself

The other checks you may want to do is go to the land after heavy rain. This is to make sure that the fields or land do not turn into boggy fields after a little rain.

The land will always get wet and soggy after a rainy day or night like any land. What you do not want to see is massive pools of surface water.

I have seen what looks like flat land end up with large ponds in the middle after a couple of days of rain. Try to visit the land in all weather types and make sure it has no problems.

Sometimes you may be able to sort some problems out if you have the skills or money to put it right. If it does have problems and you can put it right, or don’t mind a big pond. It could also help you get the land cheaper.

Ask Your Solicitor To Double-Check

So if you have gotten this far and you are in the motions of purchasing the land. You will be talking to your overpriced Land Conveyancing Solicitors who will charge you a pretty penny. You may also have to pay your sellers fees also.

This could help you in purchasing your land in the first place. If you offer to pay their “Legal Fees” to get them to sell you the land, that could seal the deal.

Make sure they do all the checks, write a list of questions down that you want to ask your solicitor. Tell them to check the access rights and all the covenants and wayleaves associated with the land, if any.

Once all the checks have been done, then it’s just a matter of signing the contract and you will be the proud owners of your very own plot of land.

Now you have that out the way, you can get on with living your dream and yes you are going to have ups and downs, but it will be an adventure for sure.

If you don’t have money to purchase farmland then you can claim land free. Check out my Claim-Land-For-Free-Uk

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