Would living next to an arable field put you off buying?

[MamaToABeautifulBoy]

We are considering buying a house with a beautiful arable field immediately beyond the garden. It is currently planted with corn and looks idyllic, but I would really appreciate some honest first-hand experiences from anyone who lives beside a working crop field.

How disruptive is the machinery during ploughing and harvesting? Does it operate very early or late with bright lights? Is harvest dust or crop spraying noticeable, and are there any smells or other drawbacks we may not have considered?
I completely accept that occasional agricultural activity is part of living in the countryside. I am simply trying to establish whether it amounts to a few busy days each year or can be a more regular nuisance. Would it put you off buying an otherwise lovely house?

I grew up in a house surrounded by arable fields. It was idyllic and there was minimal disruption from the farming. It's all housing now though.

@WhitegreeNcandleOur local plan got thrown out. It seems to have opened the floodgates for every landowner who fancies their chances of making a few quid to put in a planning application for housing in places which would previously not have stood a chance! So not being on the local plan does not mean it's safe from development.

Definitely agree

The fields in front of our house were left to pasture this year and two cuttings were taken, the first for silage & the second for hay. The fields behind our house were planted with maize, which was harvested last week. The disruption caused by the crops amounted to a lots of grass pollen in June, a lot of dust covering everything from the hay harvest & a lot of mud deposited on the road during the maize harvest. All to be expected in a working agricultural environment. And that’s it. Apart from that; peace, quiet, countryside & birdsong.

As others have said, the major and very real concern is that the land will be developed for housing, which would be heartbreaking.

Took this standing at bottom of my garden.
Very minimal noise most of the time but when there is noise it’s lovely to watch them working.
VERY dusty when they harvest so make sure windows and doors are shut and have a good window cleaner on speed dial!
When they have harvested wheat previous years you occasionally hear the beeping of the tractor at night but barely with double glazing.

Grew up next to a farm. Fertiliser stinks. Obviously. But it one of those 'countryside smells' you can't really complain about, and it's only one or two days a year. But yeah, it really stinks.

Ploughing, harvesting etc is not smelly, and also only a few of days a year. Especially these days with the heat waves we get they may be out very late, up to midnight or maybe even slightly later. It's just a tractor trundling up and down, though usually with a pretty bright light. Not very quiet, but again, pretty infrequent.

It certainly wouldn't put me off, though I would consider the possibility of it being turned into housing and if it were remotely likely, that would make me walk away. I'd much rather a couple of smelly days and occasional sporadic noise than a tightly packed new-build estate with all the noise, stench and pollution that the daily life of multiple families entails.

As we are finding out, the land opposite us being green belt means nothing now….talks of developing this land have been on the agenda for years and now it’s finally gone for planning permission! We knew this when we bought 6yrs ago, now debating whether to move again but we are so thankful for the last 6yrs of living in such an area, it was still worth it!

I would buy it just in hope of being near to a barn owl or lovely wildlife.

No, we live surrounded by hay meadows (some of them ours). The time when machinery is out there cutting or doing anything is like 4 times a year. We have had them come down our drive and within 5 feet of our house at 1am and I hardly noticed. The biggest risk is the farmer selling it off for development and ending up looking over an estate.

I was looking to see if anyone mentions thrips - weve just done our 2nd summer backing onto a wheat field so knew this year to expect the little buggers!
I would say these are more annoying than realising the patio doors were wide open when the combine harvester trundled past!

My house and back garden are 20ft from an arable field (my grazing is in front of the house).
The dust is incredible after living surrounded by grass but it’s the spraying. Twice a week for 6 weeks this summer. The back garden was unusable, couldn’t even peg the washing out as that got the drift. Thankfully I have another garden away from the arable field.
Also the rats they move in after the harvest.
I wouldn’t buy a house near an arable field unless there was sizeable garden and a decent hedge.

We live surrounded by fields and I absolutely love it. Farm machinery activity etc is minimal and only a few times a year.

We have a working field at the end of our garden.

Yes it does get dusty during harvest. (2 days per year)
Yes we worry about it being developed one day. (it may not)
Yes we get rats and mice in the garden. (not been a problem yet…)
Yes it gets sprayed with (presumably) chemicals. (pellets do not come into our garden)

Do we love it? - Yes!
It's beautiful and peaceful.

Would I buy our house again? Yes!

I'd love that. The only thing to put me off would be the prospect of it becoming another fucking great housing estate in future.

@Ilikewinter. This is our first year in Yorkshire. I got a shock when my house was invaded.

This.. it’s not often at all, and not disruptive. It’s cool to watch actually! Really nice to have open space