Buying a small piece of amenity land?

[Pebble21uk]

Any advice welcome. We are thinking of buying a small piece (less than an acre) of amenity land in a UK county we like to holiday in. We have a camper van and as I understand it we would be able to camp on it for holidays up to 28 days per year.

We are lucky to have a ringfenced amount of savings which we could invest in this. We thought it may be a way of investing the money but also having some pleasurable use out of it at the same time. So long as it didn't decrease in value over, say, 10 years, then it would have been worth it for the use of it - we're not looking for big returns!

If anyone has any experience of this (I have no idea if land is a sound investment even) then please share your thoughts.

This particular land we have our eye on is off a B road with gated vehicle access, a stream, a flat grassy area and bordered by trees.

Following!

Have you thought about how you are going to keep it maintained when you aren't there? If neglected it will quickly become overgrown and I don't suppose you will want to spend your holidays mowing/hedge cutting/bramble clearing.

Thanks - it is something we've briefly considered. This actual piece we've been looking at is currently mown on the flat middle area. We think it would be possible to find someone local who offers gardening services to mow it a few times a year for us.

It also won't need coppicing as there aren't enough trees on it... but there may be a little bit of hedge trimming, nothing too big which we couldn't do ourselves.

The bigger the area of course, the more it becomes a consideration though!

Doesn't the 28 day rule just apply to agricultural land if the farmer wants to keep claiming Basic Payment support?
Would it still apply if it is no longer agricultural land?

In Planning terms, land which has never been 'zoned' as anything else (garden, employment, industrial etc) is deemed to be agricultural land. Doesn't have to have been used for particularly productive agriculture.

On agricultural land, you do a wide variety of things - camping, fetes, troshes- that are not agriculture, for up to 28 calendar days a year.Beyond that, you need planning permission.

Make friends with your neighbours, who are almost bound to be initially suspicious.

Water? You can bring containers in.
Toilet? Chemical, and empty it elsewhere.

Remember, you don't get permitted development rights, like with a dwelling- it's these rights that enable you to put a shed up in the garden ,without planning permission.So in a field, you can't put up a tiny shed.Unless it's on wheels.
Only mobile structures. And some councils are very anti caravans in open countryside.

Camper van and tents generally ok.

I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Land is almost always a sound investment.
They don't make it anymore.
Amenity land/ pony land especially.
Get it independently valued , unless you can find enough comparisons.
Scrutinise Google maps for things within a distance that could sometimes be v smelly- intensive pigs, poultry, sewage works, bio digesters.
Does the steam flood? Or could it? Look at the kinds of grass growing near it.

Thanks - that's really useful. I did think that the 28 day rule applied - and to be honest I don't think we'd need it for any more than that anyway... a week or so throughout the year would be fine.

Yes - toilet facilities - we have a cassettte loo in the camper which can be emptied somewhere suitable elsewhere. Or it's possible to build a temporary short drop loo I suppose! Or join a local leisure centre and use their facilities.

It obviously has a water supply, which can be used for washing when boiled and other purposes... and just take bottled drinking water in.

It doesn't have any neighbours!! Think the nearest one is about half a mile away!

That's interesting re sheds etc.

I've spoken to the agents - and my concerns are that it may be a bit wet for a camper... don't fancy getting it stuck in there! (Having a water supply is a double edged sword) and that it's overpriced. The agent said it had been on the market for 2 years (how long do small pieces of woodland / amenity land usually take to sell?) The vendor has had offers but is sticking out for a higher price!

Still - if it's still available at half term when we're visiting the area anyway, we will go for a look!

That's useful to know, so agriculture is the default land use. I guess any application for change of use would be scrutinised quite closely then too!
I'd love to have a bit of land, I'd say go for it and then see if it can be let out for grass keep the rest of the year.

Cross posted Evidence - very good point re what might be near it!!

And yes... the stream has been known to flood, but not the whole area. I am concerned that it may mean it's generally too marshy though!

We did this! We are the proud owners of 5 acres of woodland and a large army surplus tent!
We re hoping to build a hut there in the next year. (Scottish planning regs are generally amenable to this as long as small and not hooked up to utilities)
There's a fair amount to do thinning trees to encourage biodiversity, cutting nettles back etc but is fun. We've had some lovely family weekends there.

You could put down a hardcore standing area, call it a temporary feature?

Stab in the dark - is it for sale via a site with wood or woodlands in the name? If so may be overpriced.

I'd say it's overpriced, or has an issue you haven't spotted, if it hasn't sold in 2 years. Although one acre is unusually small, and maybe not good horse field, but that should depress price.

Ask agent for prices other local land has sold for in that time?

unlimited - that sounds great! I think you're right in seeing the work that needs doing as part of the project / holiday. What motivated you to go down this route?

Ihavent - Yes - and the agent did say that it should be possible. Just makes me a bit more nervous though!

Evidence - I know who you're thinking of, but no, this is only being sold through a local agricultural agent.
I think it's a combination of the vendor holding out for a certain price & the area being pretty small (less than an acre) - I don't think it would be suitable for keeping a horse, so the market is going to be pretty niche - mainly people who want to use it as I would. I don't see this particular plot being suitable for use other than as a camping area or perhaps a garden of some kind. There's also the flooding issue!

The agent was quite straight with me all things considered... and also said they specialise in very small plots and have others coming up he will send me details of... so we're seriously thinking of going this route even if not this particular plot. Got to make sure I don't let my heart rule my head on this one though!!

Thanks for all the input

"What motivated you to go down this route?"

It was a compromise between DH wanting to move to the country and me wanting to stay in the city.
We thought about getting a hut at Carbeth or some other hutting community and noticed that the huts were changing hands for extortionate amounts. DH said "we could buy land for that kind of price" and the rest is history.

Just reading this and wondered if you purchased the land? Have you had chance to use it etc