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Original poster

How to finance an enclosed dog field

54 replies

Imascoldasice · 13/02/2021 21:56

I’m keen to buy a field and hire it out by the hour to people whose dogs cannot otherwise be off lead. I have some equity in my house (about 20k) but no other savings. What would be the best way to go about this? Could I get a mortgage for the land? And a business loan for the fencing etc etc

OP posts:
RunningFromInsanity · 13/08/2022 15:46

Cambridge prices for a new one just opened up is £20 per hour, and it’s always booked.

Hoppinggreen · 13/08/2022 15:48

Business plan first so you can decide whether it’s a good idea or not before you do anything else

Doggy2 · 30/06/2026 11:27

Uni68 · 13/08/2022 15:20

I thought about this having been a user of one in the past. Reality I think the business model is shrinking just because they reached a peak of height during covid. With people cutting back perhaps even taking the cheaper option to just go to a local park may be the case these days.

the One I used was simply a field that you got provided the combination code for so can be cheap to set up. That being said you’ll need to factor in security fencing/lighting to get decent returns in the winter. You’ll need planning permission and shouldn’t really be a problem (I’m a planner) but very much depends on the site what it’s next to, how many people would be on site (presumably one family limited to a couple of dogs at time to reduce noise to neighbours etc). The real problem I think you’ll find is cost of land is at an all time high most land in accessible locations are earmarked by developers I.E a decent plot on the edge of town with good thoroughfare to generate business will most likely be tied up. More rural you go the more out of the way it is for people to access or having to spend more money on fuel to the point it may not add up due to their personal circumstances.

it may be better to approach a farmer asking to lease a plot of land to see if it’s a viable business model. However if you go through with purchasing a plot could be worth it if you bought the right plot E.g one that you can use as a business now but has the potential for future development if you need to sell on e.g housing, commercial sheds etc.

Reading that you are a planner and your advice about approaching a farmer to rent a field, how would that work?
I imagine that most farmers fields are agricultural and not necessarily suitable for public use as a secure dog field without planning permission and investment to meet all the requirements.
I expect such commitment would require a watertight legal agreement. You could be spending thousands for a low acreage to get planning approval for change of use that may triple the value of that land.
Would you expect the farmer to pay for all this with risk of renter failing or would you expect the OP to pay for the uplift they'd created in the farmers land value?

AlwaysRightISwear · 30/06/2026 20:38

I think your advice may be a few years late.

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