Tell me why this would be a bad idea..

[GrumpyOldBagFace]

A farm on the outskirts of a village we'd like to buy in is selling off its farm cottages.

There's 5 of them in a row. They need work doing and modernising but they are very cheap compared to other properties in this area.

So what would be this problems with living in a farm cottage?

• no mains gas, we'd have to install oil central heating?

What else? Why is it so cheap?

Poor access? Badly built? Damp maybe? Have you been to view them?

Is it the five being sold together or separately?

If it's cheap and you've got the money to do a thorough refurb, then go for it. Are you sure you understand the overall costs involved? Would it be freehold or leasehold?

Btw I did rent a farm cottage some years back. It was very nice, but lots of farm traffic and dust. Depends what lifestyle you want - is it a busy farm? Arable, livestock or mixed?

Usually cold- depends in the walls
Oil fired heating is cheaper than has
Get a log burner as well

Get a decent survey and deal with it from there - you don't know what the real issues maybe -

Get builders quotes for any work

Then renegotiated!

Is there planning permission to build on the fields ?

They're being sold separately. The one we're viewing goes over the top of the one next door so the upstairs is double the size. It says it's a freehold.

We're viewing them tomorrow.

Maybe damp could be an issue.

We rented in a similar set up a while back but it wasn't a working farm at the time. They did rent out their field to graze sheep but that was all. It was fine. There was no local facilities there but this one seems close to the village which has shops, GP, school etc

Hmmm, planning permission might be something. There is a lot of building work going on round these parts.

I wasn't sure if it was such an obviously bad idea that even a survey would be a waste of money.

Do check for planning applications as brizzle said. And don’t underestimate the cost of ‘modernisation’!

I might be romanticising the modernisation!

I've heard of farm buildings having restrictive covenants on them saying they can only be lived in by farm workers. Do check...!

I know, I am renovating a fixer upper at the moment! It’ll be worth it in the end but it’s bloody hard work and expensive.

If it goes over the top of the other one, you might have issues with noise...as in complaints from whoever is below you.

There's so much that can be hidden or overlooked in these houses. I'd pay for a RICS surveyor to take a look - around £500-750 but it could save you a fortune. Rotten wooden timbers, rewiring, damp, underpining, you're responsible for next door's roof if your home goes over theirs, floorboards, new windows. The list is lengthy. I would definitely be getting a thorough check done first.

It usually says in the listing if they have restrictive covenants. Estate agent wouldn’t even let you view if that was the case.

Flying freehold issues if it goes over another property?

I would definitely be checking for restrictive covenants in a building previously intended solely for agricultural workers.

When you say no gas we would have to install oil heating.... how have they been heated so far? When were they last lived in?

Any ideas why they are being sold?

Some good points, thank you.

What's the issue with a flying free hold?

the freehold will be complicated if it goes over the top of the other, make sure you have a good lawyer!

Make sure that the access to them for vehicle traffic is completely agreed and in writing! Many people have been stung by buying a property with a drive owned by someone else who can choose to be difficult or obstructive.

It looks like it's been heated with an aga.

It says in the listing central heating but I can only see an aga in the pictures.

No idea why they're selling but it'll be a good question to ask tomorrow.

It usually says in the listing if they have restrictive covenants. Estate agent wouldn’t even let you view if that was the case

You would hope so but some estate agents can be quite creative with what they will consider an agricultural connection.

A relative was only allowed to sell a property with an agricultural RC on it to someone employed by agriculture. The person buying it was a sort of farmer's son and did keep a small number of sheep for a year or two in the garden (they all died pretty quickly). He has nothing to do with 'farming' now though many years later but if he ever wants to sell it on again he too will have to find someone who has a farming connection to buy it.

Overdwellings can be very hard to sell on.
You may be more restricted on the number of lenders willing to offer a mortgage on this type of property too.
Personally, If I was looking at houses, modernised or not, I would disregard this type.

That's interesting info @TangBloodyFastic is there a reason it's such a bad thing.

I was kind of day dreaming that one day the cottage underneath would come up for sale and we'd end up with a huge downstairs too!

Flying freehold would put me off.