Buying a lifestyle block Q's

[spacemonkey]

I'm toying with buying a 19acre block.

Are there any KB'ers out there that have done this?
What are the things to look out for, and does anyone know about who to get in to take a professional look at it to evaluate the land's potential problems??

Any advice you've got would be good. :2thumbsup

[BMWST?]

find out the flood levels if applicable...

animals take a lot of work and cant be left to fend fore themselves...

[kevfromcoro]

I had a lifestyle block for a while.. and really it was just like a big backyard.. had cows. pigs .sheep. chickens , ducks...
didnt make a living of it.... acctually i spent most of my time looking after animals . and working on the place.takes a lot of money to look after a big place like that.
dont want to dampen your spirts... but listen to a few coments first.
mind you.. the solidtude was nice.... at a price.

[sidecar bob]

Otherwise known as a life sentence block, big enough to take all your valuable free time to maintain, small enough so you will never be able to make a living off it.

[doc]

Water supply is the biggest limit mostly.
You mention it is a Lifestyle block. Don't get carried away with dreams of making a living . Great to raise kids on. Summer is great everything is growing. Winters aren't my favourite time.

If you have any worries about it ask the neighbours, country folk love to give advice.

Cos once you buy a block you don't have to pay for advice, everyone seems to wants to give you advice..

If I was going to start again. I wish I'd planted more trees. :sunny:

[hospitalfood]

the comments re making a living are true, you wont.
but that may not be why your buying?
north facing is good.
not a heap happens in rural nz, i live rural and know.
what part of nz you looking at ?

[Mom]

I'm toying with buying a 19acre block.
Are there any KB'ers out there that have done this?


There may be a few of us around.


Otherwise known as a life sentence block, big enough to take all your valuable free time to maintain, small enough so you will never be able to make a living off it.

You have that right mate. It is a block of land that is destined to keep you poor. Not so much a lifestyle for you, more about attempting to keep your animals in the lifestyle they are accustomed to!

[Dooly]

We have about 20 acres.

Its hard work, and you will find you will need things like chainsaws, decent weed whackers & mowers, fencing tools, and lots of good handyman skills.

To keep most of my weekends free in summer so I can ride, I have to work every night after coming home from work about 6pm doing things like mowing, cutting, fixing etc. Thank God for daylight saving.

You will also have to have some kind of stock purely to keep the grass down, but then again in drought or winter may need to buy hay and supplements.

As said above, water is a major priority, you have to have that well sorted, and when it comes to bores or getting them, expect to pay big bucks.

But all that aside, I would never go back to town, country life is the best.

[geoffm]

As mentioned by others - they are a money and time pit. All the costs of a farm without the tax deductibility or income.
OTOH, if I won lotto and didn't have ot work for a living....
Geoff

[BiK3RChiK]

Depending on where it is, you could go niche market... say, olives or flower greenhouses for export or similar. I've seen this done quite profitably by the most unknowing people. All the best. Most don't make a living out of it as has been said

[TerminalAddict]

19 acres would be too big for me

I have 3 acres (house and paddock) .. big enough to have dogs, cats, horse (or other paddock beast) etc.

Not too much work, coupld of weekends every summer dedicated to cleaning things up.

3 acres ain't enough to feed an animal tho' so we have to buy food occasionally.

[cold comfort]

I'm toying with buying a 19acre block.

Are there any KB'ers out there that have done this?
What are the things to look out for, and does anyone know about who to get in to take a professional look at it to evaluate the land's potential problems??

Any advice you've got would be good. :2thumbsup

Hate to burst your bubble but, as they say, its a fine line between a lifestyle and a life sentence. Had a small block. Ran it as a deer farm. Cost huge sums to develop and sink a well.Not economic as you need the same tools for 10 acres as you need for 100. The income just covered the costs of running it. Worked 6 days a week on my day job and the 7th on the farm. Fantastic for the kids and horses but NO life for the parent. Every petty local body has got their hand out for money and its a huge sink hole for cash. The commuting for work and kids school/activites will finish you off. Had a sign on the horse float saying "poverty is owning a horse" About said it all.

[Jantar]

Nine years ago we bought an 11 acre (4.4 Ha) bare paddock. We had to build a business plan showing how we would develop the block in order to get consent to put a house on it. By the time we went through all the legal channels, established a house, fenced the property, built an irrigation pond, planted 200 walnut trees etc, we ended up with a very desirable lifestyle block that takes almost no work to maintain more than a suburban property.

There is no way that it will ever be an economic unit in terms of being self sufficient and paying its way. But it does keep the freezer full of meat, and we produce enough free range eggs to give away the surplas. Once the trees mature we will also get a small income; enough to cover rates and irrigation costs, but that is all.

Would I do it again? I bloody well would for sure.

[Hitcher]

Be very careful. 19 acres in many ways takes as much work as a larger property. If you're planning to run stock like sheep or cattle, make sure you have easy access to handling facilities like crushes and ramps. Sheep need to be shorn, sprayed, drenched, foot checked, dagged, etc.

You'll need water supply, a barn for supplementary feed, a Plan B for dry summers and a Plan C for wet winters.

If you haven't got a farming background, make contact with a small-holders association and be prepared to learn a lot. Trial and error isn't a good way to learn how to farm livestock.

Then, if you think you'll like doing it, find a property that best meets your needs.

[tri boy]

Bro in law plants 800-1000 Xmas trees a year on 4hctr's.
$1.00 seedlings turn into $30 xmas trees in 3yrs.
Takes up 2weeks a year at xmas, selling them.
Plants the seedlings in a weekend.
A bit of spraying two-three times a year, (weekend)
And a bit of pruning twice a year for those that need it.

Whats the % return from $1 to $30 in 3years before cost of spray etc?
It can work. (Put both his kids through school at private education).

[Ocean1]

I had about 12 acres for a while. It does take a lot of time but I enjoyed most of the work.

I solved the stock maintenance issue by giving the sheep to the real farmer a stones throw up the road. He basically used my place as an extension of his in exchange for a carcase or two and an occasional loan of his digger or tractor.

I miss the place, if I was still there it'd be planted much like Jantar describes by now...

[Timber020]

Farming has alot to do with economies of scale. It doesnt take that much more time to tend to 500 cows on 500 acres than it takes to tend to 5 cows on 5 acres. The difference is that 500 cows will give you a living, where 5 cows will eat up your life.

[scracha]

Wot everyone else said. It'll either cost you lots of time or lots of money...or both. Make plenty of friends so you can borrow each equipment and make use of each others skills as it just doesn't make sense for "lifestylers" to all own tractors and know everything. Friends and family are also essential as you'll also need to take holidays. While many folk will happily watch your cat/dog, it's a different kettle of fish with goats/sheep/pigs/cows/horses/whatever.

The SO sometimes does some of the office work she's supposed to do full time for me in between spending about 40 hours a week fannying about in the fields between gardening, fencing, mowing and animals. That said, she loves it to bits. Think long and hard about the decision. Is it you who wants the "lifestyle" or the SO and kids? If it's the latter then set clear boundaries. I have no great interest in "the land", I'd be happier with a little cottage out in the sticks with a decent garage for my toys and a much smaller mortgage. To that effect, I made it clear from the start that the SO would be doing all the work herself. This disgusts a lot of the farmer types around here but they've 100's of acres and we've got 8 so somebody has to earn money.

That said, it's like motorcycles. If you've got the money and are content to employ other people to do the $hit maintenance jobs you don't want to do yourself then you can enjoy whatever good aspects of it you personally enjoy.


If you're both out working then consider having one of the other yokel farmers run their coo's/sheep/whatever on your land.

Country life is good and I don't think I could live in a large town or city again.

[MaxB]

Before you buy get a LINZ report and check if the land has any restrictions on it and paper roads etc. Check the utilities don't have rights of access over your land. Stuff like that. Also get in with the neighbours to see if someone is planning a gold mine/explosives factory next door.

[scracha]

. Also get in with the neighbours to see if someone is planning a gold mine/explosives factory next door.
Or dog pound (sigh)

[Vgygrwr]

We have a 9 acre block in North Canterbury which had been planted as an apple orchard for consent. I spent some time reading power meters in the wider area and saw a huge variety of activities and the most common comments were its hard work, there is no money in it but we love it. One of the more unique was a large she full of tanks growing shellfish.
There were lots of very expensive houses on very big sections with sheds housing expensive toys all providing income to some of us poorer souls.
In our immediate neighborhood I guy truly making his living on his land rearing calves. Another neighbor manages the stock for one of the remaining farmers and they lease many of the block as rotational grazing.
We are subject to northwesters, southerlies and a cold prevailing easterly so you have to establish shelter and you need water. Guess we have a bit more than a thousand fruit and nut trees and in the one season in the past 6 in which we did not have late frosts, early frosts, drought or hail we made income that possibly reached as high as 20 well I reckon could have even been 30 cents per hour .
I you are going to, then do it while you are young, fit and have the lifetime ahead to enjoy what you develop. Only do it if you have some affinity for the land, country life and appreciate the rare privilege we have in NZ
If you lack that make sure you buy a property that is easy to sell because you won't last six months
All those words, must be a crook batch of cider better get another bottle

[Laava]

Get a bush block! Cut a motorbikr track through it and enough grass for 1 sheep and some chickens. :2thumbsup:

[spacemonkey]

I had about 12 acres for a while. It does take a lot of time but I enjoyed most of the work.

I solved the stock maintenance issue by giving the sheep to the real farmer a stones throw up the road. He basically used my place as an extension of his in exchange for a carcase or two and an occasional loan of his digger or tractor.

I miss the place, if I was still there it'd be planted much like Jantar describes by now...



Thanks for the comments guys. :D
I was thinking along the lines of letting the grazing to one of the local farmers as I have no intention of running stock myself.
Power lines (NOT high tension) do cross the corner of the place, water seems to be no problem it has a stock dam and there is a largish (20ft across) stream on boundery also there appears to be a spring back near the road at the base of a hill..... more worried about drainage to be honnest. flood marks on the stream bed show a high that was 10ft below the top of the banks.

I was thinking of planting out the steep sections in native bush and 2ha of the flats in Truffle inoculated oaks or hazel nuts as a fairly passive future income stream, and just relocating an old cottage on the place to use as a weekender (which given its location near a yuppie tourist town could be rented out as a weekend/holiday house).

Just trying to work out development costs at the moment, the numbers are looking ok apart from the cost of drainage/irrigation which I have not gotten a handle on as yet??

Will definately be getting a LIM/LINZ report done though. :yes:

[Finn]

All I've got is a 1/4 acre lifestyle block in the city with one useless cow. Don't think I can be of much help.

[vifferman]

Thanks for the comments guys. :D
I was thinking along the lines of letting the grazing to one of the local farmers as I have no intention of running stock myself.
Yeah, that's a good idea. My sister lives on a 9-acre block, has done for about 20 years. They don't worry about stock, maintenance, etc., as the neighbours (proper farmers) take care of all that: they have an arrangement where they use it as a 'run off' to graze stock on, cut hay, whatever. The only thing is that the section around the house is bigger'n normal, so instead of pushing a mower around it, they have a ride-on mower.

Another thing is your rates may be high in some areas, as they're based on land area and value.

[duckonin]

Hitcher and Vgygrwr have it sussed, Farmed all my life as a Musterer or farm Manager.... Bought our own small block years back for the Needys and birds (Ducks, Chooks ) have never lived in town nor would we want to..

Get your block into shape fast then kick back, let it work for you not you work for it, then you would truly enjoy...

You do need to have as Vgygrwr has said a very strong affinity with the land, read his or her posts and Hitchers for the rest, actually most in puts have been not bad....

[davereid]

We tried all sorts here. Pigs, cattle, sheep, all a bloody expensive disaster. Finally I did what I never do, and consulted an expert.

We turned one border into an orchard, with apples, pears, fejoas etc etc. It has a 6ft wire fence, and we free range our chickens in the orchard. Its bigenough that we can get a ride on mower down the rows, so its easy to look after.

Another wet paddock corner we planted in trees, can't remember what they were some canadian wattle or summat. It dried the paddock out, provides a windbreak and shelter for animals and feeds the woodburner all winter.

We run sheep now, but a specially selected breed of black faced suffolk. They don't need a dog, you can call them and they will come up to you. Twice a year we get a shearing contractor in for drenching, shearing, etc etc, and its costs about $7 an animal.

If winter is a bit lean, an animal or two goes in the fridge, and we supplement a bit with multifeed nuts. Expensive, but so easy.

Sometimes we will buy a steer and fatten him up over spring for the freezer, so we don't buy much meat.

Be prepared to have to do a bit of planning.

[sinfull]

We run sheep now, but a specially selected breed of black faced suffolk. They don't need a dog, you can call them and they will come up to you. .
Hereeeeee Baaaaabara !

Done the 4 acre thing and may as well have been 100 cause the work was the same as, but no regrets apart from near giving it away to the ex when we split, well not even then really haha !

Just dooo eeeet !

[TLMAN]

All I've got is a 1/4 acre lifestyle block in the city with one useless cow. Don't think I can be of much help.

Man, ill bet if she read this yo ass would be toast...:bye:

[ready4whatever]

I'm toying with buying a 19acre block.

Are there any KB'ers out there that have done this?
What are the things to look out for, and does anyone know about who to get in to take a professional look at it to evaluate the land's potential problems??

Any advice you've got would be good. :2thumbsup

my advice is to hire a land surveyor to check it out...please... we are very short on work

[ready4whatever]

on a more serious note. it might pay to check the boundaries (you'd be suprized how many people own less land than they think) , get a plan from the council or a registered surveyor and check if all services (power, water, telecom etc) are covered with an appropriate easement if needed (if they come from neibouring land) ,otherwise they have the right to cut you off from these services

[Pixie]

You mean a Life Sentence Block don't you?

I have 1/2 acre over looking the Kaipara.
All of the pros no cons

[Espresso]

3 friends have all had lifestyle blocks, all have sold them (gave away) as the work load was incredible, the financial return minimal so they all had to work as well. Pity they sold, I liked visiting their places - then heading home.
Go in with eyes wide open, it is a full time lifestyle, i.e. no other life than the property. The best advice one mate gave was the property is awesome, if it was already finished, or they had enough money to pay others to do it all, or they had enough money so they didn't have to have a job as well. Most people unfortuantely are cash-strapped, stretch to buy the property, struggle with mortgage payments let alone further investment into the property.

Cured me by seeing what they went through and often it's far from an economic venture.

[Swoop]

The missus has a block north of Auckland.

"Lifestyle" is the instant word that pisses off the real farmers in an area. "Bloody townies" etc, etc...

[Naki Rat]

......Any advice you've got would be good. :2thumbsup

http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/vforum/index.php
Plenty of advice available there, and they are positively tame compared to the 'entertainment' on KB :lol:

[TLMAN]

I'm toying with buying a 19acre block.

Are there any KB'ers out there that have done this?
What are the things to look out for, and does anyone know about who to get in to take a professional look at it to evaluate the land's potential problems??

Any advice you've got would be good. :2thumbsup

Instead of building a house you could slap a viking ship (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=230344653) on it:rockon:

[jim.cox]

Most life-sentence blocks require a mortgage to fund them.

Usually that means working elsewhere.

Beware the costs of commuting, both personal and financial.

Petrol ain't getting any cheaper...

5 years ago I was happy to ditch my 76km a day commute as unsustainable - and I hate to think what it would cost now

[ManDownUnder]

I once heard someone say - takes nearly as much work to look after 10 animals as it does 1,000 - but the pay's a lot less.

[doc]

Just skimmed over the posts. Seems to be the usual KB negativity.
Obviously you are thinking outside their comfort zone or experience. If you are young and afford it , go for it its character building and will teach you to think outside the comfort zone . Best thing I ever did . Going thu marriage breakup is the only reason we are selling, been here 25 years, we are both reluctant to sell cos of the memories and efforts we put into it time on my side, money on her side. reason why I wished I had planted more spectacular type trees.Got to be better than townie smells and noises.

My only comment about the negative side . Is it does cost a bit more because of the petrol costs of taking the kids to sports etc and work etc. At least I knew where the kids were. Before the girls left home it was costing me 200 bucks a week for petrol.

Got nothing but postive memories about it tho.

If you want real advice about farming ask those who are doing it for real like "Kiwicowboy", faaark you want to see his little block. :shit:He could walk to the Brass Monkey

[Jantar]

3 friends have all had lifestyle blocks, all have sold them (gave away) as the work load was incredible, the financial return minimal so they all had to work as well. .....

Ah, yes. But is what seperates a lifestyle block from a farm. If it was fully funding and paying a livable wage then it would be a proper farm not a lifestyle block.

[martybabe]

I toyed with the idea of a lifestyle block until an estate agent showed me round one. He was a retired farmer and he gave this out and out townie chapter and verse on running one and the effort and expertise needed to run one just to break even financially.

A large number of Poms, used to living like packed in sardines, are very taken with the romantic idyll of running a bit of land of there own in godzone but sadly a huge percentage of them end up trying to sell their dream a year or so later.

As the advert says, she's a big job but you seem to be heading in the right direction mate.Specialisation may be the key as Bikerchick said. Do your homework then do it again and if you think you can make a go of it, you go for it kid and bloody good luck to ya.:niceone:

[blossomsowner]

I had about 12 acres for a while. It does take a lot of time but I enjoyed most of the work.

I solved the stock maintenance issue by giving the sheep to the real farmer a stones throw up the road. He basically used my place as an extension of his in exchange for a carcase or two and an occasional loan of his digger or tractor.

I miss the place, if I was still there it'd be planted much like Jantar describes by now...



thats the best way if you want to have stock.........
otherwise something in the horticulture line can be done if the property is suitable. research and planning are key.

[Highlander]

I once heard someone say - takes nearly as much work to look after 10 animals as it does 1,000 - but the pay's a lot less.

I heard someone say a good way to make a small fortune is to take a large fortune and buy a farm.


For what my input is worth, we would both like to do the live in the country / life style block thing. The idea of a bit of dirt to run a couple of animals for the freezer and have a selection of trees etc really appeals. Spending all my time off doing the maintaining thing doesn't.
We decided that it was not practical until the kids have left home so we don't have to shuttle them back and forward all the time. At that point I still don't know if it will happen becuase I think we would be better off to stay where we are and poke the extra money into setting us up for retirement.