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5 IMPORTANT FACTORS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE A LIFESTYLE PROPERTY
1. What is the fertility of the soil? This can only be accurately measured by having a soil sample collected tested and analysed. Testing is cheep but overcoming poor fertility can be slow and expensive.
2. What is the grass cover like? Is it suitable for the livestock you want to carry? If the pasture cover is of poor species it will not produce as much feed for stock, the feed quality will be poor and the growth will be slow starting in the spring, stop early in the dry summer and stop early in the Autumn. Upgrading to good pasture will take time and money but is a worthwhile investment.
3. Are there handling facilities for any stock you want to have? Basic facilities for sheep or goats are fairly simple and not hugely expensive. Even basic facilities for cattle are fairly costly. The area north of Ashley River has a legal requirement that adult cattle are TB tested annually; you will need facilities.
4. Is the property fenced into several paddocks? One paddock may make it simple in some ways but getting stock into your handling facility may be an extremely frustrating exercise. Several paddocks also allow you to manage your pasture to get better production and to extend the life of your grass species.
5. Are the gates into the paddocks wide enough for agricultural equipment? If you are upgrading pasture or harvesting hay or baleage you really need to have 4.2 meter (14 Foot) gates.
There are many other things you should consider but these 5 items may not be recognised by someone without extensive farming experience. They are all reasonably simple to fix but have a cost. Don’t be put off the purchase but maybe reduce the price you pay so that you have money available to get everything right for what you want to do so you can enjoy the lifestyle you purchased the lifestyle property for. Good advice is a lot cheaper than even a small mistake.
For assistance in assessing all these things and anything else with a lifestyle property contact:
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