Rural Smallholdings Magazine » Smallholdings for Sale

Eco Hamlet Update from Croatia

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:12:46 +0000

Firstly, we would like to thank everyone at Rural Smallholdings Magazine for publishing the original article about our Eco Hamlet project in Croatia, the response has been fantastic!

Within three months of the article being published, we received over a hundred enquiries and they are still coming in each month, it certainly seems as though we have hit on an idea that appeals to many people.

By the end of October we have already welcomed some twenty people to Croatia interested in viewing the Eco Hamlet project and the first three properties have been sold, with one couple having already moved over, and several more planning to do so early in the New Year.

There are three more properties available for sale within the hamlet itself, as well as nine others very close by, so any interested readers are still welcome to get in touch.

At the moment anyone with general building skills would be of great benefit, as would those with marketing and business development experience in the rural tourism sector.

A recent development has been the opening of a small hotel, restaurant, horse riding centre and fishing lake complex, just down the road from the eco hamlet, so people are really getting on board with the Eco tourism aspect of the project.

Thanks to the success of this first project, we have now found another village ideal for creating a similar community, which we hope to get under way by the summer of 2010, just as Croatia is likely to join the EU and a very special party is sure to be had!

Thanks once again to all at Rural Smallholding Magazine, your help is much appreciated.

Keith Pierce

Please click here to visit the Inland Croatia site.

This post was submitted by Keith Pierce.

Beat the Race to Find a Smallholding

Rural Smallholdings — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:19:15 +0000

The current recession and ‘credit crunch’ has led to more and more people seeking smallholdings in order to live a more self sufficient lifestyle and escape the confines of city life. But with smallholdings and property with land for sale being more popular than ever, how do you get ahead of the game and find one for yourself?

With the number of people looking for smallholdings far outnumbering the number currently available, any advantage you can give yourself in your search will help to ensure you are at the top of the list of potential buyers or tenants. So what can you do to gain that advantage?

First, ditch the mainstream property portals as many owners of smallholdings and properties with land are seeking a more direct approach to finding a buyer or tenant for their property. You could waste hours searching through the property listings on these sites, with only a slim chance of finding the kind of property you are looking for. Owners of smallholdings and properties with land are far more likely, particularly in the current climate to advertise on specialist smallholding property portals such as www.greenshifters.co.uk. Websites such as Greenshifters.co.uk specialise only in smallholdings, equestrian properties and property with land and so are far more targeted than mainstream property sites who may only list the occasional property of this type.

On Greenshifters.co.uk owners of smallholdings, farms and properties for sale with land place an ad for their for sale and for rent property and there are also ads for anyone looking to exchange a property, an alternative to consider if you are having trouble selling your current property. You can sign up for regular updates by email which will let you know as soon as a new property is listed in any of the smallholdings for rent, smallholdings for sale or for exchange listings. This will give you an immediate advantage unlike others who are searching for a smallholding who just visit the sites regularly hoping to spot their dream smallholding, because you will be notified instantly when a property is listed.

As well as signing up for updates you can place a ‘Wanted’ ad listing the type of property you are looking for and your requirements and let potential sellers and landlords know a little about yourself and your smallholding experience and plans. This can be an added advantage because often owners of smallholding properties do not advertise their properties and instead do the research themselves to find a potential buyer or tenant. Placing a ‘Wanted’ ad on Greenshifters.co.uk means those smallholding owners or owners of property with land can contact you directly, giving you an even greater chance of securing the smallholding of your dreams and the fact that you have placed a ‘Wanted’ ad shows you are actively looking and are less likely to be a timewaster or ‘daytripper’.

Give yourself the best possible chance of finding your dream smallholding property by placing a ‘Wanted’ ad on Greenshifters.co.uk and/or signing up for regular updates on newly listed properties.

Please click here to visit the site.

Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

Substantial Detached 4 Double Bedroomed Smallholding For Sale in Norfolk

Rural Smallholdings — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:25:22 +0000

Opportunity to purchase a substantial and beautiful 4 double bedroomed family home situated on the outskirts of the village of Marshland St James.

Alder Lodge offers spacious accomodation set in 32 acres of grounds comprising approx 1 acre formal grounds and gardens and a further 31 acres of pasture, apple and plum orchards with wildlife walks and private riding. The numerous trees and orchards surrounding and within the land offer a lifetimes supply of free logs. Perfect for self sufficiency.

This is a registered small holding in receipt of the single payment and is suitable for a wide variety of uses.

Alder Lodge is a fine country residence in good order set in its own 32 acre estate with easy access by road to the A47. 8 Miles from Wisbech, 8 miles from Downham Market ( Direct train to Kings Cross London ). 12 miles from Kings Lynn also with trains direct to Kings Cross London. Short drive to Sandringham estate and the coast.

The village of Marshland St James is 1 mile from Alder Lodge and has a delightful primary school with a school bus to the high school. A Post Office, Public House, farm shop (selling locally grown produce), hardware store, van hire, village hall, Methodist Church, fishing lake, riding school and a number of small cottage industries.

The spacious accommodation includes front hall, kitchen, lounge, drawing room, dining room, rear hall, downstairs cloakroom, pantry/utility room, morning room, downstairs office, utility room, 4 double bedrooms, wc and seperate bathroom.

The property boasts many period and character features including open fires, an inglenook style brick built fire place with heavy bessemer beam over, stable doors to front and rear garden, brick arches and views of open countryside.

From inside the property a lobby with 3 doors leads to the downstairs office, utility room and the garage with loft hatch to 2nd loft area ideal for conversion to seperate living accommodation. Next door to the garage and attached to the building there is also a boiler house which houses the oil fired central heating boiler.

There are two main gated entrances both with white five bar gates. The first as you turn into Rands Drove leads up a long gravelled carriage drive to the front of the property. There is ample parking along the drive for numerous vehicles. This first drive is through the front formal gardens laid to lawn with shrubs and mature trees and features several pieces of antique farm equipment as ornamentation set in gravel beds.

The second main entrance is further along Rands Drove and is also through a five bar gate to the rear aspect of the property opening into a very large gravelled parking area with room for a large number of vehicles with ample turning space.

Off this drive is an attractive penned area bordered with hedging that houses a large dog kennel providing sleeping area for a good number of dogs with the advantage of a big grassed exercise space all of which is fully secured with gates front and rear.

At the end of the gravel parking area a gate leads to another gravel area currently used for sitting in summer months with views across the adjacent field and surrounding land belonging to the property.

Next to the dog enclosure at the far end there is a wood shed with metal roof used to house a tractor and is joined by a small wood barn used for straw storage.

Next to this is a triple stable and tack room. Newly constructed by National Stables comprising three loose boxes and a tack room.

Adjacent is an old portacabin used for storage.

In the middle of the land accessed by a separate gated drive off of School Road are the middle buildings. These comprise of a large concrete outbuilding with metal roof and barn doors. A portacabin toilet block (plumbed in ), a small wash room and two other storage blocks made of concrete. There is also a lorry box container also used as storage.

These buildings are accessed as stated from School Road over a small private bridge and along approx 100 metres of gravel track. This double gated entrance also provides main road access to the two fields and orchards. The first field and part of the orchards also benefit from a licence from the Camping & Caravanning Club and is a certificated site for overnight camping if needed.

The two fields of good flat pasture land total about ten acres in all approx and the rest of the land comprises of walks and rides through the private orchards of apples and plumbs. There are some formal orchard areas of dessert fruits which could be used for commercial growing and also about 1 acre of Victoria Plums which are of commercial advantage.

What was formally Bramley apple orchards of about 15 acres approx has been transformed into wide pathways of country walks ideal for rambling or riding. Perfect for cross country riding and wildlife watching and country pursuits. The whole area is totally private and you are very much within your own world here.

The property easily lends itself to a variety of uses and functions and would ideally suit equestrian or smallholders or commercial. Numerous possibilities. There is a Victoria Plum orchard containing about 1 acre of mature trees producing between 3 and 5 tons per year plus apple orchards of Bramley, Jonagold, Russet, Gala, and Saturn plus a number of other types. It benefits from being licenced by the Caravan & Camping Club for touring caravans and tents. Although this has not been capitalised on by the current owners it could easily be expanded upon as could the equestrian side of things. Numerous possibilities and endless potential. Easy enough to manage and big enough to live within your own world.

The property is being promoted on Greenshifters.co.uk (view full particulars).

Article by Rural Smallholding Magazine

Smallholding Swap Shop

Rural Smallholdings — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:55:14 +0000

Give the recession a run for its money by swapping smallholdings.

Today, Greenshifters.co.uk, the smallholding property portal, has introduced a new category to their website – smallholdings ‘for Swap’.

The people from Greenshifters tell us

“I’m really pleased to announce the launch today of a new property category at Greenshifters.co.uk – ‘for Swap’.

With the declining property market, we have noticed a growing trend at Greenshifters.co.uk. Many enquiries that we receive through the www.Greenshifters.co.uk website are from people offering ‘swaps’ for their smallholdings and other rural properties.

People are really struggling to sell their properties and people are looking for alternative ways to make their respective moves possible. We believe that we can help meet this demand – a kind of Smallholding Swap Shop, if you like.”

It’s completely free to advertise property swaps at Greenshifters.co.uk.

Greenshifters.co.uk specialises in smallholdings for sale, smallholdings for rent, smallholdings wanted, and now, innovatively, for swap! You can subscribe to specific categories to be updated as and when new advertisements are added.

Greenshifters.co.uk is a highly targeted smallholding property portal and receives large volumes of traffic as a result.

We asked Greenshifters what advice they would give to smallholders advertising on their website.

“The best advice we can offer to those with smallholding properties for sale, to rent, or for swap, is to make their advertisements on the website as comprehensive as possible. Potential buyers and renters want to be given loads of information, not forgetting local amenities. Photographs are very important too – they help to complete the smallholding picture!”

Pop over to Greenshifters.co.uk for a sneaky peeky.

Article written by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

ECO-Hamlet in Croatia

Rural Smallholdings — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:49:19 +0000

ECO HAMLET IN CROATIA

With the recent explosion in the press and on TV extolling the virtues of anything to do with living a greener, more co-friendly lifestyle, readers may be interested to hear about a new concept project currently under way in Croatia, Eastern Europe, an Eco-Hamlet.

The brainchild of British couple Keith and Michele Pierce, the idea of the project is to bring together “like minded” people, those interested in owning their own smallholding and living a greener lifestyle, who cannot afford to do so in the UK.

Keith explained;
“The idea first started to come together a couple of years ago when we kept hearing the same comments from many of our clients; that they wanted to get out of the rat race, downsize and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Most had the same dream of living off the land and to become more self sufficient, many wanted to be able to offer their children a genuinely better, healthier and more wholesome upbringing and education. Over time a clear pattern began to emerge.”

Keith and Michele have lived and worked in Croatia for five years now and have their own smallholding in the countryside, as well as running their own real estate business (www.inlandcroatia.com) in the local town helping others to find their ideal property in Croatia.

Michele continued;
“Once we had decided this is what we wanted to do, it quickly became clear that it would be out of our reach financially in the UK, so we started looking abroad. Although at first the thought of moving to another country seemed daunting, that fear soon became a very exciting prospect and just added to the dream.”

Having given up their jobs and sold their house in the UK, they spent the next six months travelling around Europe looking for that “special” place to call home.

“We had already decided to begin our search in Croatia as it was a young and emerging country, soon to join the EU, and property prices were much lower.” said Keith. “Although we loved the look of Tuscany, it was way too expensive for us” he continued “but once we reached Croatia and saw how similar it was, the decision became very easy indeed”

Croatia is situated just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy and is a short
drive from Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Hungary and was once part of the former Yugoslavia. Croatia is the next candidate country to join the EU, likely to be in 2010.

“Like most people doing this sort of thing, we had a limited budget and high expectations.” said Keith “and our checklist of priorities was rather long.”

He continued;
“Croatia has hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline, crystal clear sea and a fabulous Mediterranean climate, but having spent several months looking around, it was just not for us. We wanted four “proper” seasons and a slightly more fertile land than we could find at the coast, lovely for a holiday but not for what we wanted to do.”

One day they were recommended by a friend to look more inland, near to the capital Zabreb, and on their first visit they both agreed they had found their ideal location.

“We drove about two hours inland and it was like a different country all over again, we had found our own “Tuscany in Croatia” said Keith. “Everywhere was green and lush, there were rivers and lakes as well as rolling hills, wide open plains and huge forests. It was just what we had been looking for.”

After a little investigation, they found a selection of properties and one
which clearly stood out from the others, an old farmhouse with several acres of land, some outbuildings and charming views across a valley.

“As soon as we saw this property we both just looked at each other and knew this was it, neither of us had to say a word.” said Michele “by now we had been away from the UK for three months, living in a caravan and wondering if we had done the right thing, but when we found this place, we knew we had.”

She continued;
“We had much the same idea as many people, to completely change our “plastic” suburban lives and to live a healthier, greener lifestyle. We were “townies” and knew nothing about running a smallholding, caring for chickens, ducks and geese, let alone growing our own vegetables, we have just learned as we have gone along.”

When asked about the reality of living the dream she replied;
“When we first drove into our small village, caravan in tow, the locals had obviously heard that we were arriving and some had come out to meet us. Within half an hour, we had met several of our neighbours and been given gifts of fresh bread, eggs, chicken and a cake, it was quite unbelievable and very humbling experience. Over the next few days, we got to meet many more of them and they were all so friendly. Looking back, they have all been so helpful and supportive of us, they are such nice, welcoming people, even to complete strangers.”

So when asked what the idea of an “eco-Hamlet” was all about? Keith replied;
“Now that we help find properties for others, it is on many people’s minds just how scary relocating to another country can be. Having other like minded Brits around that have all gone through the same thought process, is something that many of our friends keep saying was a major advantage when making the jump. It takes away some of the fear of actually doing it.”

Having other ex pats around to help out from time to time is one thing, but some people are looking for more of a community spirit Keith explained;
“It has become very clear to us just how many people there are, thinking about this way of life and who would do this if they had others in the same boat as immediate neighbours, not 10 or 20 miles away. Many people ask us if we know anyone who is a carpenter, bricklayer, electrician, plumber and so forth and of course we do, but getting in professional labour, while very cheap here, can still be still be a drain on limited resources when you are renovating an old farmhouse and have a lot of work to do.”

And so the idea started to develop; “We started thinking that if we could find several properties, ideally quite close to each other, we could introduce some of these people to each other, bringing together like minded people who could all muck in and help each other out, a sort of small community.” said Keith “It has taken us quite a while, but we have now found a lovely little hamlet where there are four farmhouse properties for sale. Each property is completely separate, with its own land, farmhouse, barn and outbuildings and there is plenty of space between them, after all us Brits do like our privacy.”

So who would form this ideal group? We asked;
“I have absolutely no idea at this stage, it is an open book just waiting to be written.” said Keith “Back in the UK I project managed several co-op style housing developments and worked with many individual self builders and experience tells me that there is no set criteria that someone would have to conform. Obviously someone with building experience or DIY skills would be very useful, but equally, so would someone who knows how to grow vegetables or prune an orchard. No one knows everything when they start, you just learn as you go along, so anyone is welcome to contact us if they are interested in getting involved.”

How do you see this eco-hamlet working? We asked;
“Again there is no set plan at this early stage, until we see who is interested and what skills are available to the group. Assuming that we find an interesting mix of people, it will probably be that everyone helps out and mucks in with the initial building work, each person providing their individual as appropriate, followed by learning together how to set up and run a smallholding. Combined effort projects such as these can be very rewarding and some lifelong friendships can be formed”

It sounds idyllic, but how much would all this cost?
“The four properties we have in mind for this project are all of different
sizes and in varying conditions and are priced at €15’000, €20’000, €30’000 and €50’000 each. Perhaps a deal could even be done for all four if someone wanted the whole lot in one go. With a group coming together to do most of the renovation work, costs for labour would be minimal and much of the building materials are already there. Using reclaimed building materials and sustainable building practices are my specialist area” said Keith ”and of course Michele and I would be there to hold everyone’s hand from start to finish”

So what’s next?
“Well now that we have the ideal properties available, we are contacting the media and we shall see what sort of response we get and who is interested. We have a lot of people to contact ourselves and over the next few months we expect to hear from quite a few more once the word starts to get around. Anyone interested in receiving more information about the project can visit our website and send us an email and we can go from there.”

So if you are one of the many people thinking about changing your lifestyle and the sound of relocating to Croatia appeals to you, visit Keith and Michele’s website (www.inlandcroatia.com) you might just find your dream is easier, cheaper and closer to becoming a reality than you think.

www.inlandcroatia.com

Equestrian properties with land from BigBlackHen.com

Rural Smallholdings — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:09:36 +0000

EQUESTRIAN AND SMALLHOLDING OPPORTUNITIES ON THE EDGE OF EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

BigBlackHen.com have recently been instructed to sell a number of equestrian properties with land on the fringes of the Exmoor National Park.

The first is Pleasant View, a detached three bedroom bungalow in an elevated position above the village of Brompton Ralph on the Brendons and a few hundred yards from the Park. It has the most glorious views from the house and land looking right across to the Blackdowns, Quantocks and even as far as Glastonbury Tor. It has nearly seven acres of pasture and outbuildings including stabling, is very secluded and quiet, and is on the market for £500,000.

Pleasant View on the market for £500,000

The next property is Lands Farm in Yeo Mill, near East Anstey and about half a mile from the southern border of Exmoor. This is a charming period cottage with two/three bedrooms, around seven acres of land and excellent stabling. The property has been used to run a successful equestrian business training National Hunt horses and is on the market for £495,000.

Lands Farm on the market for £495,000

The final property is Ash Park Farm, again in a rural setting around two miles from the south western border of the National Park. It is a three bedroom semi-detached Edwardian cottage with ten acres, stabling and two ponds and is a registered smallholding. It has superb views and is on the market for £325,000 with an option to buy an extra 20 acres of pasture with some 3 acres of woodland if so required.

Ash Park Farm on the market for £325,000 + Options

To see more details of these equestrian properties and many more rural and character homes that we have on the market please call Nigel and Becky on 01643-831144.

More equestrian properties and smallholdings for sale, to rent, and wanted can be found at the dedicated smallholding property shop, Greenshifters.co.uk

A Smallholding in Croatia for €15,000 Euros

Rural Smallholdings — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:40:33 +0000

If you are considering buying a smallholding and have been disappointed by the lack of available properties and high prices in the UK, you might want to consider looking further afield to realise your dream.

Croatia may sound a very long way away, but in reality is only 2 hours by plane or a good day’s drive, making it a very attractive option. Once there you will find a wide range of farms and smallholdings for sale at very reasonable prices, some starting at less than €15,000 Euros which includes a farmhouse, outbuildings, large barn and three acres of land!

Due to join the EU by 2012, Croatia was once part of the former Yugoslavia and is now a modern, vibrant Country where English is widely spoken and running a smallholding is still the normal way of life for around half the population.

Starting your own smallholding may seem to be a huge a step in the UK, and doing it in another Country might appear to be even more daunting, but fear not many others have already gone before you.

Keith Pierce, owner of real estate company “inlandcroatia.com” explains;
“When Michele and I arrived five years ago, we were the first Brits to come and live in this part of the Country, now there are quite a few of us and many who are aiming to become self sufficient by running their own smallholdings”

He continued;
“We knew very little about this way of life, but with help from our Croatian friends and neighbours, we now have a farm with eight acres and are really starting to get to grips with life in the country”

When we asked why he and his wife chose Croatia he replied;
“Having chosen to re direct our lives we found that we simply could not afford to do it in the UK. Other parts of Europe were already very expensive, so we decided to look towards Eastern Europe where prices were much more reasonable. When we arrived and found this beautiful countryside with such a wonderful and friendly people, we didn’t need much convincing.”

The countryside regions of central Croatia are just that, beautiful. Ranging from rolling hills to fertile plains with winding rivers and lakes, there is a wide choice of properties and land to choose from.

Keith continued;
“Now that there are a few of us here life is a lot easier. We all muck in and share a good deal of the hard work between us, each bringing their own experiences and skills to help out with whatever needs doing.”

And in these difficult economic times more and more people are looking towards a smallholding or farm for the future.

Keith said;
“We now run our own real estate company, helping people who are considering this lifestyle to find the right property here in Croatia. Since the start of 2008 the level of enquiries for farm type properties has doubled compared to the previous year as more and more people seem to be looking to get out of the UK and want to try a smallholding. As Croatia is not in the EU yet, probably not until 2011 or 2012, prices here are still very cheap any you do get a lot for your money.”

So if you are looking for that something different, an inexpensive smallholding in a not too far away place, Croatia may be just what you are looking for, and being just 2 hours away by plane your family and friends can easily pop over for a visit, preferably around harvest time.

For more information visit www.inlandcroatia.com or call them on 00 385 12727 911

Greenshifters.co.uk for Smallholdings & Equestrian Properties

Rural Smallholdings — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:34:55 +0000

SEARCHING FOR A SMALLHOLDING? HAVE A SMALLHOLDING FOR SALE OR TO RENT? GREENSHIFTERS IS A DEDICATED SMALLHOLDING PROPERTY SHOP

Greenshifters.co.uk was launched on 23 November 2008 and is a property portal for smallholdings for sale, smallholdings for rent, and smallholdings wanted, throughout the UK, Europe and anywhere else, come to that!

Additionally, the site caters for development opportunities and land sales / rentals.

Don’t be deceived and think that just because Greenshifters.co.uk is a new site that it doesn’t receive any traffic. It does! Greenshifters already receives quality and relevant visitors from ourselves here at Rural Smallholdings Magazine, www.Villageways.co.uk and www.Smallholders-Forums.co.uk, as well as steadily creeping up the search engines.

Greenshifters for:

Smallholding for Sale
Smallholding for Rent
Smallholding Wanted

A dedicated smallholding property portal.

The interface at Greenshifters.co.uk results in a simple, user-friendly website. There are four main categories:

Smallholdings for Sale
Smallholdings for Rent
Smallholdings Wanted
Help!

Within each category, you have the option to subscribe to receive notifications by e-mail of when new listings are added to that category. If you prefer you can subscribe to the RSS feeds, either by category, or for ALL new listings on the site.

Smallholdings Wanted Category

There are already subscribers to this category, which means they either have a smallholding for sale, or a smallholding for rent, and they are keeping a watch on new listings to contact! So if you’re looking for a smallholding yourself, then why not add your details to the site. Not only will your ad be visible to visitors to the site, but the subscribers will receive a notification too!

The success of all these sites are assisted by other associated websites linking to them. If you have a website then please do consider placing a simple text link on your website to one or all of the following:

Take a visit now to Greenshifters.co.uk

Smallholding with Lake for Sale

Rural Smallholdings — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:33:14 +0000

UNIQUE PROPERTY WITH EXCELLENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES!

Fancy getting your rod out at the edge of this beautiful lake? This smallholding for sale comes with a gorgeous 2 acre fishing lake.

If you want to run a manageable smallholding with income potential, then this rural property could be just what you are looking for. The smallholding is located in Yorkshire and comprises, in brief:

1.5 acres of land
2 acres of Fishing lake
Stables and Paddocks
Fruit gardens,veg patch and orchard
Offers in the region of three hundred and fifty thousand (£350,000).

The property is being advertised at Greenshifters.co.uk.

View the full property details here.