I'm purchasing a new home this month. 1,800 square feet, in the suburbs (finally getting away from the city!). Only $55,000.
It's our dream home... but the yard is still small, like my current one. Maybe even a little smaller.
I'm thinking of buying some vacant land. There's some empty land, 2.9 acres, about half a mile from my new house. It's $12,000, but I think I could get it for $10,000. It's treeless, so I wouldn't need to have it cleared. I'd love to buy this land to make a big garden on... maybe even a community garden!
Does anyone garden away from home? Is there anything I should worry about? I know I would need to get water run to it, and check with the town to see if they would allow me to do this (perhaps because the area is not rated "agricultural").
Hubby is NOT excited about this idea. He says he doesn't want us to be spending $10,000 extra right now with the house expenses. We are buying this new house with no mortgage, straight cash. But, if I got a mortgage for the land, on my own, the monthly payment would be $100 for 10 years.
Any thoughts?
buying land???
I have gardened in community gardens very successfully. I don't see any reason your lot wouldn't work for a garden. Of course you won't be able to run outside and pick a tomato for dinner, but it is not a killer to have to go down the road a half a mile for the tomato.
The only thing I would worry about is whether people would steal your produce or not. It all depends on the kind of people who live in your area. I never had a problem except for one year someone stole a pumpkin. You might want to buy one of those little sheds to keep tools in. Tools do have a tendency to walk off. Keep it locked.
And then if later you discover gardening there is no fun, you can always sell the land. I have find that land holds its value well unless someone builds a huge pig farm next door. That probably won't happen in a residential area. Land often goes up in value faster than money in a savings account. As long as you aren't likely to need to sell the land in a hurry -- it sometimes takes a while -- I would consider your garden a land investment. Would that appeal to your husband? Maybe someday the two of you could sell your current house and build a new one on the land still leaving a lot of room for a garden.
Of course, I have to admit that I love land.
I think it sounds really exciting if your DH can agree with it. What type of veggies would your dream garden have there?
hubby just draped himself over my lap whining about the downsides of purchasing this land
-city might tell me it's not allowed, that the land might have to be rated agricultural
-would have to fence off the entire area
-would have to get water run to it
-would have to buy insurance on it
-we just bought the house, and the house needs a little work
I'm going to wait a little and stare at the land some more. It doesn't seem like it would sell very easy, it's not a "hot" area, so I'm keeping my eye on it.
I would plant LOTS of lettuce, broccoli, beets, watermelons, tomatoes, turnips, dandelion greens, parsley, herbs of all kinds, carrots, soft fruits like blueberries and raspberries, some cherry, apple, and nectarine trees...and so on. I have three rabbits, and they devour TONS of greens. My dream is to actually have a stand in a local farmers market someday, and maybe have a community garden.
Although, I do have a full time job ;-). Last year I had a "small" garden - two 4 foot square beds, 12 hills of melons, two tomato plants in the ground, and DOZENS of pots all over the yard with soft fruits, herbs, and tomatos. The garden asked VERY little time of me last year... 20 minutes a day or less. Very low maintenance. I loved the square foot gardening method.
If the land gets rated as Agricultural, you would get a fortune
from the government for NOT growing certain crops. :o)
Also, if you dig a pond and set aside about l/2 acre as a bird
sanctuary or some such thing, there are tax breaks for that too.
Can't remember where I read about it - maybe Countryside Farm
Journal ? Why don't you check the Farm forum here at DG and ask?
Hubby might get all excited about it. :o) Good luck.
I think your husband's right to think of the cons before proceeding. Water and zoning are huge points: if those two end up working out, it could be a great thing. The best book I've seen about land (for gardening/farming) may not apply to your situation specifically, but it's called "Finding and Buying Your Place in the Country." Made me think about a lot of details I'd not considered before.
Congratulations on your new home!
I agree with Zeppy that zoning and water are huge points, but I encourage you to go for a nice place to garden. I spent my whole life being barely able to garden or not at all because of small yards, dogs, too many trees, etc. etc. When I finally got a community garden with really terrible soil, I was so excited and found it very fulfilling. At my current home, I was able to buy the vacant lot behind my house -- 1/4 acre which was way more than I needed for a garden. I moved the operation back home and am gardening in my vacant lot. My dogs stay in the yard of my house and out the back gate garden. It is wonderfully satisfying. But you do have to check on zoning and water.
To bring in water might cost a bit and the insurance is probably a good idea but with no structure, I wouldn't think it would cost much. In fact, your liability might be covered on your home owner's policy for your house.
My garden is not fenced at all. I do have a little trouble with deer and a rabbit, but not enough to bother with a fence. I use moveable square wire tomato cages around my lettuce and carrots etc. when the deer are passing through and that keeps them out. The rabbit doesn't eat much but a wire tomato cage keeps it out of most of my veggies. You can buy roles of plastic fencing at lumber yards and metal fence poles at a feed store if you decide you must have a fence.
The important thing is to have a little more of a garden if that is something you really want. If you can't do it by buying this plot of land, then see if you can get someone with land to let you garden it if you share the veggies with them, or some such arrangement. I think it is very important for you and for your marriage that you get to do the things you feel passionate about. I assure you I am more fun now that I have a garden. Now when my husband works late, I work late in the garden and never gripe.
1800 hundred square food where i live goes for about 250,000 i would think long and hard about getting the extra land right now.
Only heebiejeebie can know the situation where she is, but my vacant lot has appreciated in value and if I were to sell it would be worth substantially more than I paid for it, but I am not about to sell it, though people call me and try to buy it from time to time. I might add that I paid far more than $12,000 for it and it is only 1/4 acre. Normally a couple of acres is a good investment.
I know a lady here in New Mexico who wanted to start a native plant nursery. She didn't have the money so she bought land, served as contractor in building four houses, sold them at a profit and now owns Native Plants of the Southwest which she was able to build with the profits on her house building.
I don't know heebiejeebie's situation, but I say, when there is a will there is a way. Of course, hubby will first have to be convinced to compromise and heebiejeebie might have to give in on a few points too.
It certainly sounds like a deal.
Couple of suggestions -
- see how long the property has been on the market. If it has been listed for a while you have 2 advantages: 1) you can likely bargain down the price more and 2) you probably have some time to make sure you are really positive you want it.
- possible compromise with your hubby: can you add an extra amount to the mortgage for the land to cover the expenses to fix up the house? And extra $5k on a 10 year mortgage would not cost you nearly the amount of interest that it would in a 30 yr mortgage and yet shouldn't raise your monthly cost TOO much - and maybe the difference in the monthly could be paid out of your joint funds.
- I agree with researching codes beforehand. It would really stink to have the land and the mortgage, but not be able to do what you want to with it!
- Make sure you have both the time & the commitment to garden like this. True, it's not very far away, but there is still a BIG difference between running outside to pull a few weeds while you wait for a delivery/repair person to show up and having to SCHEDULE time to walk 10 minutes (or bike in 5 minutes, even) down the road to do the weeding. A garden like this that's NOT on your house's yard means extra time & effort to take care of it, regardless of how close it is.
As for your hubby's other 'cons', the city will have to answer the first. The fence is probably optional - depending on the area & the people. Water is probably pretty easy - there might even be a meter there that's just not connected to anything - if not, it's no big deal to have one put in. Insurance I'll give him, since in today's world you'll have to have some personal liability insurance on it - especially if you're not going to be there to shoo trespassers away who may then sue you because they tripped over their own shoelace on what happened to be your property.
On the 'pro' side - wouldn't offering a spot for a community garden be a GREAT way to meet all of your new neighbors!
thanks for your input everyone!
I went and saw the land today
It CAN'T be 2.9 acres...
I did the math, and the real estate agent must have put down 2.9 instead of .29!
I'm still keeping my eye on it though. I'm going to settle into my new house, work on adapting my new garden, and go from there. Maybe I could even rent the land for a year and see how I like it.
In similar news, the house I'm buying turns out to have a "pre-existing" garden... a perennial garden! The owner misses her garden alot (older woman moved to a smaller home), and actually told her realtor she wished someone would maintain that garden.
I'm torn... I want to respect this woman's garden, but I also want to rip the whole thing up and make it my own. I think I'll stay away from the planted sections for the first season and instead work on ripping up the lawn to make vegetable beds. I'll watch what grows the first year and make any changes the next year. Maybe I can even pot up some of her plants and bring them to her.
Sounds like you learned something very important about that piece of land! The price did seem quite low. Ask the owner if she would be willing to put in the water and let you garden it and share veggies with her ( him). If the owner puts in the water, it will improve the value of the property and you won't need to worry about the insurance!
and/or
Put in a veggie garden in your own new yard. Much as the former owner might want some one to keep up her old perennial garden, it is your garden now and you can and should do as you wish. Still, it is a good idea not to rip it up the first year. It might be really beautiful and the former owner will no doubt give you lots of info about it. After a year, you will know what you like best.
It is still my opinion that you must have your vegetable garden because you want it so much. Eventually, you will figure out the best way to get it. Now you have two options!
must............have.............veggie garden
(foams at mouth)
I'm sure you can manage something lovely with raised beds and trellises to save space. It sounds like you know how to get a great garden out of little space, from the sound of your last one. Good luck!