Few of my colleagues were today discussing whether it would be a good idea to invest in land and then build on it or use it for other purposes such as agriculture and farming, storage or simply long-term investment. Until today, i've never even thought about it, but now would like to know more about various possibilities. It would be great if we could discuss this topic here!

There are companies that specialise in selling plots of land. Few years ago friends of mine was offered to by a really cheap plot of land in Oxfordshire. They were very excited about builing their own house in a picturesque area and were sent a very glossy leaflet with beautiful pictures and even more attractive prices. When we looked into it, it turned out that there was no planning permission and the land itself was part of green belt. Of course, it could be that in the future, government may give in and allow certain parts of green belt to be built on, but, to me, this type of investment if far too long-term.

Perhaps, it's better to undertake your own research or even approach a financial advisor (i found that often they have a pretty good idea about good opportunities to invest in land). And as Tenant39 mentioned, when you think about investing in land, you could be a bit more creative. Land you buy does not have to be built on, but used for recreational purposes. For example, paragliders need space to fulfil their dreams, so as motocyclists or rally drivers. Why not?

Mark Twain once said 'buy land, they're not making it anymore'. Should we not follow this wise man's advice? Land, in my view, is a very versatile asset and, surely, if invested in wisely, will bring some yield.

Could not agree with you more! i believe there are some tax advantages for those investing in land too!

This post has been edited by barrydavis: 25.4.2009, 17:29

Whatever you do with it will be great I'm sure. Look at the area where you want to purchase the land and see what's there and figure out what the need is then and go from there.

Think if everythings done properly, investing in land could be a pretty smart move, especially if you have some readies and prepared to wait for the right moment. Believe in UK the majority of land is owned by a very tiny minority, this inevitably drives the price up. My view is, if you have an opportunity to buy some land, go for it!

The most important things in buying land are Location. It is the mantra of real estate investing. Real Estate appreciates much better in an area where there will be growth in housing and business.

I know someone who purchased a bungalow with 20 acres of land about 2 years ago. It is basically a farm land. They did get a planning permission to rebuild the house, which they successfully did, but for a time being they can’t build anything else as it is in a green belt area. They have six children and hope that when they will grow up, this land will be out of green belt and they will be able to build more houses for their children or give them a plot each, however, at the minute it is not possible. I think in their case it work fine as they are not looking for an immediate profit, they are not that much bothered if twenty years down the line they will not be able to build either. They rent it to a farmer and they are quite happy with the arrangements, but if you are buying land for profit, you have to make sure that something will come out of it.

So the land prices are going up at the moment. Whats the likelihood of the land bubble be replacing the property bubble?

Hmm... that's an interesting view, tellmore..., but i'm not entirely convinced. Still think that buying land is a good investment as it is such a versatile product.

and if its true that land prices have not reached its peak yet, it could also be a good short term investment, no?

i think land is a good investment and at present its still possible to find a bargain.

reading the above comments, its interesting that everyone so far thinks investing in land is worth it. as much as i like variety of opinions, i have to agree on this one. In uk, in particular, with the growing population, land could be a very valuable asset in the future.

This post has been edited by HenryXIX: 15.8.2009, 16:49

It does not have to be land in uk, does it? Its probably worth checking other possibilities where returns may be quicker: agricultural,tourism, housing, etc

Most commercially viable land is snapped up very quickly, generally for Joe Blogs like yourself talking about about agriculture and farming etc probably won't work, no offence but there would be too much work involved for you on top of day jobs as well, even just keeping some chickens, chopping wood for a fire and keeping a small poly tunnel is like a fulltime job in itself so I reckon going for a small local plot that you could maybe get a local builder in to heklp you build a few flats or a small house on would be the best bet to start but even that will take time, red tape regs and lots of patience.
Renting some land is a really good way of getting an idea if the 'working the land bit' is for you as it can be a blinding wake up call when the house on the prairie ideas suddenly don't turn to reality and sustainable cashflow becomes non existent so you can easily find yourself out of pocket, very frustrated and a very big ego battering.

A friend pointed me towards an article the other day about some guy who bought woodland on the side of a hill so he could live on it in Wales as commercial land is just too expensive, the site is called Prime acres I think and he has advertised his smallholding on it, again even that is very hard work and he has been in the trade for a good few years. Lots to consider. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Yeah, agree there is lots to consider and it's not very likely to be one of 'get rich quick' things, but still believe that when deciding to invest in land, you can be more creative in what you gonna do with it. It does not have to be anything to do with farming or building.

Investors who use their wealth to pursue agriculture as a hobby - bought more arable and grazing land than career farmers last year. Many property investors are therefore questioning whether they should trade in buy-to-let and commercial properties for agricultural land instead. Many property investors are therefore questioning whether they should trade in buy-to-let and commercial properties for agricultural land instead. I think an acknowledgement that it pays to have a mix of different types of property within your portfolio.”



compensation claims

This post has been edited by jonymahnty: 14.12.2009, 12:51