• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Best way to search for/find land for a Permaculture Site

 
Posts: 1
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi everybody,

I'm looking to buy some land to develop into a Permaculture demonstration site. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips about how to go about Searching for such land. I have an idea of what I want in mind, but I feel like searching the classic online land sale sites are probably over-priced and limited in the options available.

If anyone has been on the hunt for some land and were successful finding it, the story of how they did would be helpful too. Another limitation I have is that I'd have to get a lead before going to see the land in person, as I'm currently living in London with no undeveloped accessible land around me for miles.

I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.

Best wishes,

Chris
 
steward
Posts: 16058
Location: USDA Zone 8a
4272
dog hunting food preservation cooking bee greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
My suggestion would be to look at the area you want to make the purchase and find a local realtor to help you with the search.

Talk to people you know in the area for recommendations for realtors they have used.

If you don't know anyone in the area, then I would maybe start with the franchise realtors first and then look at the independent ones.

Talked to maybe 5 or 6 to see who might work the hardest at finding something that you want.
 
Posts: 2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi Chris,

Another Chris here!
I’m currently in the hunt also, my plan so far has been to sell my home in Bristol (midway through), and relocate to an area that I know land is more readily available. From here I’ll frequent the local pubs etc, and farms, hoping to befriend the locals and find what I’m looking for!

Reading books, and talking to others, this seems to be the best bet.

I’m off to north Devon myself, although there are still other areas around the country you could look ofcourse.

Good luck,
Chris
 
steward and tree herder
Posts: 8397
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year
3976
4
transportation dog forest garden foraging trees books food preservation woodworking wood heat rocket stoves ungarbage
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Welcome to Permies both Chris's!
How to go about this will depend on the size of land you are looking for and whether you intend to live there. The larger the piece of land the lower the price per acre - small plots have a tendency to go as overpriced horse paddocks in many areas, add a house, or a building plot, and add at least one nought on the end. We moved to the edge of the country to find a house we could afford with land, (found it on an estate agent website) but cheap land tendS to be cheap for a reason, and comes with hidden costs.
Christian's suggestion of living in the area you want to move to is a good one. It can be a bit difficult if your job is not portable, but many people do work from home, and it can be interesting how little money you need to live on (there are quite a few threads on that subject on Permies!). Being in the area means you are more likely to find out about underused land, and owners who may be amenable to offers for a corner of a field. Also you will hear about problems like flooding, former filling stations, bad neighbours etc. so can potentially avoid some pitfalls. Wales has some interesting planning laws which might make opportunites for you if you can achieve a 'one planet' lifestyle.
A permaculture demonstration site doesn't have to involve a lot of land either - think of Michael and Julia Guerra's 75 sq m plot (review here). Permaculture as a design method can apply to any scale of project, although if you intend to have people visit, you will need somewhere for them to sit!
You both obviously have an idea of what you want and I wish you well in your endeavours.
 
There are 29 Knuts in one Sickle, and 17 Sickles make up a Galleon. 42 tiny ads in a knut:
12 DVDs bundle
https://permies.com/wiki/269050/DVDs-bundle
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic