What will happen to all the old farm houses?

Muckit

This is something I've often pondered. Most young couples taking over the farm, build a new house on the farm, their parents continuing to live in their own house, usually in or adjacent to the farmyard. I suppose building methods have moved on, and young couples now want a modern well insulated house. Nothing wrong with that.

People are living longer with every generation that passes and many have their physical and mental health that allows them live very active and independent lives well into their 70's.

But what will happen to these houses when the parent(s) eventually pass on? The couple that are farming the land have their own new house, and also their siblings will have presumably moved away and built their own houses. It may not be easy rent these houses out with them being situated on a farm. And not everyone would want 'strangers' living literally on the farm.

I know this is a very personal and delicate subject, but I'd love to hear what people's experiences are on this matter and how they have dealt or plan to deal with this situation.

bbam

Many are already empty. And with time will be deralict. Can see it happening already.

blue5000

Built a bungalow about 2 minutes walk away from the yard, beside the main road, was intending to sell the bungalow and move into the farmyard when the old pair move out. But now I'm not so sure, OH says no way will she move to the yard. Also the value of the bungalow is down a good bit.

Scortho

Uncle built a a new house across from the old farm house. Since then grandparents have long passed away and the house has fallen into disrepair.
It will probably be knocked in the future which in a way is a shame but what else is there to do with it.
You can't exactly rent out the house to a family with children as they'd essentially be living on a working farm and the risks that go with that.

Figerty

Part of the changing landscape of Ireland. It's like the round haysheds are an image of Ireland from the 60's to early 80's. Slatted sheds late 80's to 00's

If you have a look at the OSI website and look at how many houses have disappeared since the famine. It's fairly eerie to see the dissappeared mud walled houses and small parcels of land that were supposed to sustain a family.

Thing is the opposite happened in the past 20 years, I saw houses built in the boom that were was too large. In one case five times the size needed. That families children have all left and the parents are alone in this massive house with no one to share the three floors.. Crazy stuff.
Modern insulation and standards are great but the old houses have something more to offer.

Muckit

Yes you are right bbam. Can see it around here as well. It just seems an awful waste.

I know my father would have built a new house (in the 70's) and he burst out the gable of the cottage that he was born in and turned it into a hayshed!!

But am I going to do the same with the house he has built? Unlikely.
There are a lot of people my own generation on here who's parents would have built houses in the 70's. They are good houses, many with cavity walls, lacking maybe in insulation, but easily retrofitted. They are still very usable and as such, valuable.

moy83

The farmhouse might skip a generation and end up getting lived in by the grand child thats intending to take over the farm eventually .
Or when it goes empty maybe the person that has built their own house would rent it out and do up the farm house to live in it themselves (they can be made energy efficient )

The parents swapped their house for the farm house the grandparents were living in when the grandfathers heart wasnt fit for going up the stairs .
I dont know what will happen down the line , maybe I will move in or maybe my brother but it wont be left empty anyhow I'd say

Muckit

I'm looking to build in the next year or so (all going well), but I can't imagine putting all the effort intobuilding it, just to leave it down the line and move into the house I grew up in and have to start into modernising that!

moy83

Muckit wrote: »

I'm looking to build in the next year or so (all going well), but I can't imagine putting all the effort intobuilding it, just to leave it down the line and move into the house I grew up in and have to start into modernising that!

Throw a seperate extension onto the home house . Sure a young recently married man like yourself should'nt have time yet for sitting rooms and or anything fancy . Then when the home house is getting empty and you have more leisure time you can start converting the rooms into sitting rooms , study for the kids . And I can tell you now your wife will love this idea

lakill Farm

I know of one turned into an office and the farm yard been used as distribution hub (a few lorries per week)

I know 1 0r 2 turned into rental accomadation for lads fishing etc

and I know a lot turned into shed

depends on location, location on farmyard etc etc. and most down to the farmer and what his drive level is

Muckit

moy83 wrote: »

And I can tell you now your wife will love this idea

I think you can see where I'm coming from!!

moy83

Muckit wrote: »

I think you can see where I'm coming from!!

A cup of tea is about all my wife will share with the mother , not to mind a house
A house down the road from us is shared by the parents and son and wife . The father and son dont talk for the last few years , I got a nice bit of work when they went dividing it up , two sitting rooms , two hallways ,front doors and two cheques at the end

Sam Kade

Down my way there are couples that couldn't afford a house coming back to the parents acre and putting up a cabin like this


€17k for cabin plumbing electrical extra, no property tax

mf240

I suppose if they were in good nick you could move into them when your own son or daughter is getting married or starting to farm full time.

Would be sad to knock the house you were reared in, but people do.

sea12

moy83 wrote: »

A cup of tea is about all my wife will share with the mother , not to mind a house
A house down the road from us is shared by the parents and son and wife . The father and son dont talk for the last few years , I got a nice bit of work when they went dividing it up , two sitting rooms , two hallways ,front doors and two cheques at the end

Interesting thread.
Just going through this at home at present. The farm house is in the middle of the farm. Father always wanted me to move into it when ever they pass away. Had bought a house in the nearby town. Hated living there. Found it hard to farm not being there.

Just going through the procedure of getting the farm signed over at the moment. Father agreed it was better if I was living on the farm. AS I was saying to him it wasn't fair on my wife of kids growing in a house which was never going to be their home and having to move in years to come plus the fact they are both in good health.

So it's being on my mind too what happens to the home place in years to come. Would try keep both going as it doesn't take long until the next generation is in the same boat.

jersey101

We have two old stone buildings here. One is at the house and other in the yard. I plan on living in to one in the yard in the future, theres a field at the back so ill prob build on and make a nice dormer bungalow out of it. This stone house is well over 100+yrs old and still in perfect condition, walls as straight as a die after all this tie. The home house is a massive Georgian house with a hape of rooms and i dont fancy living in that. My sister likes old houses so she might take that on.

stanflt

Muckit wrote: »

This is something I've often pondered. Most young couples taking over the farm, build a new house on the farm, their parents continuing to live in their own house, usually in or adjacent to the farmyard. I suppose building methods have moved on, and young couples now want a modern well insulated house. Nothing wrong with that.

People are living longer with every generation that passes and many have their physical and mental health that allows them live very active and independent lives well into their 70's.

But what will happen to these houses when the parent(s) eventually pass on? The couple that are farming the land have their own new house, and also their siblings will have presumably moved away and built their own houses. It may not be easy rent these houses out with them being situated on a farm. And not everyone would want 'strangers' living literally on the farm.

I know this is a very personal and delicate subject, but I'd love to hear what people's experiences are on this matter and how they have dealt or plan to deal with this situation.

Personally I'd use it for students

Muckit

stanflt wrote: »

Personally I'd use it for students

so they can stay on farm and learn from the master

Muckit

sea12 wrote: »

Interesting thread.

Yes I thought it would be. I don't think it's been covered before and it's something that we all, big and small, full time and part time, have to deal with.

handlemaster

These old houses can be converted into beautiful houses they have to be gutted but still costs a lot less than a brand new house but imeddiately feel like a home

Milked out

Good thread, I guess the main problem is the proximity to the yard in most cases, While being able to hear a cow calving in the middle of the night is handy for some of us anyone not working on the farm may not appreciate it so much...

hugo29

It's a shame all these old houses are left idle, some fantastic old farmhouses out there,

the_syco

My grandfather lives in a bungalow type house built up the road from the yard.

His parents house is used to house the cows and chickens (and always was as far back as I can remember), and is directly off the yard. Depending on where the house is, maybe consider knocking a wall out, and using it as a shed for your animals?

nhg

Just after renovating ours, new slates, kingspan insulation board between the rafters, the old roof timbers were perfect only an odd one needed to be strengthened, not a bit of dampness thank god, put the insulated slab to the interior of the external walls & standard slab to internal walls & ceilings, added a few extra sockets, totally new house now, better than our own house, will move in at some stage but currently a relative after moving in, it's nice for them to have us around the yard and know that there will be someone calling everyday as they have moved from another area. The house is over 170 yrs old & hopefully now good for another 100+yrs.

We have another older house in the yard & when funds allow will renovate that also to maybe an apartment, ideal for when guests visit, or maybe attach it to existing house... Dreams for now anyhow...

Cedrus

A friends farm is a history tale in one yard. His great grandparents tiny 'cabin' became his Mothers henhouse, I can't see how they reared a family there, there are bigger caravans on the road these days.
Across the yard is his grandparents three room cottage, technically it now belongs to his sister in australia, but it's set to crumble into the sod before she does anything with it.
His Father built a cavity block bungalow with single glazing at the top of the yard in the early sixties (and curses the price of oil), they're still living there with the grace of god.
My friend built a timber framed three storey, up the lane into the yard, the heating costs and level of comfort are in inverse proportion to the construction costs of the generations before him.

The fact that all of these houses are still up is testament to the building skills of amateur builders (all were built by the men when they were marrying) but the older ones were not built so well as to deserve the effort to restore them except for sentimental reasons.

My own Great Grandfather built a sod house which is long gone, my Grandfather moved into town and the house he eventually bought won't be back in the family until one of us wins the lottery.

bob charles

They are ideal for trunking under new yards and sheds:). Dead man no good unfortunately is reality, the world moves on.

keep going

When we got married we built a new house for mother nearby as we felt that it made more sense for us to live neare the yard, a smaller house was suitable for her and as life moves on it would be easier to let a new house than an old one.we had seen too many cases where the house fell to wreck when nobody is living there so we live there and have tidied it up bit by bit.

elperello

Some food for thought here -

http://en.gites-de-france.com/holiday-rentals-On-the-farm.html

It is possible to have a side-line producing a useful extra income. Not suitable for all but worth considering.

Figerty

I have been in Normandy, which isn't too far of the land found in Ireland. The amount of young people left around is very few. Lots of houses sold to foreigners of left vacant isn't funny.

It's hard to see how they can sustain a viable rural society the way things are going.

cavandown

There was at one time a 'first time builder' grant (maybe still available?) This should have been increased and given to people willing to renovate old or derelict houses. Many of these older houses have far more character than the new bungalow or house a lot of these newer buildings look totally out of place.
Completely did up old home house a few years ago. Before starting, several people told me to knock old house and build new bungalow. Now that old house done up the same people say how much better the house looks than a new one would. Where practical and feasible and within reason we should try and protect our heritage which newer technologies allow us to do.

awaywithyou

i have been thinking bout this over the last while.... a few lads my age have houses built over the past year or two and the first question that i felt like asking them is what are they going to do with the parents house which in the majority of cases in is top condition.....

friend of mine has just built a house beside his parents home... across the road from where he built... a single woman is selling her house and an acre with it.... why my mate didnt buy it ill never know as she is an absolute pain as a neighbour!

myself and the missus will be buying a house a couple of miles from the farm.... and move to the farmhouse which is in excellent condition when the time comes.... the other one can be then rented or sold....

Boaty

Has anyone heard of strangers buyying a house surrounded a family farm, my neightbour has a 1970's house beside his farm and he's wondering what to do with it, the farm buildings surround the house on 2 sides and he has a field in the front garden.

freedominacup

Boaty wrote: »

Has anyone heard of strangers buyying a house surrounded a family farm, my neightbour has a 1970's house beside his farm and he's wondering what to do with it, the farm buildings surround the house on 2 sides and he has a field in the front garden.

Welcome boaty:). Yeah that happened around here turned into a total gangf**k. A sibling was left the farmhouse and sold it. The guy farming the land was in court in less than 18 months with new owners. Ended up selling his own house and getting other funds to pay new neighbours to go away.

We should have built small new houses in many cases for parents and moved into farmhouses ourselves. Kinda backwards here. My father had his house built before he bought our main grazing block and as it turns out I bought the ground surrounding his house since. The two blocks are 300m apart. If things work out according to plan and if any of mine are interested in taking over Mrs Freedom and myself will probably move into the parents house in time to come and whoever is taking over can have our place close to main yard.

delaval

freedominacup wrote: »

Welcome boaty:). Yeah that happened around here turned into a total gangf**k. A sibling was left the farmhouse and sold it. The guy farming the land was in court in less than 18 months with new owners. Ended up selling his own house and getting other funds to pay new neighbours to go away.

We should have built small new houses in many cases for parents and moved into farmhouses ourselves. Kinda backwards here. My father had his house built before he bought our main grazing block and as it turns out I bought the ground surrounding his house since. The two blocks are 300m apart. If things work out according to plan and if any of mine are interested in taking over Mrs Freedom and myself will probably move into the parents house in time to come and whoever is taking over can have our place close to main yard.

Don't be dreaming it's off to a home with the pair of ye:):)

freedominacup

delaval wrote: »

Don't be dreaming it's off to a home with the pair of ye:):)

Could be but we're good to the kids with that scenario in mind, they'll be the ones picking the home:eek:.

delaval

freedominacup wrote: »

Could be but we're good to the kids with that scenario in mind, they'll be the ones picking the home:eek:.

Instead of sitting in a semi circle watching tele, they'll choose one with a tele in your room

kevthegaff

I was over in Spain a couple of months ago, the houses were massive in the basque region with only a small amount of acres. I asked alal about them and he said the sons or daughters would build on to the existing house, not a bad idea.

keep going

kevthegaff wrote: »

I was over in Spain a couple of months ago, the houses were massive in the basque region with only a small amount of acres. I asked alal about them and he said the sons or daughters would build on to the existing house, not a bad idea.

Are you married kev, all I say is I wouldnt do it anyways

kevthegaff

no single, it adds value to the property without investing hugely. I know what your saying tho..

Qualitymark

keep going wrote: »

Are you married kev, all I say is I wouldnt do it anyways

Maybe the Basques are less addicted to conflict than the Irish? It used to be the norm that the old people would live with the young couple, and in most cases it was happy, though the angry version makes a better story.

freedominacup

kevthegaff wrote: »

no single, it adds value to the property without investing hugely. I know what your saying tho..

Mrs freedom was only 6 or 7 when the wheels came off that particular wagon in her homeplace She vividly remembers the row to this day. Two women certainly two Irish women under one roof for a prolonged period and some ones gonna die.

keep going

freedominacup wrote: »

Mrs freedom was only 6 or 7 when the wheels came off that particular wagon in her homeplace She vividly remembers the row to this day. Two women certainly two Irish women under one roof for a prolonged period and some ones gonna die.

Yeah and I want to live too

Toplink

freedominacup wrote: »

Mrs freedom was only 6 or 7 when the wheels came off that particular wagon in her homeplace She vividly remembers the row to this day. Two women certainly two Irish women under one roof for a prolonged period and some ones gonna die.

I can sing to that. Best decision I ever made was building a "safe" distance over the road from the farm house.

gobnaitolunacy

Irish families used to have two/three generations under the one roof for years, like folks in Italy, Spain etc. still do.
People couldn't afford to build a new house elsewhere. Granted the older generation would have had shorter life spans so you wouldn't have had them around for as long as ppl live now.

Think it's a shame that some of the typical farmhouses are disappearing or getting derilict. They really fitted into the countryside more than the 1980s bungalow or the Mc Mansion of the 2000s. Some of those Celtic tiger houses are awful fcking things, big as hotels with only a small family rattling around inside in them.

Cousin of mine has a Georgian style farmhouse, built on an extension for his da now that he's got a missus on site. Have to look hard to see where the old part ends and new begins. Looks really well. Think if a use can be found and they're not in that bad a shape they should be retained.

Boaty

freedominacup wrote: »

Welcome boaty:). Yeah that happened around here turned into a total gangf**k. A sibling was left the farmhouse and sold it. The guy farming the land was in court in less than 18 months with new owners. Ended up selling his own house and getting other funds to pay new neighbours to go
our place close to main yard.

The neighbours son will soon be taking over the farm, the son recently build a new house a mile down the road as he wouldn't like his family to live on the farm. The 1970's house is not coping well after 2 years, Imagine what another 20 will do.
The son has already let one 1950's house go to ruin that was on land that he inherited.

maidhc

Qualitymark wrote: »

Maybe the Basques are less addicted to conflict than the Irish?

History would suggest they like it every bit as much, if not more.

arctictree

Boaty wrote: »

The neighbours son will soon be taking over the farm, the son recently build a new house a mile down the road as he wouldn't like his family to live on the farm.

I find this amazing. We currently live a mile from the farm and are trying to get planning to live on the farm.

Muckit

arctictree wrote: »

I find this amazing. We currently live a mile from the farm and are trying to get planning to live on the farm.

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to live on the farm when you are already living so close? I know everyone is different, l'm currently 17 miles from farm and when start building would think being a mile away would be near enough

arctictree

Muckit wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to live on the farm when you are already living so close? I know everyone is different, l'm currently 17 miles from farm and when start building would think being a mile away would be near enough

Mainly so when checking on stock, I can just throw the head out the window as opposed to getting in the car and driving a mile down the road twice a day. It also means I can be tipping away on stuff...

maidhc

Muckit wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to live on the farm when you are already living so close? I know everyone is different, l'm currently 17 miles from farm and when start building would think being a mile away would be near enough

Why not live on the farm? The land is there for one thing, and you have more privacy and it is just more convenient.

I wouldn't want to live in the middle of the yard, but close walking distance is ideal.

st1979

Muckit wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to live on the farm when you are already living so close? I know everyone is different, l'm currently 17 miles from farm and when start building would think being a mile away would be near enough

Living 3 miles away. Find it a complete curse at calving time. And also easier to get odd job done in the evening.