Buying Forestry to Build a House

Mikeyd583

I am looking to build a house and have my own farm/small holding but im finding it hard to justify paying 10k and acre for good land.

Forestry has come up for sale close by, 20 acres for 85k. Is there anything wrong with clearing this land for firewood, building a small house and doing the necessary groundworks to make it suitable for crops and animals? The land will be sold subject to planning permission.

I would be doing all forestry work/groundworks and most of the house build myself. I am also living at home at the moment and am under no pressure to move out so can spend a few years clearing and building.

Could this be a wise move?

corco2000

If you remove forestry from land needs a Change of use planning permission. If there was aid attach to forestry this may need to be paid back to dept. Or you may have to replace trees else where. Could work out expensive in long run.
Authorities are encouraging forestry growth. So you might be against it. Imo

Vittu

Mikeyd583 wrote: »

I am looking to build a house and have my own farm/small holding but im finding it hard to justify paying 10k and acre for good land.

Forestry has come up for sale close by, 20 acres for 85k. Is there anything wrong with clearing this land for firewood, building a small house and doing the necessary groundworks to make it suitable for crops and animals? The land will be sold subject to planning permission.

I would be doing all forestry work/groundworks and most of the house build myself. I am also living at home at the moment and am under no pressure to move out so can spend a few years clearing and building.

Could this be a wise move?

Hi,

Felling trees in Ireland legally requires a felling licence. If the trees were planted as a commercial venture where grants & premiums were drawn down, then the area felled would require the owner to pay back grants & premiums or replant similar area elsewhere. Expensive.

Its a nice idea but possibly cheaper to buy a small piece of land, get planning to build and plant the rest in forestry and avail of grants and premiums youself.

pwurple

Villages and towns have the services you need. Water, electricity, sewage, schools, shops etc. Otherwise you are driving around the place increasing traffic and pollution, dragging electricity cables and other infrastructure about which increases maintenance costs, and being a general blight on our beautiful landscape. Generally planners take a dim view of this.

tom1ie

pwurple wrote: »

Villages and towns have the services you need. Water, electricity, sewage, schools, shops etc. Otherwise you are driving around the place increasing traffic and pollution, dragging electricity cables and other infrastructure about which increases maintenance costs, and being a general blight on our beautiful landscape. Generally planners take a dim view of this.

Unless he builds an off grid house and grows and rears his own food.......there is an alternative to urban living ya know.

Mikeyd583

Pwurple it's the same as building anywhere else. If anything my proposed build/lifestyle will have less of an impact on the landscape and environment than most.

Tom that's the plan