Build a rural house close to the road...or well back on a much 'better' site?

Hi,

I'm a part-time farmer in the midlands (have a full-time off-farm job too). I'm hoping to build a house on my own land. There are limited options for a 'site' on which to build a house on this land.

I already applied for planning and got permission - to build on a specific location on the farm. However, the house (while 'fairly' close to the road - needing a 50m lane/driveway) would be almost beside (and set back from - so almost behind) a neighbour's farmyard and sheds.

I'm not very keen on this, but that's the only suitable location to build on that's 'close' to the public road.

The other option is to build in a location (on the same farm) that's over 400m back from the public road. I don't have permission to build there, but my architect reckons there's a good chance of an application being approved (subject to giving up the 'existing' permission on the existing 'site').

The plus point about the (400m-in) site is that it's generally a much nicer setting. It offers much better views and it's not beside/behind another farmyard.

Putting in and maintaining a 400m-long lane/driveway doesn't phase me, as we have access to machinery and I will have to put in a farm roadway (albeit rougher) along much of this distance at some point in the future anyway.

However, chatting to some of my neighbours, some think that people would freak out at the notion of living 400m from the public road (regardless of how nice the location is) and think a house that far in could be very hard to sell. I wouldn't have any intention of selling, but those comments still matter to me - because you never know how life circumstances can change (re: health, work and finances) 20 or 30 years from now.

When I look at the wider area on Google Maps, there are plenty of houses (mostly farm-houses) that are up to 100m or 200m from the road. There are some that are 400m or even 500m from the road, but they are few and far between.

Is it a case of abandoning the idea of the much nicer location (because it's too far from the road and because that would restrict potential buyers if you ever had to sell) and settling for the less-ideal location that's much closer to the public road?

NSAman

Costs would obviously be higher further from the road but if the site is nicer, that would be my choice.

Services are something else that you will have to think about electricity, internet (which is a major issue for all homebuyers in the future) water etc,,,

Personally, I prefer to be further from the road with privacy.

Consider this is a home and a long term commitment, once the main services are available it may be worth the effort.

Calahonda52

Location is everything, period.
.
The one consideration I have here is that if you did want to hive off the house, some land around it and the 400 m driveway as a stand alone dwelling, what impact would it have on the viability of the farm as a farm holding.

Maybe do the paper work for creating a separate title to that part, just in case
.
If it was my project, 400m is perfect, lay the pipes for a ground source heat pump either side of the driveway along the fence.

If you build on the other site, every time you see the farm buildings....

MegamanBoo

I live in an old farmhouse that's 800m off the road. Personally I love it, as does my wife. I think it might not be for everyone though, some visitors can't seem to get their heads around others tell me they'd love something so quite and peaceful.

One thing that is a bit of a nuisance is bins and post. We only have the an post box at the gateway so I have to arrange for parcels to go elsewhere. Also I have to put bins in a trailer and drive them out every fortnight. Not the worst thing in the world but a bit of a pain nonetheless.

Tileman

400m option all day long from me. I’m also a part time farmer and live farming but don’t want to be beside someone else farm yard. Even if u get on with the existing owner who knows who will own it in the future/

Privacy and better views makes is a no brainier

Thanks for the replies.

RE: electricity. Have spoken to the local ESB Networks engineer (he was out doing a site visit about another matter - the possibility of getting a pole moved) and he reckons the ins and outs of connection for either location are similar (given the proximity of a suitable line to both locations).

RE: water. Have a well on this land and already have underground pipework in place (so connecting to the house is a similar undertaking for either location).

RE: internet/phone...The 400m-in location doesn't have an Eir (telephone) line close. Those lines are out on the public road and don't cross this or the adjoining field. So connection (to a phone line) would be more costly for the 400m-in site.

However, most of the neighbours (that I know of) use a wireless broadband service (from either of two providers) at the moment. They have a dish/receiver on the house that communicates with a mast on a hill that's about 8km away), so I reckon that's not a deal-breaker either way at the moment.

I can see that my thinking is sort of similar to your views above.

BENDYBINN

My advice..Build as close to your farm yard as possible.
Makes it so much easier to be able to pop in and out doing your few jobs of an evening. Also for security essential to be beside your yard.

Calahonda52

BENDYBINN wrote: »

My advice..Build as close to your farm yard as possible.
Makes it so much easier to be able to pop in and out doing your few jobs of an evening. Also for security essential to be beside your yard.

There is no mention of HIS farm buildings in the thread

arctictree

We just built a house 850M from the main road. Love it here. Lovely and quite. Didn't bother with a phone line as wireless broadband is fine. ESB was about 2K.

minerleague

BENDYBINN wrote: »

My advice..Build as close to your farm yard as possible.
Makes it so much easier to be able to pop in and out doing your few jobs of an evening. Also for security essential to be beside your yard.

+1 on this. Which site is nearer your own farmyard? overall i'd prefer to be away from neighbours yard all else being fairly equal.