'Buy Your Own Wood'

[FGYT]

if you do a group buy you would probably better of looking for the wood your self than going through a middle man would be cheaper to start with and you dont have them taking on all the covanets etc even if an all BCUK wood was bought under the current circumstances from them you still have there fee and all the work they do first isnt free and you still may not be able to use it as you want
unless you cane to a special arangment with the company as they may have networking to find a suitable wood etc that could take you a while to sort do

i dont think we are the target buyers for this sort of thing

i to would love a wood of my own but as pointed out the prices have rocketed over the last few years partly due to this sort of selling

 

[Arth]

What happens if you fall out with another co-owner? I've seen it happen not a good situation to be in.

 

[JonBaker]

Like I said I am happy to do it my own (no interest in falling out with people) and I also intend to go directly to the landowners e.g. farmers - middle men add too much money and add very little.

I just think if more people did it across the country then there would be a network of bushcraft friendly sites that would be available for people to use. Easier said than done - but you need to start somewhere.

 

[Big Mark]

Hi there

My name is Tim. My business partner and I run Ancient Woodland.

Somebody told me that there was a discussion going on about my recent advertisement and I've now read the thread.

Let me tell you a few things about what we do and why we do it...hopefully you'll see it's not a con and that we aren't a big business making loads of loot...I suppose I would say that but it is true.

My partner is a bushcraft fanatic and spent years dreaming of buying a wood and I had worked as a tree surgeon for a while and love trees...we decided to buy a wood and found it was pretty difficult and also discovered that most woods are owned by farming families who have let them fall into terrible direpair and to be honest didn't really want to sell and certainly didn't want people camping and lighting fires in them.

So we came up with a mad cap scheme to start buying woods, renovating them (a bit) and then selling them to a number of owners who could share them. We didn't do it to make lots of money - but the reward for us is we get to keep some of the wood and can build up places we can camp all over the UK.

Each community gets its own woodland community forum (a bit like this) so that the owners can chat, arrange to get together - but only if they want to. There aren't many rules - except don't shoot the wildlife, don't drive quad bikes and motor bikes around - some people we sell to have kids! And generally don't make a mess of the place. You can camp whenever you want, take friends, lend friends your keys, light fires...do any of the Ray Mears type malarkey my partner does.

Hope this helps. We aren't a big firm, we are just normal guys who like woods and dreamt up a new way for other people to be able to own woodland without taking out a second mortgage.

For £5,000 you get a quarter of an acre freehold plus the beneficial right to wander, camp, walk, climb around the entire 14 acres forever...no tricks, no catches...honest! We will build a fantastic treehouse that everyone can use. (Essentially you get the whole use of the wood forever and can leave it to someone when you get to go to that great big wood up in the sky!) We are currently renovating it - it will be ready in a few weeks. The treehouse will probably be built in the spring - although we may do it before the bad weather sets in?.

We will sell to approximately 18 people...we already have about 15-16 deposits (one is apparently still 'on it's way'.)

You have keys to get in and to avoid lots of travellers taking the place over. There are no signs telling you what to do...the emphasis is on camping in a bushcrafty sort of way - not thousands of caravans...and a love of being at one with nature. There are lots of animals - deer, etc. They don't need managing, they just pop in when they fancy. It isn't all fenced - there is just a hedge...I saw a family of five deer last time I was there.

Happy to send further details to anyone who fancies having a look...but I would be fairly quick as it is selling fast...I promise you it is a great deal...you'll be amazed at what you get for your money.

(End of sales pitch! Phew!)

Kind regards

Tim

 

[Matt Weir]

Damn it, the only time I get a bit @rsy in over a thousand posts and I get my come uppance

I must say thanks for taking the time to come on here and explain what the crack is Tim, fair play to you and good luck

 

[Big Mark]

We're just a couple of guys with a dream...to own a few woods and enjoy them with like minded folk who aren't minted! If you wanted a few of you could club together to buy a section if you like. (As long as you don't fight over the keys!)

Tim

 

[British Red]

Well done for introducing yourself Tim.

My take on this is that it doesn't matter whether you are making money or not - you provide a product and make owning a wood possible and accesible - so good luck to you.

However I would also (as a guy who lives nowehere near Bucks so has no interest at the moment), its worth noting the interest and "fears" for your website. I would suggest that you include in the details of a site the size of each "plot" and the number of "plots" in the wood - I feel sure this would reassure potential purchasers they weren't getting a "foot of the moon" which I must admit crossed my mind when I read the details.

Good luck in your business venture

Red

 

[Lodian]

"(As long as you don't fight over the keys!)"

Nah dont worry its all been settled by everyone that i should get them

 

[Nightwalker]

"You can camp whenever you want, take friends, lend friends your keys, light fires...do any of the Ray Mears type malarkey my partner does." - sounds ideal.

Im glad to learn its not some money-churning corporation behind it all, I think its great what your doing, thanks for introducing yourself and for all the info you emailed me.

 

[FGYT]

thanks Tim explains a lot more

Nothing wrong with makeing money BTW

also good as you are obviously keeping a stake in each wood for you n your partner not just dissapearing into a cloud of smoke

i would definalty be interested in a stake or 1/2 if you expand into Dorset way


i would also second the recomendation for more info on the website on how your doing this .

ATB

Duncan

 

[Lodian]

So is there a possibility of "the forum " bying a chunk?

 

[Nightwalker]

So is there a possibility of "the forum " bying a chunk?

If it was accepted, organised & the money was there I cant seem why not, Tim seems fine with it. But obviously it matters if its individuals grouping together, or if its people coming together under the BCUK community umbrella and of course that would take much thought and consideration of the BCUK-Team, as it would involve big-implications like who would have access, insurance, gathering money from members, contracts, legal obligations etc. I dont mean to hinder the idea of that, it would be lovely to do but im just looking at it realistically, its doable if thats what BCUK wanted to do, but it will involve a lot of work.

 

[FGYT]

may be better to look at a group for a whole wood in the future the 15-16 others who are buying in might not be to chuffed with 5000 Bushcrafters turning up for a £1 each
might need a bigger tree house.

 

[Arth]

Thanks Tim for clarifying.
I must agree that your web site needs a bit more detail on it so we don't 'read between the lines'. I'll pass your web site onto some friends who might be interested

 

[RobertRogers]

Yeah, bcuk members could band together, each chip in x amount of money and buy a woodland retreat. Could pay for itself too and increase membership.

 

[Arth]

A friend of mine has just pointed out that at £5000 a quarter it works out at £20000 an acre, far more than you would pay in the south east.
If I sold my woodland like that I would get £80 grand for it, more than doubling my money.

 

[Tadpole]

Hi there

My name is Tim. My business partner and I run Ancient Woodland.

Somebody told me that there was a discussion going on about my recent advertisement and I've now read the thread.

Let me tell you a few things about what we do and why we do it...hopefully you'll see it's not a con and that we aren't a big business making loads of loot...I suppose I would say that but it is true.

My partner is a bushcraft fanatic and spent years dreaming of buying a wood and I had worked as a tree surgeon for a while and love trees...we decided to buy a wood and found it was pretty difficult and also discovered that most woods are owned by farming families who have let them fall into terrible direpair and to be honest didn't really want to sell and certainly didn't want people camping and lighting fires in them.

So we came up with a mad cap scheme to start buying woods, renovating them (a bit) and then selling them to a number of owners who could share them. We didn't do it to make lots of money - but the reward for us is we get to keep some of the wood and can build up places we can camp all over the UK.

Each community gets its own woodland community forum (a bit like this) so that the owners can chat, arrange to get together - but only if they want to. There aren't many rules - except don't shoot the wildlife, don't drive quad bikes and motor bikes around - some people we sell to have kids! And generally don't make a mess of the place. You can camp whenever you want, take friends, lend friends your keys, light fires...do any of the Ray Mears type malarkey my partner does.

Hope this helps. We aren't a big firm, we are just normal guys who like woods and dreamt up a new way for other people to be able to own woodland without taking out a second mortgage.

For £5,000 you get a quarter of an acre freehold plus the beneficial right to wander, camp, walk, climb around the entire 14 acres forever...no tricks, no catches...honest! We will build a fantastic treehouse that everyone can use. (Essentially you get the whole use of the wood forever and can leave it to someone when you get to go to that great big wood up in the sky!) We are currently renovating it - it will be ready in a few weeks. The treehouse will probably be built in the spring - although we may do it before the bad weather sets in?.

We will sell to approximately 18 people...we already have about 15-16 deposits (one is apparently still 'on it's way'.)

You have keys to get in and to avoid lots of travellers taking the place over. There are no signs telling you what to do...the emphasis is on camping in a bushcrafty sort of way - not thousands of caravans...and a love of being at one with nature. There are lots of animals - deer, etc. They don't need managing, they just pop in when they fancy. It isn't all fenced - there is just a hedge...I saw a family of five deer last time I was there.

Happy to send further details to anyone who fancies having a look...but I would be fairly quick as it is selling fast...I promise you it is a great deal...you'll be amazed at what you get for your money.

(End of sales pitch! Phew!)

Kind regards

Tim

I notice on your website that you are the owners of some land in Aylesbury called Fox Covert, may I ask you if that it is the same ‘Fox Covert’ that was used for a number of years as a paintball area, and illegal one at that, an area that was so badly damaged by that activity that Aylesbury Planning department put a protection order on it back in 2006. The owners tried to have planning permission retrospectively applied for, but were refused, so they tried unsuccessfully to sell the land on eBay, under the snappy title “Your-very-own-ancient-woodland-to-camp-in-forever” funny thing is that guy wanted £5000 per quarter acre as well.

 

[JonBaker]

I think the idea is that the quarter acres is more like a stake in the ground - so that you get permanent access to the rest of the wood.

They do offer to buy the part of the wood back off you if you don't want it any more at the same price - £500 admin fee.

I think really you are paying say £1500 for the quarter of an acre and £3500 for access right to the rest of the wood - those access rights been written into your deeds and the covenant signed.

I think they are basically saying that £5000 gets you access to a 14 acre wood for the rest of your lift. If you tried to buy a 14 acre wood – sure you would pay less than £20k an care for it - but it would cost you around £70 to £80k – which most people can not afford.

Basically it tries to enable people to be able to afford a 14 acre wood but it is a shared 14 acre wood.

 

[JonBaker]

I spoke with Tim yesterday and asked him about the history of the wood and that it had been used for Paintballing before. He confirmed that it had and that it was the Paintball guy would he bought it off. Tim said that they had done things that weren't exactly environmentally friendly and that there is still some work to be done to tidy it up.

I guess the only way to tell is to take a look. People would be mad to pay any money without looking first.

 

[Tourist]

As I am into property development I thought I'd have a look around at what was on offer.

I found that there are quite a few woodlands of varying sizes for sale around and about the country. There are even ones for sale that could be considered going businesses as there is rental income from allowing the use of the woodland to other parties.

However if people were interested it would be quite simple to buy an entire woodland, and whilst browsing around I saw some of 120 acres going for around £150K, that is only browsing and nothing can be considered firm and definate until at the minimum land registry searches have been done. So it is within the realms of possibility to buy a biggish lump of land as a 'Group Buy', running costs could be offset by selective harvesting of timber and letting out the land to third party groups.

I always wanted a wood.