Looking for advice

[Dannytsg]

Just looking for some advice from those who have bought their own land.

I have the opportunity to purchase a plot currently being sold on a smallholding in Devon. I wanted to know if anyone else has purchased their own land with the view to putting a Yurt like structure on it.

Ideally I would be doing this as our own family retreat for holidays and the like with a view to maybe even trying to develop the land in the years to come. Anyone done anything like this and did you have any obstacles?

 

[Dogoak]

Sorry no experience but I'd go and see the local planning department before I did anything. Good luck with it.

 

[Dannytsg]

Sorry no experience but I'd go and see the local planning department before I did anything. Good luck with it.

Cheers. The land is designated at present as agricultural but comes freehold with all hunting/mineral rights etc. As it's agricultural I could use it for recreation such as camping but would ideally like to put a Yurt/Octolodge on it if I buy it and have it as a home away from home.

 

[rik_uk3]

I may be wrong but something at the back of my mind says you can only camp on agricultural land for 14 days in any year. After that you need to change from agricultural land to residential and then your problems really start. Good luck.

 

[Ivan...]

Oh Danny! Where do i start, i cannot type all the things i want to, so i hope it is not within the confines of the Dartmoor National Park, and i am more than happy to give my advice (from experience) to you but, not on a public forum, so if you want any input from me, you will have to PM me.

If it's just for limited use, you can do what you like (within reason) for 28 days from 1st Jan - 31st December..

Ivan...

 

[Baelfore]

I read Nick Rosen's book "How to live Off-Grid" and would strongly recommend it. Wasn't that relevent from an irish perspective (as it was based on the UK) but was a very interesting read none the less.

hope this helps.

 

[Macaroon]

Plus one to the Nick Rosen book - it's avery excellent starting point and contains some invaluable insights.....................

 

[Dannytsg]

Thanks for the advice. I would be looking at first to use it predominately as a holidaying retreat. With a Yurt being a temporary structure my understanding is that I could leave it there but use it for 28 days of the year without any planning requirement changes etc. I would however look to get a change of use to the land to maybe be able to use it as a future OTG development.

 

[MertzMan]

I have some friends in Cornwall who brought some cow sheds they converted to a house on the quiet. Council found out and they've had a lenghy and stressful legal tussle to resolve it for years now. Be careful but the very best of luck to you.

 

[bearbait]

Some neighbours of a friend of mine had a farm but no house. They resolved it by living out of sight in a caravan in one of the barns. Not sure whether they got any grief from the planners.