Property Evaluation
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When evaluating a candidate property, see how many of the boxes defined in the Requirements Analysis are ticked and how many are left unsatisfied.
Are some of the mandatory criteria unsatisfied or a deal breaker hidden? If so look elsewhere! You set those conditions for a reason.
Table of Contents
Property Evaluation Checklist
Does the property tick all mandatory boxes, most of the “like” boxes and no deal killers?
Perform a Site Analysis
Performing a farm site analysis involves a thorough assessment of the farm’s physical characteristics and environmental conditions.
Here are some steps you can take to conduct a farm site analysis:
- Access:
- How good is the access to the property and within the property
- What maintenance does the access require, now and annually
- Who maintains the access and how reliable are they
- Is the external access registered? (Gazetted road, Right of way etc). A verbal agreement between a neighbour and the previous owner may be easily revoked or denied
- How far is the house from the front gate
- Climate:
- Observe and assess the microclimates on the farm to determine suitability for your chosen enterprises.
- temperature
- wind patterns
- sun exposure
- Observe and assess the microclimates on the farm to determine suitability for your chosen enterprises.
- Community:
- Who are your neighbors
- What is the community like
- Existing documentation:
- Collect and review existing documentation on the property
- maps
- soil tests
- surveys
- Collect and review existing documentation on the property
- How good is the Dwelling:
- Where is the house site
- Orientation of the home
- Quality of the home
- What is the cost of repair / upgrade
- Do you need to finance:
- Can it be financed?
- How much land do you need
- Is the property large enough to meet all of your goals now and into the future
- Infrastructure:
- Evaluate the existing farm infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and fencing, to determine their suitability for your needs.
- What is the state of any existing infrastructure and how much will it cost to upgrade / repair
- Utilities connected or available
- Power
- Water
- Internet
- Landline
- Mobile
- Potential hazards:
- Identify any potential hazards on the farm, such as toxic materials or hazardous waste, and assess their impact on the environment and farm production.
- Future risks and issues
- Current risks and issues
- Are there any existing or potential natural or man-made hazards
- What potential or existing regulatory risks
- Soil quality:
- Evaluate the soil quality by analyzing soil samples for nutrient content, pH, texture, and drainage.
- Is the soil suitable for your chosen enterprises
- The land
- Research the history of land use on the farm to determine any potential contamination or soil degradation.
- Is the property suitable for your chosen enterprises
- What is the climate
- What are the orientation and landform of the property
- Are there established mature trees and vegetation
- What kind of landscape
- Title and Rights
- Is the land surveyed
- Does the seller actually own the land
- Are the title maps current and accurate
- What is the council zoning
- What are the rates & land taxes
- Do you have rights to the existing resources on the land
- Do you have timber rights
- Do you have mineral rights
- What water rights are attached to the land
- What caveats, easements and other restrictions exist
- Check Local and State government plans for the area – roads, parks etc
- Is there a possibility for public hunting, fishing, or foraging
- Are there any existing debts or unpaid taxes on the land
- Is the land free of any liens or claims
- Water sources:
- Identify the location and availability of water sources, such as wells, streams, and ponds, and determine the water quality and quantity.
- Is the water source reliable and available all year
- Does the government own the water
- Who is upstream pollution wise
Do not be lazy – if you fail to do a thorough analysis it could cost you much money and more angst.
This is not a low value transaction – respect it.
Author’s Note
It is essential to get this right.
Any mistakes made will be with you for a long time and may become somewhat inconvenient.
Don’t ever assume that just because there is a road to the property means you have the right to access it.
- Make sure you will always have the right to access your property.
- Be certain that your right is not revocable under any circumstance. A verbal agreement between a neighbour and the previous owner may be easily revoked.
- Ideally there is a gazetted road to the front gate.
- As a minimum, ensure a registered right of way is in place and be careful of locked gates.
In Australia, the right of way is noted as an easement on the title of the land it passes through. Get a current copy of the title of your neighbours’ properties and check. This will also show you the registered boundaries of your land.
Prior to devoting my time to Properly Organic and Designer Acres, I served as a contracted super tech in the bleeding edge of satellite imagery, business management and accounting software, then telecommunication software bringing SMS and Mobile Application Protocol into Australia. I then decided to return to the land. I quickly discovered that apart the shape of the bales and the colour of the tractors little had changed.
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