Catchafire

We are now at the stage we can start looking for a lifestyle block, something we have been dreaming about for a while. So we are super excited.

Our "vision"

Buy a bare block (approx 10 hectares), plonk a sleepout type accommodation (even a caravan) and gradually put in.....

Tunnel house, raised vege beds, chooks, cow, goat & pig. Olives, grapes, fruit orchard, nut trees etc

After all this has been established, then build the house of our dreams (in about 10 years!).

So, is there anyone else that has bought a rural block? What are the costs that added up to be more than expected. I am thinking connecting water/power, putting a driveway in will be flipping expensive!

Woodlea

Lifestyle Block otherwise known as Life Sentence Block!

MrsFychan

sorry cannot be of any help whatsoever but wishing you the best and hopefully someone will be able to advise.
would like to see you blog on your process on this

Catchafire

Ha ha, it's true. I have a stall at the farmers market and you see couples in their 70's with still bringing their produce to town.

Personally, I would love to be able to still do this when I get to that age.

Robbie2010

You might find a few more answers if you ask here ... http://www.google.co.nz/aclk?sa=L&ai...yleblock.co.nz

Catchafire

Thanks MrsFychan. My wife works at a organic/bio dynamic estate, so has a great resource of knowledge and help we can draw upon to help set things up.

Will start to document things when we actually buy somewhere.

But this is the type of place we are thinking of.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=580913524

Catchafire

Already a member! But thanks.

downunderpom

Before you buy anywhere, go in (in person), to the local council, and find the Planning office. Have a chat with them about your ideas, and wait for the "You can't do that here" responses.

I have a 5ha lifestyle block, so built a house, with rainwater harvesting (no town water), septic tank (no town septic), etc. I wanted a reed bed for the septic system, and was told that I couldn't have one because no-one else in the district had one. (Yeah, I know - don't expect sense from government employees!) I pointed out 30-odd years of experience and knowledge in the UK and USA for reed beds, and was told that didn't count, as it didn't happen in NZ. So, I have a parochial council...

Take off the rose-coloured glasses, and treat it as a business venture. It will probably end up as one, when you decide how you're going to raise the money to live there how you want. As soon as Mrs DUP and I bought our bare land, I set up a limited LAQC company. (Loss Attributing Qualifying Company). This has since been superceded by the See Through Companies, but they act the same. Basically, anything you put through the limited company while developing your land to produce an income is tax deductable - against your personal income tax. I also checked with the council that we could, in principle, build the sort of house and facilites that we wanted, before signing on the bottom line to buy the land. (If I'd been told what sort of house I could and could not build, for example, I wouldn't have bought the land.)

Best advice I can give - when you find the land that you want, get a local solicitor, who's been through the wringer a few times, and get a local accountant, who knows where the bodies are buried, before you slap down a deposit. They're worth their weight in gold.

Then expect several years of bl**dy hard graft and expenses setting the place up, before you get to enjoy it, and once it is set up, more bl**dy hard graft while you maintain it. Remember also that you may need to buy quite a bit of 'equipment'. You can't take your trusty petrol mower out on 10 ha, and expect a nice lawn!! You'll need a tractor, and various attachments. I've been working at this place for 7 years, and I'm STILL setting it up - fences, veggie beds, orchard, more fences, well and solar pump, and I'm also 'off grid', so produce and store my own power. Now, for me, this is worth it. You will have to decide if it's what you want, or if you're going to cough up thousands of dollars to be connected to the grid, and then have electricity bills coming in each month...

One thing is for sure - you'll never be bored!! Good luck!!

jmh

DUP, I'm pretty sure I saw reed bed filtration at the Manukau Botanic Gardens. It was very small scale, but it might show precedence (if it's not too late now).

I'd love a lifestyle block but I don't like hard work!

Catchafire

Awesome DUP! I tend not to have rose tinted glasses, I have two companies and used to work for a agricultural machinery supplier. I am also well use to banging my head against the brick wall that is the local council. Living "off the grid" has it's appeals and something we would look at when building our house.

I really appreciate your input!

downunderpom

Does "Gentleman/Lady Farmer" appeal? Hire other people to do all the hard work, while you supervise.

Of course, this costs a LOT more money, and you don't get the satisfaction of looking over what you've done, and saying "I did that!'

I allow some neighbours to graze their stock on my land. (Horses, cattle and sheep). I don't charge them for this, although you can charge people with horses for grazing, but then you'd have to provide some sort of shelter for the horses, and a few amenities. As I'm not charging, it's not a business, so is not regulated. Dunno if you would be regulated if you did run a riding stable.... Probably. I've yet to find a beuro-rat who didn't like to interfere in other people's business!

This "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" attitude does me well - if I need help with fencing, tree felling and firewood chopping, and so on, I only have to pick up the phone. I also have a few acres of trees for firewood, and I got a mate in with his chainsaws and log splitter to fell and chop / split one of the trees. He got half of the wood, and I got half, while I didn't have to lift a finger.

Networking is very important if you're going to 'lifestyle' it!

downunderpom

Ya welcome! It was intended as 'generic' information, for all lifestyle wannabees, not directed specifically at you. Too many people do wear rose tinted specs, and find the dream turns to ashes, as they're not mentally prepped for this sort of life.

jmh

Isn't that what you have a husband for?

downunderpom

That's just what MrsDUP said!! (She's just had me double my life insurance.... I'm sure that's just to cover inflation!)