Maximise the value of your equestrian property and you’ll set yourself up for life
Safeguarding your future with an equestrian property, whether you plan to stay or sell, could give you the life you’ve always wanted. Maximising value of equestrian property can make it – and your dream lifestyle – stand the test of time
Anyone who has sold and bought property knows that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do – but what about equestrian property?
If moving once and landing in a horsey home for life is your aim, buying a forever home – or one to invest in and sell to fund retirement or future projects – takes more than just instincts. Forward planning will set you on the path to success.
From planning permission to budgeting and maintenance, here are the key factors to consider when trying to maximise the value of equestrian property.
Buying the right equestrian property
Buying a horsey home that'll set you and your horses up together forever, for many, is a dream come true. However, many of these sought-after forever homes return to the market.
How can people bear to let them go? Frequently, the situation is out of their hands.
Sometimes the sale of a late relative’s home puts equestrian property back on the market. Other times empty-nesters willingly downsize. Or, the home – though perfect when bought – simply isn’t futureproof.
“It’s about balancing domestic comfort with equine functionality,” says Abi Rhodes, director at Rural Scene. “The most common issue I hear from customers who are moving is that they simply don’t have enough grazing land.”
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According to Sarah Lucas, land agent at Brown & Co, buyers should also consider evolving needs over the coming decades.
“That may mean accommodating retired horses, supporting younger family members entering the sport or creating additional income opportunities.”
Properties can fall short in their provision for the human occupants too.
“If the home needs to grow outwards or upwards to accommodate relatives in the future, structural and legal boundaries must be vetted immediately,” adds Abi.
While buying somewhere to live forever may secure the rest of your life, many properties become a nest egg that will facilitate retirement or future projects.
Adding to or extending equestrian facilities, or the home itself, is obvious for maximising values of equestrian property. Turning a ring-fenced agricultural smallholding into a bells and whistles “fully equestrianised” haven will, as Abi puts it, “always fetch a premium price”.
If you intend to move for life, ensure the acreage will accommodate the horses you have now and in the future.
How much does equestrian property maintenance cost?
Let’s say you uncover an ideal-acreage equestrian home within budget in the kind of location that ticks all your boxes now and forever. Perfection in theory – but don't be caught out by maintenance.
Stunning equestrian properties don’t stay flawless on their own, so how can you chose a property that stands the test of time?
“When purchasing a long-term ‘forever home’, a multi-decade timeline shifts the financial focus from surface-level cosmetics to major structural life cycles,” warns Abi. “Over 20 to 40 years, every major component of a house will eventually reach its expiration date and require complete replacement.
“To plan accurately, buyers must break their long-term expenses into three distinct categories: fixed structural life cycles, preventative maintenance and rolling cosmetic updates.”
A buyer intending to remain in a property for several decades should budget for the full life cycle of key building components, says Brown & Co land agent Lulu Agnew. “Long-term ownership is often more affordable when these predictable costs are planned for gradually rather than dealt with reactively.”
In terms of maintenance, Lulu and Abi advise:
- Boilers, bathrooms and kitchens need periodic replacement
- Roofing, windows, drainage systems and external finishes may require significant investment over time
- Routine maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, fencing repairs, tree management and redecoration should also be anticipated
- Stable buildings require ongoing attention to roofing, timberwork, concrete floors and drainage
- Arenas need regular levelling, surface maintenance and drainage management to remain safe and functional, and surfaces will need topping up over time
- Exposed exterior wood requires staining or painting every three to five years to prevent rot
- Metal roofs on barns rust and standard shingles or metal sheets require full replacement on a 25-year cycle
- Timber post-and-rail lasts around 15 to 20 years; even pressure-treated wood posts rot at the ground line where moisture sits. Expect to replace individual rotted posts and snapped rails annually, with a complete fence-line replacement required every two decades
Maintaining timberwork, surfaces and drainage keeps equestrian facilities safe, functional and visually appealing.
Maximising value of equestrian property with renovations that pay off
What if you plan to sell down the line? Smart investments will increase value.
“A well-maintained property will be worth more and look attractive to prospective purchasers,” says Sue Grant of Fox Grant. “A well-thought-out staged maintenance schedule can help to budget and spread the cost.”
Even totally undeveloped land can be transformed into a viable equestrian set-up.
“The cost of installing mains water to paddocks and field shelters generally pays dividends when you come to sell,” Sue adds. “Look on second-hand sale sites for materials; it’s amazing what people want to give away. Farm sales are also a good place to look for equipment.”
For larger-scale projects, a little research will help you spend wisely.
“Size is key,” says Abi, when offering tips for building an arena. “In this day and age, a 20x40m often isn’t large enough.
“Well-ventilated barns with internal stabling and wide aisle ways seem to be more sought after now compared to the old-fashioned timber looseboxes.”
Abi adds that high-quality, low-maintenance fencing is frequently overlooked.
“Fencing is the very first thing an equestrian buyer sees and poor fencing is a financial deterrent.”
Supporting your income with an equestrian property
Securing your future takes many forms – one of them could be capitalising on your property’s business potential.
Fox Grant managing director, chartered surveyor and horseman William Grant’s enterprising mindset helped him launch several business ventures from his equestrian smallholding in Wiltshire.
He purchased a five-acre parcel next to his own property for extra grazing, but started diversifying shortly after.
“We welcomed our first camper in 2009; they wanted somewhere to stay near Stonehenge, which is just a couple of miles from us,” he says. “Now we get around 15,000–20,000 campers a year.”
As well as the campsite – which has grown to include glamping units – William also facilitates storage and runs weddings and events, including Solstice Fest, a four-day music and wellbeing festival in June.
For William, anyone with land who is enterprising and open-minded enough can use it to earn a partly or completely passive income, and permitted development goes a long way.
Permitted development under class BC in England allows the use of any land as a recreational campsite for not more than 60 days in total in any calendar year – limited to 50 pitches.
In England, class BC is in addition to class B permitted development UK-wide, which allows you to use any land for any purpose for not more than 28 days.
William says demonstrating what’s commercially viable on your land through permitted development can also make resale more lucrative.
“If you do sell your property, then you’re also selling a business opportunity,” he remarks. “You’re adding equity by showing people there is cash flow right there waiting for them.”
Class Q planning permission can transform an eligable barn's value
Planning permission for equestrian homes
Off-the-peg equestrian homes are few and far between, and securing the finished article at purchase stage often requires an astronomical budget.
For Charlotte Roberts-Barr, senior consultant at Boatwrights, the best thing a purchaser can do is see the potential for long-term gains in an equestrian property.
“You can enlist the services of a planning consultant or put in a pre-application yourself,” says Charlotte.
You don’t have to own a property to submit a pre-application, but it can up to 10 weeks for a decision. Therefore, vendors can benefit from being able to demonstrate planning potential to prospective buyers via their own pre-app.
“I’d estimate it would cost around £1,000 for a consultant to submit it, but they understand the language and trigger points that the local authority may or may not look for,” Charlotte adds.
Maximising value with planning permission
Even if you don’t plan to make major changes to a property before you sell and capitalise, you can be shrewd with planning to secure development for potential buyers. If you have agricultural buildings standing empty, changing their classification – even without fully completing any works – can help boost your nest egg’s value.
“I would always apply for Class Q planning,” says Charlotte. “If it’s an agricultural building with a concrete base that’s been used for agricultural purposes in the last 10 years, you can apply for a 56-day notice to convert that building into a residential dwelling under Class Q planning.
“It’s the difference between a barn worth £100,000 and a barn worth £300,000, for instance.”
You can diversify your property to attract a future proprietor even if you don’t plan to run a business from home yourself.
“Let’s say for instance that you have a stable block and obtain planning to convert it to holiday lets,” says Charlotte.
“You would then undertake a material start to that conversion. This would constitute the most basics works as detailed by that scheme, such as clearing trees or moving fences.
“The key is also to ensure you register commencement of works with the council. That’s basically your stage one and it locks in the planning permission for that specific development – the planning cannot lapse.”
● Have you bought, renovated or diversified an equestrian property? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine
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A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.