Farm? For residential use?

[EVOeng]

Afternoon guys, just wanted some advice and this seems the appropriate forum to post on.
In the near future I want to start my own dealership, but having trouble finding a place.
The property will not be used as a dealership straight away; instead it will be used as a residential property, and then later converted for use for a home and a business. Can a farm be bought as a residential home?
I have looked at a few farms near Quainton but most seem to require “agricultural occupancy”, what does this mean?
What restrictions are placed on Grade II listed properties in terms of development of new buildings?
What is the difference between a ‘listed property’ and a ‘listed farm’?

Thanks in advance.

[Sixpackpert]

No idea in answer to your question but I grew up in North Marston! Nice area there.

[Davel]

There's nothing to stop you using a farmhouse as a residential home but the land will be agricultural, as may well be the buildings permitted use.

Strictly speaking, you will need planning permission for any change of use and so, if you have somewhere in mind, it might be worth talking to the local planners before you purchase, or purchase subject to planning.

However, if it's all going to be low key, you may just choose to store some cars in a barn and sell them, hoping that the council don't find out.

Just my personal view of course.

[Bill]

Davel said:

There's nothing to stop you using a farmhouse as a residential home but the land will be agricultural, as may well be the buildings permitted use.

If the farmhouse is tied to the land then the household's main income has to come from the farm AFAIK.

[CrashTD]

I have been reading up (a little bit) on agricultural occupancy.

It basically means you have to have some form of agriculture to have a propert in the middle of a field. A tied property (one with a AO) is often worth alot less than one that is not tied.


If you are serious then its definitely worth seeking proper legal advice as this is a very tricky area.

My knowledge is limited to the following -

You don't need to have the contents of Noah's Ark to be classified as agriculture.

They take a very dim view of people wanting to remove ties.

Non-compliance with the condition for a specified period of time can also render the condition unenforcable. I just picked this up along the way so cant give more details. I assume its a similar caseo as an extension without planning permission.

ETA - Sorry for repeating people. I started writing a while ago and got distracted by a shiny object in the distance

Edited by CrashTD on Monday 12th April 12:37

[Gaspode]

Most farms that I know have long since sold the original farmhouse to some rich townie to live in. The Farmer then builds another house (or converts a barn or other farm building) with an agricutlural tie on it. This makes the original farmhouse extremely valuable (as rich townies don't want to have to faff about with more than 10 acres or so), whilst enabling the farmer to carry on going bankrupt by being forced to sell his milk to supermarkets at less than what it costs him to produce it.

The upshot is that there are very few farms left round here that don't have an agricutural tie on the accomodation. What this mean is that in order to live there you must depend on the farm for the whole or the majority of your income. You will not get away with keeping half a dozen chickens and a pig, and converting the rest of the farm to a Horse livery yard / classic car dealership / industrial estate / film studio / whatever.

[SJobson]

Not the same issue at all, but check out the route of the HS2 rail line - it's going to pass pretty close to Quainton I believe.

[anonymous-user]

Nothing to stop your misses running the farm while you have a 'proper' job then I guess. You don't actually have to farm the land yourself you can let it out to others.
Mike

[Gaspode]

MH said:

Nothing to stop your misses running the farm while you have a 'proper' job then I guess. You don't actually have to farm the land yourself you can let it out to others.
Mike

Not if there's an agricultural tie on the property. Under the terms of the tie you have to make the majority or all of your income from the farm. Letting the land out to others to farm doesn't count, nor does letting the Mrs farm it while you go out to a proper job.

I know this because we have fallen foul of this exact situation ourselves with our land. I currently earn a living as an IT Contractor, and we can't live on our land whilst I'm still working. There is a building on the land we could live in (given a bit of modernisation) but we have been told by the planning office that they won't grant planning permission unless we depend on agricultural activities for our living - so it'll have to wait until I retire.