How to increase the value of your horse property
If you start doing certain things to your house like improving the condition of your kitchen and bathroom or doing some landscaping in the yard, you will increase the total value of your house and your entire property. However, what if you have a horse property or a horse farm? What can you do to increase the value of that? Well, you can do all sorts of things. From making small changes like improving the condition of the landscape to making more complicated changes like buying more land or building new facilities. So, without further ado, here are some ideas for improving your horse property, and increasing its value.
Acquire a Planning Permission
A planning permission allows you to build extra facilities on your property as well as to make changes to the existing ones. Sometimes this process can be long and in some cases – stressful, but once you get it, the value of your horse property will definitely increase. You will be able to build some amenities on the property or to expand the house. This means that there will be more room for people, horses, and equipment. If you are thinking about having an indoor or outdoor riding surface, you will also need planning permission. So, as soon as you start thinking about selling, or just improving and upgrading your house and farm in order to increase the value of your horse property, make sure that you can acquire a planning permission.
Buy More Land to Increase the Value of Your Horse Property
When buyers come to your house, the first question you will get is how many acres your property has. So, even if your horse property is all neat and taken care of, if it is not big enough for building more facilities, many buyers will just walk away. Just think about it, if somebody wants to move out of Brooklyn, NY for good, they will probably invest in something bigger and worth escaping the city. Your small farm will not attract many buyers. Also, there is a general rule of having an acre of land per horse. So, if somebody has ten horses, he or she will need ten acres of land. Moreover, more land means more privacy, more land for gazing, and as previously mentioned, more room for building on it. That is why, once you get a planning permission, you should first invest in more land in order to increase the value of your horse property, if of course, your budget allows it.
Build Useful Amenities
You can build all sorts of amenities and facilities on your horse property. These will be useful for you, for your horses and will definitely increase the value of your horse property. However, be careful. Do not invest too much! Maybe that added cost of building will end up being much higher and breaking the bank. And if you do not invest in the right amenities, you will just squander your money. So, try investing in some desirable amenities. For example, build stables for more horses and equipment, covered yards, hitching posts, hot walkers, wash bays and so on. All of these amenities will attract the right buyers. Moreover, if you have unused land, think about creating pastures and paddocks, as these are really good low-budget outdoor improvements for horse properties.
Invest in Safe Fencing
Most people have fences made from hard materials like wood and metal. If you are a horse owner, you have probably realized by now that these materials do not go well with energetic horses. They can cause severe injuries. So, if you want to attract other horse owners and buyers who are willing to spend more, you should invest in safe fencing. The best type is the so-called horserail fencing. It is made of impact-resistant and indestructible polyethylene. This material is not rigid but quite the opposite – it flexes and bends upon impact, thus, drastically reducing the possibilities of horse injuries. If you have this kind of fencing on your horse property, its value will increase a lot, and instantly.
Maintain the Property
If your property has been on the market for quite some time, there is probably a good reason why the horse property is not selling. We all know how important it is to make a good first impression. So, even if you have the best building materials, large land, and horserail fencing, it will mean nothing if your property is neglected and looks repellent and repulsive. How you present your property is of key importance. This means that the trash and excess leaf litter should be cleaned up and removed from the yard. The gate and fence should always be kept in working order. You must have adequate storage for hay, feed and equipment, and enough space available for moving horses and vehicles. Also, the lawn should always be mown. Moreover, do not forget to look after the living space as well.
Invest in Good Building Materials
Whether you are building a small cottage, a house or an entire horse property with many facilities, the materials you use must be the ones that will last. Do not try to cut corners on this one. Those short-term savings will not result in increasing the value of your horse property. So, everything that you build should be an investment, for now, and for the future. Whether it is fencing, some amenity for the horses, a stable, or a house – it should be made from materials that will survive all weather conditions and the passage of time. Yes, this may be a financial burden, but selecting high-quality materials that are easy to maintain, that are long-lasting and functional, should be your top priority.