Farmhouse Investment: The New Trend in Real Estate

As the name suggests, a farmhouse is a real estate property on a piece of agricultural land. Farmhouses are the big trend in real estate as renowned celebrities and business tycoons have been buying them; thus, people want them too as an option for a vacation home or a party hangout, etc. Farmhouses are popular all across the world, and these are typically big houses on a large piece of cultivable land. There are farmhouses across the world that have a rich history and have been maintained and renovated over time to maintain their rich heritage. Some of such farmhouses are:

• Farmhouse Burkeldijk

This famous farmhouse has been there in Belgium since 1839. Back then, it was used as a fort, watchpoint or jailhouse. It was then transformed into a modern living space and a bed and breakfast hotel so as to maintain its rich heritage.

• Farmhouse Girona

It is a farmhouse dating back to the 1850s which has been brilliantly restored, thanks to the valiant efforts of Barcelona based architect Gloria Duran Torellas. It also has a rich history, so several features of the house from that era have been preserved and blended with the modern reconfiguration. It is a two-storey farmhouse with a space of 800 metres and is accessible to beautiful views across 26,000 square metres of land.

Farmhouses are supposed to be a second home to the owner, where they go to take a break from their busy schedules, rush of city life to relax and chill. The farmhouses are big properties spread across a big chunk of land, so they are not that easy to purchase, especially if one doesn’t know how to maximise that investment. Being good vacation getaways amidst a lot of greenery, it is no wonder that such properties are in high demand and thus can act as good real estate investments.

Buying a farmhouse is a good real estate investment- act as a potential source of revenue and an option to acquire peace and tranquillity via a change in their daily life schedule. Getting a farmhouse in India is not easy, especially in metropolitan cities, due to the rush and lack of space to accommodate such a big property over a big stretch of land. They are available in the outskirts of such cities where there are not much population or housing projects, but the land is fertile. Farmhouses are popular in areas where agriculture is prominent, and there are lots of lands that have not been allotted for any other commercial or industrial purpose.

Use of a farmhouse

A farmhouse can have multiple uses, although originally when farmhouses were not that famous, they were just simple accommodation for farmers who used to cultivate on the lands near the house and their big families to reside in. However, farmhouses became a trend and gained popularity when people saw different uses to it.

One of the main reasons is that they are closer to nature and thus can act as a stepping stone towards bonding with nature. As residents of a city, who are not involved in agricultural practices, life can get quite hectic and monotonous as the same routine is followed over and over again, thereby leaving not much time for one to be with themselves or their families and thus with nature. Therefore, people have started investing in farmhouses, which is becoming a trend. It allows its residents to get away from their stressful and monotonous lives and spend time enjoying nature in its full glory.

Farmhouses can act as a good party spot. This trend has become famous via several movies and social media where celebrities post pictures of spending time at their farmhouses with friends and family, partying, hanging out, and chilling. Seeing this, farmhouses started becoming popular as party spots as they are available in an isolated location with lots of plantations around, where noise won’t be an issue. In addition, they are big and spacious so can accommodate loads of people, so hosting parties in small apartments in the rush of cities where there is traffic and lousy neighbours won’t be an issue for those who have farmhouses.

Farmhouses are built on agricultural land, so one can make use of that land for agricultural purposes by either doing it themselves if they feel that they can take out the time or are retired, else they can rent out the land to farmers for farming and growing crops and come to a settlement over their share with them.

Farmhouses, as mentioned before, are like a second home to the investors which they can use for leisure, vacations etc., just like an apartment, it is a real estate investment that can be sold off when the owner sees no purpose in retaining it and spending money maintaining it, they can sell it off easily to some buyer as farmhouses have a high demand in the real estate market. The owner can also sell off parts of the land to acquire liquid funds when in dire need.

Farmhouses can also be rented out for commercial purposes when the owner is not staying, like for events and parties on a payable basis so as to stipulate revenue from the property, which covers the maintenance charges of the property and at the same time provide an additional profit to the owner for the initial investment. Farmhouses that are being rented out for events are in high demand nowadays due to the trend set and the fact that the area is bigger than banquet halls, at a beautiful location, away from the crowd and noise of the city. Therefore, everyone would enjoy spending some time off their daily lives and having fun in an area close to nature where they can party and at the same time bond with themselves and their friends.

What to know before investing in a farmhouse?

Farmhouses might be selling like hotcakes at the moment, but there are things that a person wishing in a farmhouse must know beforehand as it is not a small investment. Most of those who are purchasing farmhouses already have a house or apartment in the city and wish to get away from the cramped and rushed life in the city and enjoy time in the countryside. This means they already have finances to invest in farmhouses and must keep in mind that the bigger, the better doesn’t work easily in farmhouses. The house they purchase can be big, but too big a stretch of unutilised last can be put to better use, so they better plan on how to make use of it beforehand.

Farmhouses need a lot of maintenance, especially if the owner isn’t renting it out and the only visitors to the house are family and close friends, leaving the farmhouse empty and unattended for a large part of the year. Therefore, while making a farmhouse investment, one must keep in mind the maintenance charges that they have to bear over the years for their vacation home.

If someone is interested in making a farmhouse investment, they must try to find the ones built in accordance with the township concept, in which there are other farmhouses in close range. This is better for security reasons as well as in case of emergencies as there would be someone near the victim to ask for help from.

Before purchasing a farmhouse, one must check if the walls have proper fencing, if there are roads that connect the house to places like hospitals, markets, etc. and if there is proper water and electricity supply in the house. One must also ensure that they are close to other houses. Although isolation may be a priority, having other houses at least at a reachable distance won’t harm and instead could be a help in emergencies.

The land for the farmhouse must not be illegal; that is, it should be acquired and approved by the government as there can be issues later. Several states also don’t allow agricultural land to non-farmers. For the property to be called a farmhouse needs to have a space of at least 2000 Sq. Ft. One must also verify that the land is fertile for agricultural purposes and can be leased out for the same, or one can get themselves involved in those practices too if they can spare the time for it.

Why should one buy a farmhouse?

A farmhouse provides exposure to nature to its residents and thus acts as a good vacation home. People who have a house in the city, and wish to purchase a bigger house there, can opt for farmhouses instead. In the cities, buying a personal villa would cost exorbitantly, and that too with limited space. At nearly the same price or even a bit less in some cases, one can get a farmhouse easily as the cost of land in the countryside is much lower.

A farmhouse will provide a much bigger chunk of land, where one can easily build their dream home, with no restrictions such as space and size. The land would be fertile and fit for agricultural practices, so one can grow crops for their family in that land or simply lease it out to those involved in agricultural practices to ensure that the land doesn’t remain unutilised. Furthermore, one can lease out the property itself for parties and events and get some revenue out of their investment. People would be interested in hosting parties at places in the countryside, in the lap of mother nature, rather than in cramped noisy spaces in the countryside, the city.

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