It is likely that you will have some idea of where you would like to settle, but if you do not have a look through the property adverts in Exchange & Mart and Farmers Weekly. These should give you some leads and, if you know little about a particular area, again the library will probably provide more information. Read More
So there I was, shuffling papers on a coffee table in the corner of my office, waiting for some university sophomore with peach fuzz and frayed jeans to finish reconfiguring my computer. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing…something about changing domains and migrating elk. By the time he was done, he had created, with apologies to Andy Worhol, a deeply superficial machine. Read More
The expense involved in improving the land which you already own depends on its present condition. If it is covered in scrub and brush wood, there is extensive work involved in clearing and removing stumps before a plough could come anywhere near it. But let us assume the land is not that bad. Wet land with rushes, mosses and weed grases can be ploughed directly, but unless the drains are in good order ploughing and re-seeding will not give full benefit. If the land is already drained but still holds water it is possible that the situation can be improved by mole ploughing. This draws a special plough through the soil leaving holes (similar to mole runs) behind it. To do this a powerful tractor and, of course, the mole plough itself are needed, but an indication of cost could be obtained from an agricultural contractor. The problem may lie in the state of the land drains themselves. If they were laid years ago the chances are that they иге not laid at a very great depth and the trench was not back filled with stones. Also they were designed to take the weight of horses and horse-drawn equipment; as time has gone by agricultural equipment has become progressively heavier, compacting the soil and possibly cracking the old clay pipes. A broken or blocked drain can show itself as a darker green patch in a field or u boggy patch or strip aligned with the run of the drain. Let us assume the land is poor pasture, but needs redraining. Read More
The potential of the land associated with your chosen smallholding will vary greatly with area, but however good it is there will always be room for improvement. If the pasture has been badly neglected a complete programme of drainage, ploughing and re-seeding may be in order. Often, however, this does not need to be done to improve the land sufficiently to make a useful improvement In its stock-carrying potential. It is natural and sensible to aim for the best return from your land, and this can be done by taking on a larger area of land or by improving a smaller acreage. The stock-carrying potential difference between old poorly drained pasture and well-drained newlay is in the region of 300 per cent. Another way of looking at this is that, for every acre of old pasture you have, a similar improvement in output could be achieved either by buying a further two acres of similar land or by draining and re-seeding what you already have. Read More
When my hubby first started using eBay a while back, I helped him get started and realized just how many sneaky little things I do to win auctions. Of course most of you eBay veterans probably know these things already… but they are not that straighforward to someone who is just starting out either selling or buying. Read More
Financial planning is simply the profession of helping others, be they individuals or businesses, plan their monetary objectives and analyze and implement the best ways to achieve those objectives. That said, there are several different variations on this basic theme and a variety of job types. But the common denominator always stays the same – it is helping to maximize financial stability and achievement of goals for people who have less financial experience or who need to focus on other priorities than finance. Read More
If you are looking for a property which is in need of considerable work you may find that it is eligible for certain grants towards this.
The grant system at present is divided into three types: the Intermediate, the repair and the improvement. All three are based on the value of the property.
The intermediate grant
This is for basic amenities such as bath, toilet and hot and cold running water in the house. It generally covers cases where the it was previously lacking, but can be for repair work under certain circumstances. Some roof repairs can come into this category, but consult with the local council. If the property does not have the basic amenities, the grant is automatic but may be subject to a waiting list. As with everything else there is only so much money to go round.