Something encountered by newcomers to smallholding and self-employment in general is a lack of self-motivation. Although there will be jobs that require urgent attention, many can wait. It is easy to go to the market ‘just to see how the prices are’ rather than do something more constructive. But protracted tea breaks, late starting, early [...]
After the turmoil of the move you wake up one morning and find that what you have planned for, striven for and dreamed of has happened. You now have a smallholding. For the first few days there will be plenty to do just finding the teapot and generally trying to create some kind of sanity [...]
Owning a smallholding does not make you a smallholder: running it and making a living from it does that. It is important that at all times you do not over-stretch yourself. The difficulties encountered in smallholding increase in proportion to the money owed. When choosing and buying your holding large sums of money are involved [...]
After much nail biting, many sleepless nights and agitated phone calls the deal will come together, contracts will be exchanged and you will have a date for moving in. This can happen rapidly towards the end so be prepared, know what is to be taken and pack first what you can do without for a [...]
Once an offer has been accepted and the purchase placed in the hands of your solicitor, the search will be conducted. This should bring to light any problems associated with the land or property such as impending development or a new bypass; this is standard with any property. With a smallholding there are other considerations [...]
A smallholding is basically a house, some out-buildings and land. From this description one could expect to be able to calculate the price by the simple addition of respective values. This, however, never reaches the actual value because a premium is required for the three items coming together. Land also tends to be more expensive [...]
Once you are happy with an area concentrate on finding a suitable property. You will know what you would like and what you can afford; somewhere between these two figures lies your new home. The asking price is usually higher then the expected price and on some smallholdings can be in the region of 20 [...]
In a limited company the liability of the individuals concerned is limited to the face value of their shares. If a person holds 90 out of 100 £1 shares in a limited company, he cannot be compelled to pay off more than £90 of the company’s debts whatever it owes, unless he has given personal [...]
A partnership within a family group, ie husband and wife, is the most common one found in smallholding. This can work well as with complementary talents there is greater scope for maximising profits. As the money generated from this type of partnership goes into one household there is often no formal legal partnership agreement drawn [...]