Tuesday 10 March 2020

Old Photos and a Sales Pitch


I'm currently back home in Wales and while the rain pours down outside and the job I was doing (mending the Net Tunnel) has come to an abrupt end, I thought I would do a quick and very random blog post.

I have been busy over the last few weeks collating a set of photos ready for new prospective buyers to look through, which in a huge way go towards explaining the value of this property.  It's not just rising house prices that have pushed the asking price up of our property, (although that has helped immensely)  but also the massive amount of investment we have put in to make this go from a leaking house with a woodland and a field, to a house with the full infrastructure to be a virtually self-contained smallholding.  

There is a working Veggie Patch with raised beds, including established Rhubarb and Asparagus beds and a wildlife attracting mini flower garden in the middle.  Two chicken enclosures complete with henhouses suitable for up to 24 birds each.  One of which is in a young orchard of productive fruit trees, with three each of Apple, Damson, Plum and Cherry and four of Pear. And the other henouse nestling beneath Plum trees and ancient Apple trees of both cooking and eating varieties.

There is a wildlife friendly wood of Nut trees including Walnut, Sweet Chestnut and Almond, currently awash with fresh yellow daffodils.

There are forty five solar panels on the roof of a four car garage space, which power the house during the day and top up a fully functioning battery back-up system for night time use.  As well as selling surplus back to the National Grid.  The batteries are contained in a room inside a fully fitted out woodworking workshop ... which also houses a very handy chest freezer for surplus vegetables.  

There is an underground tank, part of a 8000 litre rainwater harvesting system with an electric pump to bring it up to the outdoor tap, this is also equipped with a working soakaway system, so no run off leaves the premises.

Below the Veggie Patch there are two 25ft x 12ft Net and Polytunnels fitted out with raised beds and work benches and proven to withstand even the mightiest of gales and bad weather. 


The old oil tank hidden behind the trellising is gone and in it's place behind the house is new modern double walled tank.   Sadly our animal trailer is long gone.                     


This area still looks just the same, although today unfortunately, it's nowhere near as sunny and the ancient apple tree has been pruned to give it a fresh lease of life by a team of professional gardeners who came in a couple of weeks ago and blitzed the place for us.

All this is only just touching on the work we have done and that some of you followed along with over the years on my old blog Our New Life in the Country,  even typing about it makes me realise that with our current work commitments and the urge to simplify our lives neither of us has the energy or the long term stamina to do this wonderful place justice.

It really is time to move on.

So if you're in the market for a fully functioning small holding we will be on the market in the next couple of weeks.  I will share the estate agents details with you once we have them ... and once the weather picks up enough for the photographer to come and do his bit because now we look nothing like these old photos.

We look glorious when it's sunny ... and even almost as good in the rain but cameras and rain don't mix unfortunately!!

This wasn't supposed to be a sales pitch but it's turned into one ... sorry!!


Sue xx


7 comments:

  1. Hope you find someone who loves your home. When selling our smallholding I found the majority of people were put off my the amount of work needed to keep the place running. People like the idea of being self sufficient but not the reality. I drive past Fareacre now and again when visiting youngest - it's a mess!

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  2. Interesting what Sue (above) says - I suspect there is truth in that. It is a lot to take on when the chips are down rather than when it is just a pipe dream.

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  3. It's incredible what you've achieved, I hope you get a smart buyer who understands the full extent of your hard graft.

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  4. We have lived here for 32 years now and sunk a large amount of cash into restoring our property too. Sadly I have heard only too often - what a wonderful property - a shame it's in Wales! Yes it rains here, but goodness, Wales is a fabulous country to live in and our beaches are 2nd to none. There are certainly more amenities in Carmarthen than when we arrived (when a red pepper was a rare commodity!)

    I hope that someone who wants to "live the dream" comes along for your house. We are still looking for that elusive buyer as we tend to get someone selling a 2 bed flat in London, who has no idea of living in the country, maintaining land, maintaining a period property or - just living in Wales.

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  5. It's a stunning place and a great achievement on your part. It's an 'Escape to the Country' place.
    It's lovely when a property is so cared for and improved.
    I totally agree with Sue - it deserves someone who will love and nurture the place as much as you two have. It's a big investment in terms of time and energy but will pay dividends to some lucky owner.
    Fingers crossed.
    xx

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  6. It always looks fabulous to me Sue. You have achieved SO very much and worked so hard and I am sure someone else will fall in love with it all very quickly and hopefully be in a position to keep it looking great. A place like yours has always been a dream for me, but you are very right about the amount of work involved and I realise as I get older I may not be able to tackle anything on this scale. Buy sometimes I believe dreams are better just being left alone as dreams - so I'll continue dreaming!! Good luck with the sale - I am looking forward to continuing on your journey with you.

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  7. You have done so much work on your Welsh home, I do hope you manage to sell quickly to the right people.

    God bless.

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