In Australia, acreage is a property of at least one acre in size, often much larger. An acre is 4,047 sq m. Usually, an acreage is used for agricultural purposes, and it can be as big as 20,000 sq m as compared to the typical block size of 400-800 sq m.
There were times when the thought of acreage living had gone into oblivion, but what brought back the realization of living in peace, away from the city hassle was COVID- 19. Yes, believe it or not, half the credit goes to the outburst of the pandemic. People realized how precious it is to live far away from honking vehicles, which was only possible by owning rural land.
With time, the demand for buying acreage has risen and the possibility of people making a purchase in the near future has also increased subsequently.
People often put their acreage into use in multiple ways such as:
Farmhouses
Farmhouses are the central hub of every residential farm. Typically, it might be located near the barn and closer to the road than other structures. In some examples, multi-generational farms have more than one farmhouse, and the larger farms sometimes also have dwellings for the staff members.
Barns
Depending on the purpose of farms, you can have one or more barns.
For instance, dairy farms typically have big barns with stalls for the cattle and a milking area. Large farms can have more barns on the land to house different types of livestock.
Poultry Coops
These are specific barns designed for raising chickens either for their meat or for their eggs.
All poultry coops provide chickens with a lot of space to roam around freely, but each coop style is designed to house just one type.
Livestock Shelters
Either the livestock shelters are permanent or these are portable structures that have less than four walls designed to improve the utilization of rangeland and pastureland. Such structures are not considered buildings.
Livestock shelters have different purposes such as:
- Providing protection from heat, cold, wind, and snow.
- Protecting surface waters from nutrient loading and pathogens.
- Protecting wooden areas from nutrient deposition and erosion by offering livestock an alternative location for shade.
- Improving the distribution of livestock to reduce over-used areas or even correct resource concerns.
Loafing Sheds
Loafing sheds, or run-in sheds are three-sided and built in a training area or paddock. These sheds give protection to the horses from different elements and provide them with a safe and secure environment.
Typically, you will find loafing sheds in areas that have less foot traffic because these are the places where horses relax and unwind.
Silos
Silos are the structures used by farmers to store and protect their grain in bulk. While they can also store other items such as coal, silos are typically used for grains. The materials that are stored in the silos are known as silage.
Farm silos are vertical and can be crafted out of different materials such as concrete and wood. These are the staple structures on an agricultural land to keep the grain safe.
Hay and Feed Storage
Hay and animal feed are important necessities for every farm; it is essential for the owner to be able to care for the livestock. Storing hay and feed in an agricultural structure allows farmers to get more use out of it and also reduces the risk of spoiling.
Cold Storages
Cold storage facilities are important for different farms to reduce post-harvest losses. For this reason, only cold storage structures are allowed on agricultural land. They even also allow farm owners to suffer few losses.
Riding Arenas
Any agricultural landowner who raises horses knows the importance of giving them a daily workout, care, and maintain their health, performance.
This is the reason riding arenas can be built on agricultural land.
Building such structures on farmland provides horse owners with the ability to take care of their animals in a safe, secure and effective environment.
So now you have options to choose from and you can use your acreage just the way you want.
Why Invest in Acreage in Victoria?
Whether you are considering a hobby farm or anything bigger than that, this is the more stereotypical imagination to live in the country.
In some ways, living on acreage is just as wonderful as you imagine. The best things about acreage are:
- Whether your property has a lovely view or you are just surrounded by paddocks, the outlooks on an acreage like the sunrise and sunsets are likely to get just as good as real estate brochures.
- Farming animals, growing vegetables and fruits, creating gardens, you can do a lot of activities on your land.
- One of the biggest highlights is that you do not have to deal with any noise. No late parties will keep you awake and, if you are an introvert, you might like that there is no one trying to chat as you get in the car. Also, you can make as much noise as you like without having to worry or bother about the neighbours.
- For kids as well, it will be a great place, for they will get some time off in nature instead of staying glued to the screens all the time.
But just like the grass is not green in the paddocks. Some of the cons of living on an acreage are as follows:
- It requires a lot of work. With a large piece of land, there is always double the work to be done like mowing, looking after animals, tending to big garden areas, maintaining the fences and the list goes on.
- You have to be aware of snakes. With kids, you have to be extra cautious.
- Driving to different places can annoy you.
- Water availability is a constant consideration when you decide to live on an acreage. You can get reliant on tanks, or if you are lucky enough to have a source of water, it might dry up.
- It is likely that you will also be pumping water from tanks or dams to water crops or gardens, or to provide water to the animals. Water remains a constant question mark on the land.
- You might feel lonely but this also depends on how much time you are willing to spend. If you go out to work every single day, then coming home to your large chunk of land can be peaceful, but if you are mostly at home, you can start to feel a bit isolated.
Just like every coin has two sides, acreage living also has both advantages and disadvantages. You must ignore the drawbacks because the former weighs heavier than the latter.
If you have queries regarding buying or selling the acreage, contact Raine and Horne, Land Victoria.