Top Tips for Buying a Farm in Australia

In Australia, the attractive life is not limited to the city. As a developed country with more empty land per person than most others, the outback life in Australia holds its own charm. It’s not so difficult to purchase a non-urban farm property here. Most Aussies prefer to purchase sprawling vineyards, fields, or cattle farms several dozen kilometres from major cities like Melbourne and Sydney. These buyers can simultaneously enjoy the appeal of the countryside while also being in close proximity to the city. If you are thinking about trying out the farm life in Australia, here are several tips to keep in mind:

Find a Knowledgeable Agent

Hiring a rural property agent who is highly knowledgeable about the local area should be a top priority when buying farming land in the countryside. Most realtors specialise in residential properties. There are significant differences between home and farmland, obviously. So you would want to work with an expert who knows what they are doing. When you have questions, the realtor must have a good understanding of farming land to answer your question. Therefore, make sure you hire a specialist.

Understand the Legal Requirements

There are far more legal requirements involved in buying farming land that residential land. For example, there will be state and national laws with regards to animal welfare, weed and pest control, fire hazards, use of pesticides and other chemicals, and so on. State and local governments would also have laws with regards to fencing and setting boundaries. In other words, there will be a number of cumbersome laws and rules to adhere to. Therefore, hire a good lawyer early in the search process. You definitely don’t want legal problems to show up after you make the purchase. For example, sometimes heritage and conservation issues may come up with certain land areas. You should be aware of these before you buy the land and not after.

Are There Any Infrastructure Present?

Are you buying bare land or is the land already prepped with some infrastructure for farming purposes, such as barns, plumping, and fences? If such is present, make sure these match your plans for the farm. Consider that if the infrastructure is not as you want it to be, you might have to spend a lot of money making renovations or remodelling. Therefore, don’t buy a farm just because there’s some infrastructure. Make sure it matches you needs.

Check What’s Near By

Even the most isolated farms need to transport produce to the market. The farther away the point for selling goods is, the higher the transportation costs would be. Therefore, calculate the distance to the nearest town or buyers to make sure you don’t run up transportation costs.

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Test the Soil Type

If you know even a little about farming, then you know that growing crops largely depend on the soil type and access to water. It’s highly recommended to have an independent soil test done before making the purchase. You can check what the realtor already provides, but there should be an independent test as well.

Mind the above when buying a farm in Australia. Make sure you check all of the above in the initial process of searching for non-urban land.