Back to site

©2024. All rights reserved.
Crafted by 4Property.

When is a good time to sell your farm?

That is the million-dollar question. There is no good or bad time. Sometimes circumstances
dictate; the unexpected death of the farmer could force a sale but generally the client works in
consultation with their agent to decide the best moment to bring the property to the market.


Speaking of consultation, we were recently asked to offer our expert opinion on the
forthcoming sale of a farm in the Munster region. It would have been an exceptional farm,
but it had not been farmed since 2005. In spite of nearly 20 years of neglect, when we walked
the lands we only came across one clump of rushes in the entire 60 acres. If it had been any
of the farms I generally walk, we would not have got in the gates with rushes!


There was however very strong grass and hedgerow growth on the lands; in fact, the grass
was so dense it nearly took two hours of hard walking to cover around 30 acres. The farm has
a lovely south-west aspect; the very good free-draining lands have a natural fall to a local
river which is useful as a water supply. The lands have no fences to speak of and while the
natural boundaries are good, they would not be sufficient to contain grazing livestock so we
advised the vendor to get the lands mulched and recommended getting as close to the boundary hedges as
possible.

We did something similar on a farm that we sold in Kerry a few years ago and it worked
really well, with the vendor getting a very successful outcome. We would advise leaving 6-8
weeks after mulching to get the farm ready for sale. You will benefit by allowing fresh grass
to grow through, making it look lush and green for the sales video and photos. If you have
enough notice and time, aim to mulch in September/October and put the farm on the market

in early March the following year; this will give lovely fresh grass for the purchaser and give
the agent the best opportunity to get good quality photos and videos for the sales process.

There are also other aspects that need to be considered when selling a farm, such as whether
single farm payments (SFP) are associated with these lands.


If so, are they currently being claimed? Are they for sale with the land? Did you know that
they can be sold separate from the lands? Sometimes land is more valuable when sold as bare
(no SFP); it depends on who the purchaser may be.


Other issues to consider before selling are whether there is a tenancy in situ on the lands. I
know of a case where the vendor has to sell and there is currently a tenant in situ. This
complicates matters for the vendor and could make it difficult for third-party purchasers to
buy. Our advice in this scenario would be to try and break the lease, but this is not always
possible if farm schemes and tax relief schemes are tied into the agreed terms.


Is the vendor in any agricultural scheme? Breaking the terms of a scheme could trigger a
penalty for t.

If there are no impediments to a sale, one of the first professionals we advise any vendor to
see is their solicitor who will check all title documents are in place and discuss any issues that
need to be addressed before selling.


We know that selling can be a difficult decision. We offer a personal and professional service
to all our customers and will treat your sale like it is our own, taking care to get the best price
possible for you, the vendor, but also being mindful of your wishes for the sale.

Thinking of selling your property in Kerry and beyond?

We at Mannix Property Services sell property in all of Kerry and beyond.
Please register your details here and our Client Services department will be in touch
to see how Mannix Property Services can help. Alternatively, call Brendan on 086
050 8804
Check out our blogs section for sellers tips, buyers tips, market updates and advice
on how to prepare your property for sale to ensure it achieves a top price.

Pagespeed Optimization by Lighthouse.