5 Mistakes To Avoid On Your Property

For many property owners, acquiring our first bit of land sends us over the moon. We have finally reached the moment in life where we see our dreams turn into a long-awaited reality. However, this sense of overwhelm and excitement often sees new property owners jump straight into mistakes many seasoned peers would suggest they avoid.

Buying Too Much Land

This may not seem such a problem if your property is already purchased, but it can be. For many of us, our properties are surrounded by other masses of land that often will be pitched for sale by neighbors or local farmers that no longer see use in the parcel.

Acquiring more land may seem like a good idea, but the reality is that much thought needs to be put into how much land you need and what you need it for, instead of how much land you want.

With great amounts of land comes great amounts of responsibility and chores.

What does the landscape look like? Does it have a beautiful collection of trees on the boundary separating you from neighboring land? Are you equipped to remove fallen trees that make their way into neighboring lots? Will you have to call a professional for this? Is the lot filled with long grass? Will you be able to clear it yourself, or do you have a neighboring farm that will be able to come cut and bundle this for their use?

It’s always important to consider the laboring and logistical needs of land before buying it.

Not Asking For Help

Many of us, property owners, are guilty of taking on too much DIY. Sure, part of the dream is putting our hands to good use. But there are most definitely times where calling in professional help will save you time, resources, and cold, hard cash down the line. One of the most common mistakes that property owners make is overestimating their ability to address their property’s needs.

As many seasoned property owners will tell you, there is great strength in understanding your abilities and knowing your limits. If you are not well equipped to install those new gutters, please call in a professional. Remember that many needs such as roof tiling and tree falling are very dangerous activities even for seasoned professionals. Call in a helping hand!

Related: Easy DIY 165 Gallon Rain Harvester

Too Many Animals, Too Soon

First comes the land, then comes the animals. But newly acquired land does not mean you are quite ready for step number two.

Much like the amount of land you acquire and what you need the land for, the same train of thought should be put towards acquiring animals. Once you establish what animals you want, you must then consider your landscape and seasons and whether it is a good match for your selected animals.

Of course, one of the most important things to consider is your own ability to care for your chosen animals. Is there sufficient space? Grass to graze? Can you provide suitable shelter and have fast and reliable vet access?

And though it may seem obvious, many property owners are guilty of adding new animals to their land before the land is prepped and ready.

Be sure to have the shelter, fencing, and food and water access set up before bringing your new animal friends home. It will save a lot of stress, worry, and guilt.

Growing More Than You’ll Consume

If you are not planning on selling your crops and homegrown fruits and vegetables at local markets, it’s important to avoid growing a selection that exceeds what you actually consume.

This applies to not only the amount grown on your lands but what you choose to grow as well. This is not to dissuade you from experimenting with new fruits and vegetables – it’s important to try (and hey, it may turn into a new staple at mealtimes), but gardening takes a lot of hard work and resources.

It’s best to preserve these things by putting most of your efforts towards items you know will be consumed and not tossed away. Assess the space you have for gardening and crops and make a list of things to grow. 60% of items that you know you will console regularly. 25% of items that you would enjoy adding in occasionally, and 15% of things that you would like to experiment with within your garden.

Buying New

Properties require quite a few tools and machinery to keep up with the land and its structures. But before you go running off to your nearest home maintenance store, consider buying used.

Many property owners like to keep up with the newest, shiniest models of the tools and machinery that hit the market, and if you are a similar personality, enjoy your new toys!

But for those who are keeping a closer eye on your savings accounts, this means that second-hand, gently used items are available on the market. Look at the local classifieds, stop to glance at the bulletin boards at the entrance of local grocery stores, or even let your neighbors know what you’re looking for. There is a big chance you can acquire all of the tools and equipment you’re looking for at a fraction of the cost.

Life, as we all know, is full of hard lessons learned from the mistakes we make.

But here, you have an example of 5 mistakes to avoid on your property to keep you from falling into the usual pattern. Remember before rushing to make decisions to heavily consider your options, as well as asking yourself if you are capable of taking on specific duties if you are prepared to take on certain responsibilities, and if you are in need of certain elements of home ownership, instead of simply wanting these elements.

Being sure that you are keeping these common mistakes in mind, you can be sure to a smoother start on your new property. Best of luck, and congratulations on your newest life chapter!

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