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Planning your Dream Property with Mark Salmond of Beautiful Farms
This article is from the November 2019 Horse Deals magazine.
Planning your dream property will take time, effort and money (depending on your dream of course). Done well it will be extremely rewarding and will result in a significantly better finished product than the “ad hoc - make it up as you go” plan.
There are a number of things you need to consider when planning your dream property. I have outlined the key considerations below.
The first step in planning your property is to make sure you (and any other stakeholders involved) know and agree on the goals, direction and objectives of the property you are about to plan. By this I mean knowing such things as; what is the purpose of this property, what will it look like, how long will it take and how much money do we have to spend? Once you know what you want to create then you can begin the planning.
This step is ideally carried out prior to purchasing your dream property.
When looking to purchase your property you need to consider the aesthetics for sure – things such as natural features (rolling hills, trees, water and views etc) however, please make sure you also consider the following:
Does the property have abundant water for your requirements? This is absolutely vital and will only become more important as time goes on. Research this aspect thoroughly – seasonal creeks, leaky dams, poor quality or no underground water are all potential problems. If the property does not have multiple water sources (e.g. a dam/s, bore, creek etc) keep looking.
What weeds do I need to look out for? I know this is not technically a planning issue but if your property is covered in Fireweed or Giant Rats Tail grass, for example, your dream will not be so much fun.
Fire and flood? What are the properties flood and fire vulnerabilities – these two issues will both impact on your safety and enjoyment as well as the actual planning of the property e.g. infrastructure location etc.
Neighbouring properties – be mindful of the impact “ugly” neighbouring properties and/or neighbours can have on your dream – ideally, you want enough space or the ability to hide these types
of properties.
Once you have your property you can then begin its actual planning. Start with a sketch of your property (Google Earth, survey plan etc), make plenty of copies and “experiment” with a number of different designs/scenarios. Over time a plan that suits you and your property will emerge – do not hurry and if in doubt procrastinate some more and perhaps seek advice from a respected local farmer or advisor.
The development of a theme for your property is a major consideration early in the planning stage if you wish your property to have a well thought out and potentially attractive look.
The following are 4 simple themes (there are many more) to consider for your property:
Rural
The farm look – split post and wire (barbed or plain) fences, post and rail entry features. Infrastructure (sheds, cattle yards, tree guards etc) on rural properties should ideally be constructed using bush carpentry methods and hardwood timber, corrugated iron and other “timeless” building materials.
Modern farm/acreage
These are typified by more recent innovations and styles, for example, an entry feature of metal, stone or concrete, an automatic gate, infrastructure made up of metal yards and sheds, concrete driveways etc.
Formal
A good example here is the “horse property.” Straight lines, geometric paddocks with sawn timber fences and frequently painted. These properties look great with formal plantings such as an avenue down a driveway.
Rustic
Typified by the old stable or shed with any new infrastructure required to be made out of recycled timber and old iron. Railway sleepers, relics from bygone days, windmills and the like all look great on
these properties.
An important point to note here is that whilst you can mix and match the above styles, or any others for that matter, you need to do it carefully. We have all seen properties with a bit of this and a bit of that – it is not pretty.
Some important traps to avoid from a theme perspective;
• Don’t go in half-cocked with regard to any of the important “theme” related tasks on your property. If you want to get stuck in, great – go and attend to weed control or pasture renovation – both important tasks with little or no influence over the theme.
• Don’t let short term budget constraints influence your choice of theme. Instead, consider extending your time frame for the project and spend what you need to get what you want.
• Do not property plan around existing infrastructure that does not fit in with your theme. If you are not sure about it, don’t plan to include it long term.
WATER
As water is crucial to the functioning, viability and aesthetics of rural properties it is an important next step in any planning. Identify the existing and potential sources of water for your property. Ensure you maximise your properties water resources. This can be done by correctly positioning (building) dams, utilising any creeks or wetlands and/or installing a reticulated water supply system (ideally a system of gravity feed troughs). The farm dam is both a good source of water and a potential feature – the location of these take priority as there will be limited options regarding their positioning. Bigger is better in most cases and I would suggest you discuss your options with a trusted earthmover/dam builder at this stage.
PLANNING LOCATIONS
The next step in planning a dream property is to locate the things most important to you e.g. house, stable, gardens, picnic areas etc. Ensure you consider the properties natural features when locating these things. For example, a picnic area should ideally encompass views, shade and accessibility. Another consideration here is to “spread the love” across the property – create areas of interest everywhere. The driveway is an opportunity to highlight and appreciate these features and areas of interest – let it meander past trees and water.
(N.B. This step is different from the planning of a normal acreage/farm where functionality is often more important – e.g. cattle yard location, fence layout etc).
SUBDIVISION
The subdivision of your property should be done next. When designing a property layout or plan you need to consider
- Availability of water – each paddock will need a reliable source
- Soil types – where possible separate different soil types (for example clay-like soils should be separate from sandy soils). Whilst drainage has not been a pressing issue of late it is important your property is designed to allow for water to run off and also for wet areas to be cordoned off if necessary
- Landform and slope
- Vegetation types and pasture species. Good fences are absolutely vital to the effective and efficient management of rural properties – particularly in terms of weed control and pasture management. It is worth noting at this point that from a purely aesthetic point of view a property will look “better” (the exception being the very formal horse stud or agistment property) with nice flowing lines and gradual curves. I refer here particularly to tracks and driveways, tree lines and dams.
WORKING INFRASTRUCTURE
The properties working infrastructure – its sheds, yards, stables, arenas and the like should, where possible, be located on easily accessible, well-drained and level ground. The individual structure and its aesthetics will determine how “visible” it should be. Most sheds detract from a view and should be concealed behind trees or other natural features (be conscious of security issues if they are well hidden from view) however, an attractive stable or arena, for example, can enhance a properties appeal. Be mindful of noise, dust, smell etc if locating these structures close to the house.
TREES
Trees should be part of any holistic property plan with benefits in the shape of aesthetics, shade, soil stability, screening and windbreaks. Screening is a particular benefit of trees and should be used where roads, sheds, neighbours or other “unsightlies” are involved. Trees should be fenced off from stock.
NATURAL FEATURES
Not all properties are blessed with natural features or unlimited potential – some require a bit more work and a little imagination. Take a good look around the place before you go and manufacture something. Some of the best-looking trees (particularly figs and gums) can often be hidden in a mass of undergrowth (camphor laurels etc) and simply by cleaning out underneath and around you have a feature. Even the presence of rocks can be turned into an attraction rather than a nuisance. A fire pit (a partially buried ring of rocks up to 3 metres in diameter) can look good and becomes a focal point for a paddock – especially when positioned near shade or water. This area can then be used for picnics etc. Rocks can also be used to retain unsightly banks or slopes and as features on their own or in groups in planted areas.
Implementing a plan can be expensive. It may well be necessary to prioritise and schedule in stages the implementation of this plan. NB. Don’t think you have to do too much or all of it at once. One of the biggest mistakes I find is people who try to do too much with limited resources – everything ends up looking substandard. Remember a few things done well look far more attractive than a lot done poorly.
Revisit your original plan regularly. Each time you make a change or an improvement to the plan, review the result in line with your goals and expectations. Stop once you have made the difference you want – remember not to overdo it and or create a clutter.
Good luck.
Article written by Mark Salmond of Beautiful Farms.
The photos seen in this article were not designed by Beautiful Farms and are style examples only.
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