Questions to ponder
What is the property going to be used for? Greenhouses? Horses, and or other livestock? Do you want an income producing property and what type of income: Growing vegetables, berries, raising chickens, cattle, a variety of small and large livestock. All the above? It matters and helping you find the right property that fits your goals is very important.
Do you need a water licence? If you want to farm commercially then you will need to know about water licenses, if you are not familiar with how it works.
Are you familiar with the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in BC? If not, you can check https://www.alc.gov.bc.ca/ for information about this. Permitted uses in the ALR is a good category to start with.
Did you know you can get farm status without having to live on ALR land?
How important is the house to you?
For some rural property owners land is often more important than the house itself. Buying is a deeply personal choice and must be treated and recognised as such
Key considerations include:
- Zoning and permitted land use – Each municipality has its own zoning, on top of that if property is within the ALR, it will have the ALR zoning as well.
- Water quality and quantity
- Septic systems and capacity
- Drainage, soil quality, and exposure
- Drainage is related to soil conditions and or natural slope on the property.
If you are planning on constructing buildings, where should you build them on the property for sun, shade, and/or to mitigate water. When it rains here, it really rains and we need to have ways to deal with the water.
Access, easements and charges on title that may affect property use
Understanding what the land can and cannot be used for helps avoid costly surprises later.
Proximity to riding trails or farming communities
Long-term land potential and maintenance
Is this a long-term property or a short-term property for you?
Do you want a fully, or partially developed, or undeveloped property?
Do you have the skills and or funds to develop a property further?
If you are considering buying bare land, what do lender require for a down payment?
Oftentimes, as we learn, we come up with more questions. Questions are always welcome and I will do my best to help you find the answers you need or steer you in the right direction to find the answers of someone with the expertise. These types of properties can be complex.
I live on an acreage within the Regional District of Nanaimo, and our property is also with the ALR. We bought it as raw land. It did not have a well or septic. It took 4 tries for us to find enough water to sustain ourselves. We paid for 2 drilled wells and 2 dug wells (classified as shallow wells) and dug by machine. The drilled wells did not produce enough water so, really, they are expensive holes in the grounds, as a result I have a wealth of knowledge from my experience developing raw land and I am more than willing to share my knowledge.
