[staringclown]

I have been looking at property values within 45 minutes of Canberra.

Compare and contrast this house and land package a stones throw from where I live now.

607m2 block 230m2 4 bedroom house in Wright $859,950

versus

60 hectares 4 bedroom house 50 km from Canberra $885000

45 mins commute each way to work which wouldn't be great. But some in sydney do more.

60 hectares to do something with. I am thinking about growing some truffles. Need to save for a couple more years.

[ummester]

Work with a guy who lives in Cooma - he's got an hour each way but his rent is nothing compared to ACT and so are the places he is looking at buying. As an APS4 in Cooma, he's probably as well off as an EL1 in ACT:) But its a lot of travel, so the car is salary sacrificed of course.


Biggest problem with long travel time to and fro work is kids and schooling needs - if I didn't have them, I'd be out of the ACT already. Even renting with a bit of space around you would be better than being surrounded by Canberrans:)

[Ruffian]

staringclown, on 08 October 2011 - 02:59 AM, said:

I have been looking at property values within 45 minutes of Canberra.

Compare and contrast this house and land package a stones throw from where I live now.

607m2 block 230m2 4 bedroom house in Wright $859,950

versus

60 hectares 4 bedroom house 50 km from Canberra $885000

45 mins commute each way to work which wouldn't be great. But some in sydney do more.

60 hectares to do something with. I am thinking about growing some truffles. Need to save for a couple more years.

The property has been designed by someone with money and some degree of foresight.
It looks like it has most things you could want. Good water, good fences, good wiring. I think I'm drooling slightly.

But it's an awkward size - too big to run on your own (particularly if you work 9-5) and yet not big or profitable enough to warrant a manager (at least I think so - not sure of circumstances in your neck of the wood exactly), so it may be a kind of super-sized hobby farm. A really, really good one.

As for the 45 minute commute - pffft. I spend an hour in the car morning and night most days (it's complicated), and I am 12 km from the city centre. If Adelaide can be said to have a city centre... I wouldn't let that put me off, either.


BTW truffles have quite specific growing requirements, you need hazelnut or oak groves and a long lead-in time. A lot of new-world truffles seem to lack much pungency, so if you really could make it work, you would be very well placed indeed...

[staringclown]

ummester, on 08 October 2011 - 11:31 AM, said:

Work with a guy who lives in Cooma - he's got an hour each way but his rent is nothing compared to ACT and so are the places he is looking at buying. As an APS4 in Cooma, he's probably as well off as an EL1 in ACT:) But its a lot of travel, so the car is salary sacrificed of course.


Biggest problem with long travel time to and fro work is kids and schooling needs - if I didn't have them, I'd be out of the ACT already. Even renting with a bit of space around you would be better than being surrounded by Canberrans:)

Yes Ms clown and I work with a few people that live out a bit. They give us eggs and rabbits, (soon) and we value add by cooking stuff and taking it to work. I love the barter system.

I just can't believe how much extra you get for your buck only 45 minutes away. And you get to avoid Canberrans.

Quote

The property has been designed by someone with money and some degree of foresight.
It looks like it has most things you could want. Good water, good fences, good wiring. I think I'm drooling slightly.

But it's an awkward size - too big to run on your own (particularly if you work 9-5) and yet not big or profitable enough to warrant a manager (at least I think so - not sure of circumstances in your neck of the wood exactly), so it may be a kind of super-sized hobby farm. A really, really good one.

As for the 45 minute commute - pffft. I spend an hour in the car morning and night most days (it's complicated), and I am 12 km from the city centre. If Adelaide can be said to have a city centre... I wouldn't let that put me off, either.


BTW truffles have quite specific growing requirements, you need hazelnut or oak groves and a long lead-in time. A lot of new-world truffles seem to lack much pungency, so if you really could make it work, you would be very well placed indeed...

I think you are right about the size. But gee it looks like a nice property. I don't know much about agistment but I was thinking that could be an option. I know less about farming sheep.

I have been thinking about the truffle idea for a little while. I know some people that know a local grower. It is by no means a low risk enterprise.

Apparently you need:

Poor quality free draining soils with a PH of around 8
The cost of liming the soil is around 12-15k per acre.
Hot summers (with rain for the spores to set, so drip irrigation) Cold winters (at least 7 frosts).
Cleared areas away from other trees (other trees have their own mycorrhiza which can interfere)
The minimum lead in is five years but early experiments had a lead of up to 10 years.
You can hire dogs or have one trained.
You can grow them on virtually any scale.
Hazelnut, Holly oaks or English oaks

I don't know what sort of yield can be expected so I'm in the process of finding out. There is website for australian growers. They will put you in touch with a grower close to your area (if the grower is willing) They were fetching $1200 per Kg this season.

I couldn't give up work until I had a substantial part of the mortgage paid off anyway so it is more a retirement income idea. I know that they do grow successfully around here as I went to a truffle dinner a couple of years ago eating the local product. In fact there was an article in the AFR saying that has been two years of successful harvests of between 3-4 tonnes. This is too much to sell on the local (or european) market so more work needs to be done to market the product to the US and Asia.

Anyway it's one idea. You can't do much without land though. There has to be others that utilise poor quality free draining soils.

This post has been edited by staringclown: 09 October 2011 - 05:37 AM

[zaph]

staringclown, on 09 October 2011 - 05:36 AM, said:

Yes Ms clown and I work with a few people that live out a bit. They give us eggs and rabbits, (soon) and we value add by cooking stuff and taking it to work. I love the barter system.

I just can't believe how much extra you get for your buck only 45 minutes away. And you get to avoid Canberrans.



I think you are right about the size. But gee it looks like a nice property. I don't know much about agistment but I was thinking that could be an option. I know less about farming sheep.

I have been thinking about the truffle idea for a little while. I know some people that know a local grower. It is by no means a low risk enterprise.

Apparently you need:

Poor quality free draining soils with a PH of around 8
The cost of liming the soil is around 12-15k per acre.
Hot summers (with rain for the spores to set, so drip irrigation) Cold winters (at least 7 frosts).
Cleared areas away from other trees (other trees have their own mycorrhiza which can interfere)
The minimum lead in is five years but early experiments had a lead of up to 10 years.
You can hire dogs or have one trained.
You can grow them on virtually any scale.
Hazelnut, Holly oaks or English oaks

I don't know what sort of yield can be expected so I'm in the process of finding out. There is website for australian growers. They will put you in touch with a grower close to your area (if the grower is willing) They were fetching $1200 per Kg this season.

I couldn't give up work until I had a substantial part of the mortgage paid off anyway so it is more a retirement income idea. I know that they do grow successfully around here as I went to a truffle dinner a couple of years ago eating the local product. In fact there was an article in the AFR saying that has been two years of successful harvests of between 3-4 tonnes. This is too much to sell on the local (or european) market so more work needs to be done to market the product to the US and Asia.

Anyway it's one idea. You can't do much without land though. There has to be others that utilise poor quality free draining soils.

that house looks good. 60h is too big to be a hobby and too small to be real farm. good luck.

[staringclown]

zaph, on 09 October 2011 - 06:12 AM, said:

that house looks good. 60h is too big to be a hobby and too small to be real farm. good luck.

Yeah I don't think I want a real farm and I won't get this one cos the mortgage would currently be a tad large for my comfort zone. There are a lot of land only deals around though at the moment with 10-20 acres. Anyone know anything about building straw bale houses? This I could do manage now.

[zaph]

staringclown, on 09 October 2011 - 06:29 AM, said:

Yeah I don't think I want a real farm and I won't get this one cos the mortgage would currently be a tad large for my comfort zone. There are a lot of land only deals around though at the moment with 10-20 acres. Anyone know anything about building straw bale houses? This I could do manage now.

i'll pop down and give you a hand with a straw bale house. it's my wet dream.

[staringclown]

zaph, on 09 October 2011 - 06:41 AM, said:

i'll pop down and give you a hand with a straw bale house. it's my wet dream.

You're on. Funny, I have another mate who is keen to help build one as well. I think he wants to see all the mistakes it's possible to make building one before doing his own. Fair enough too I say.

[Easy Tiger]

zaph, on 09 October 2011 - 06:41 AM, said:

i'll pop down and give you a hand with a straw bale house. it's my wet dream.

Same here. Not the part about giving staringclown a hand though. I’m to lazy to do that

[staringclown]

Easy Tiger, on 09 October 2011 - 07:41 AM, said:

Same here. Not the part about giving staringclown a hand though. I’m to lazy to do that

There will be southern fried chicken and beer.

[Easy Tiger]

staringclown, on 09 October 2011 - 08:01 AM, said:

There will be southern fried chicken and beer.

Boutique beer?

[staringclown]

Easy Tiger, on 09 October 2011 - 08:03 AM, said:

Boutique beer?

Name your poison!