How might you invest a large sum of money?
I'm in the fortunate position to be receiving a sum of money under unfortunate circumstances, which we so often find ourselves in. I'm still at this stage unsure of that sum I will be receiving but I believe it will be an amount that would help me purchase a humble three bedroom home outright. However, it is the humble home which I really don't want. Instead I would prefer to purchase a sizable amount of land instead. Here in the UK, 20-40 acres would be about £150,000. That is the same amount of a very humble ex council property with three bedrooms.
Affordable housing to buy in the UK.
have been a council tenant for the past seven years and it has not been an experience I have liked all that much. There is drug dealing, parties, fighting and just a general disrespect towards other residents and the properties. The vast majority, are decent, hard-working, respectful folk. It is the few who have a significant negative impact. It is always the way. The property I live in is also a flat rather than a house. Therefore I haven't enjoyed my own private outdoor space. This experience along with my memories of growing up in a large village has left me desiring a life I can not afford and yet long for. So how do I ensure I achieve the life I long for?
Well, first we need to understand why the life in the country is so out of grasp for most people? The issue is planning along with overpriced housing and a housing shortage. Obtaining planning on your land can cost tens of thousands of pounds even before the home is built. This includes the cost of the architect to design the house along with all the changes the council will inevitably insist on. Those bills will hike up rapidly. Will you be able to afford it in the end?
Well, first we need to understand why the life in the country is so out of grasp for most people? The issue is planning along with overpriced housing and a housing shortage. Obtaining planning on your land can cost tens of thousands of pounds even before the home is built. This includes the cost of the architect to design the house along with all the changes the council will inevitably insist on. Those bills will hike up rapidly. Will you be able to afford it in the end?
It is at this point you really need to read up on the rules, regulations and laws surrounding the use of land, planning and what constitutes a dwelling. Once this is understood, if you are willing to forgo certain luxuries then you can indeed build yourself a home without planning permission. I have seen many perma-culture, homesteaders take this route as a way to kick start their life in the countryside, without paying the overpriced costs of existing housing which require a large mortgage. Unaffordable to most.
Another appealing side of this lifestyle, for myself is that I can in theory, sustain my own life, living off of what I produce on the land while also making a living from it in various ways. I could use it for camping, growing and selling vegetables and flowers. A family farm with a cafe. Pick your own, was always something I used to do as days out with my parents. No doubt there will be parents who want to do that with their children too. There are many ways to utilise the land once I have it. Personally, I consider it to be a far better investment than a house. With a house you get your building and the garden. Nothing more. Sure you can work from home, but most people don't.
Another appealing side of this lifestyle, for myself is that I can in theory, sustain my own life, living off of what I produce on the land while also making a living from it in various ways. I could use it for camping, growing and selling vegetables and flowers. A family farm with a cafe. Pick your own, was always something I used to do as days out with my parents. No doubt there will be parents who want to do that with their children too. There are many ways to utilise the land once I have it. Personally, I consider it to be a far better investment than a house. With a house you get your building and the garden. Nothing more. Sure you can work from home, but most people don't.
Distancing myself from the mundane high streets we see today is also incredibly appealing. Yes I appreciate they are necessary and that society has progressed beyond the local butcher, green grocer and fish monger, but is this really such a good thing? No matter which city I go to, I see the same shops, supermarkets and branded stores. I know before I walk in, what it is I will see. And that knowing has lost it's appeal. It has become boring. I am in desperate need of some adventure in my life and I have been quite literally regulated out of having it. So I feel I have been given this chance. An amazing opportunity. And I don't want to waste it.
There are a couple of issues surrounding this idea. Firstly, the idea that I may have to stay put in my flat for many years to come. It is a dreadful feeling of imprisonment in a 'home' with no garden. This would be very difficult for me to continue without losing my mind completely. This can certainly be challenged in that I can wait for a more suitable property to apply for. This could take years. Many years. The other issue I have is that people who know about this situation always advise me to buy property. This is their own tried and tested experience. They likely don't understand that I do not wish to follow their life. I wish to follow my own. I'm on the search for freedom. It is simply the case that our ideas of freedom are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
One thing is for sure though. I will have to work very hard in reducing my outgoings and increasing my savings. And this is the point of this blog. My anti-establishment nature sees me wanting to avoid consumer convenient products and instead try my hand at making my own cleaning products, beauty products and for the first time try my hand at gardening. Hmm, that's right. I have never done gardening. Perhaps the reason I get told to buy a house rather than tens of acres of land. Regardless, I'm determined to give it a try when the opportunity arises. And so this is what this website is about. It is my journey in finding what I consider true freedom. And I won't truly know what path I can go down until March 2020 when I receive this lump sum of money.
One thing is for sure though. I will have to work very hard in reducing my outgoings and increasing my savings. And this is the point of this blog. My anti-establishment nature sees me wanting to avoid consumer convenient products and instead try my hand at making my own cleaning products, beauty products and for the first time try my hand at gardening. Hmm, that's right. I have never done gardening. Perhaps the reason I get told to buy a house rather than tens of acres of land. Regardless, I'm determined to give it a try when the opportunity arises. And so this is what this website is about. It is my journey in finding what I consider true freedom. And I won't truly know what path I can go down until March 2020 when I receive this lump sum of money.