ᐅ Is a 3,000 square meter (approximately 32,000 square foot) plot of land practical?

Hello,

I’m new here and want to start right away with a question. I hope I posted it in the right subforum.

My husband and I are still at the very beginning of our “building a house” project. We have been searching for a plot of land for some time but haven’t found the right one yet.

Now there is a 3,000 m² (0.7 acres) plot for sale. It has no zoning plan and is relatively affordable.

While my husband only sees the large amount of work that must be involved, I see it a bit differently. I understand his concerns, but at the same time, I imagine it would be wonderful to have so much space: a vegetable garden, greenhouse, fruit trees, maybe some sheep and chickens, a pond, and so on.

Of course, all of this involves a lot of work and can only be accomplished if both of us are fully committed. But aside from that, I would like to know if anyone has experience with such a large plot.

How did you make use of the space?
If you grow a lot of fruits and vegetables, can you mostly live off them?
How many years did it take until your garden looked the way you imagined it?
Please share a bit about your experiences and whether you would do it the same way again.

Thank you very much in advance!

Vogelmama

Definitely not something to take on if you have a full-time job. With a 3,000 m² (32,300 sq ft) plot, you’ll be busy just maintaining the garden. If you also want to grow fruits and vegetables, maintain a garden shed, and perhaps have a pond, it becomes a full-time job. Growing your own vegetables also means storing your harvest, especially if you plan to "live off it." I grew up on a 2,800 m² (30,100 sq ft) plot. The amount of biomass produced on this area each year is astonishing. And you don’t just have the option to trade it—you have to. And that’s where the fun ends.

Only about 650 sqm (7,000 sq ft) of garden – after two years it is still not completely finished because a) it’s expensive and b) the garden also "grows" and requires regular adjustments and fine-tuning. We also have fruit (apple tree, cherries, Asian pears, currants, kiwis, strawberries...) and a little bit of vegetables. That’s enough for me...

It would be way too large to properly manage and maintain if both people are working full-time.

If you rely solely on that for food... unfortunately, you also need shoes; meaning, you either have to become a farmer or consider it a hobby. The size may also bring obligations and costs, such as neighboring roads, fencing, a riding lawn mower, etc.; it is also unrealistic to maintain this area in a suburban style. If all of this is taken into account, why not? I would have done it if such an area were available in our location – a few sheep grazing, an orchard…

First: A plot of land without a local development plan and cheap? Where is the catch here?
Is it designated as a building plot?
Is it fully serviced (connected to utilities)?

Vogelmama schrieb:
While my husband only sees the many tasks that are surely involved, I see it a bit differently. I can understand his concerns, but at the same time, I imagine it would be great to have so much space.

Although I am also a man, I basically have to agree with him. If the plot is already fenced, that is a huge amount of work. Just mowing such an area takes about half a day per week. My wife also always sees the many great possibilities, but in the end, the work still needs to be done. Anyone moving from a 60m² (650 sq ft) apartment to a house twice as big with a 600m² (6,460 sq ft) garden will be surprised at the amount of work involved, but that is nothing compared to your project.

Vogelmama schrieb:
How and with what did you fill the space?

I have no idea how to reasonably fill such a large space, unless you do agriculture or animal husbandry (such as horse paddocks, etc.)

Vogelmama schrieb:
If you grow a lot of fruits and vegetables, can you mostly live off of that?

No! Fruits, yes— you could probably supply half the village, but the harvest season is short, and afterwards you can only preserve by canning or juicing. That takes time and is different from fresh fruit. Also: How much fruit do you really need per year? Usually, 1–2 trees of each fruit variety are more than enough for personal use.

For vegetables, you need a lot of space to fully supply yourself. You would have that space, but it also needs to be managed. Furthermore, not everything can be stored, and for the “stored” produce, appropriate storage rooms are necessary. If you are interested in this, consider joining a farming cooperative that offers such services. Having your own vegetable garden is nice because you know where the food comes from and it often tastes better than store-bought. However, it is definitely not cheaper and will not sustain you throughout the entire year—unless you are very flexible with your meal planning.

Vogelmama schrieb:
How many years did it take until your garden was as you envisioned it?

That obviously depends on the current condition of the plot, but 10–15 years is certainly not unrealistic. It could also be done in 5 years if everything is already in good condition and your expectations are modest. However, if you want to build a house at the same time, in my opinion, anything under 10 years is pure illusion. Also, you should be aware that you won’t need a TV because your evening and weekend entertainment will take place outdoors.

I would love that and would take it immediately. If you have sheep, you don’t need a lawn tractor. You can also plant fruits and vegetables gradually; it doesn’t all have to be done at once. We have 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft), which is too small for many trees to still grow anything substantial. Still, we don’t even have a lawnmower—we don’t HAVE to mow, and we don’t HAVE to rake leaves either. Unless, of course, you prefer a sterile, lifeless design with golf-course-like lawns (weed-free!) and gravel areas (“rock garden”). That would really excite me!

Especially for my little squirrels, that would be perfect—some nice aviaries...