I get requests for acreages all of the time and many ask for large acreages. Requests in the 30-40 acre size are not uncommon. I always caution buyers that while it may sound nice to have a large lot, it may be more of a burden than you want. To give you an idea of what 1 acre looks like take a look at these numbers.
1 acre = 208 x 208 feet
1 acre = 100 feet x 435 feet
1 acre = 43,560 sq. ft.
1 acre = about a football field 100 yards x 50 yards
1 acre = ½ mile of roadside 16.5 feet wide
Before deciding on how many acres you need you have to consider what you plan to to do with your property.
Generally if you are looking for a just a home with a roomy peaceful setting in the country, room for a garden and a large yard you can probably fit all of that on 2 acres, with room to spare. Remember that will be the size of 2 football fields.
If you intend to add more to your acerage, especially animals you'll want to begin expanding your thoughts on the size of your lot. Grazing animals such as cows or horses need lots of grass if you plan to graze the lot. Keeping pasture healthy means you do not want to over burden the pasture with to many animals. Doing so will encourage weed growth, kill off beneficial grasses and cause erosion problems. You can find many rules out there about how many animals per acre you can have on your lot but generally 2 large grazing animals per acre or 6 small grazing animals per acre will be enough room for you, and will keep your pastures in good condition with a reserve always ready if you separate your pasture into pieces. In dry years grasses will grow much slower and in times of drought grow very very slowly. Additional room or irrigation may be needed for years such as this to avoid over stressing your pasture areas.
Will you add structures to your property? If you have animals most likely you are going to have some type of shelter for these animals. As a practical matter it might be best to keep the structure as close as you feel comfortable having it to the home. While the temptation is there to place it a longer distance from the home consider these things. The farther away it is, the larger your lot will be, the longer you will have to run water and utilities which is costly. It also means a great deal of walking back and forth which all takes time, time you could spent doing other things.
Mowing is always an issue with an acreage. As your acreage size increases so does the amout of mowing and maintenance you must do. It also determines the type of mower you will use. On a small residential acreage you can get by with a run of the mill 22 horsepower riding mower. As you get larger (>5) you will be looking at buying an acreage tractor for mowing duties. Beyond 30 acres, maybe 40 you will be looking at buying a small tractor to help you handle all of the chores.
Fencing in an issue that relates to acreage size as well. Fencing can be very expensive, sometimes more expensive than the barn itself. The more property you have, the more feet of fencing you will have to build or pay to have built.
It is important to think out your purchase ahead of time. Don't purchase more acres than you can take care of or it will rob you of your enjoyment of living in the country. Remember, you want to move to the country to enjoy yourself, not work constantly.
Watch for our nationwide marketing on TV airing 15 times per week to over 80,000,000 homes. Our recreational properties TV program airs on the M.A.N. Channel, The Sportsmans Channel, Fox Sports South, and The Pursuit Channel.
CONTACT JASON Cell Phone: 402.250.1006 Email: Jason@gowithjason.com
Jason's Websites: Loess Hills Land For Sale
Whitetail Trophy Properties
Smith Auction Marketing - Iowa Auctioneer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jason Smith is a Land Specialist and Real Estate Auctioneer with Whitetail Trophy Properties. Jason offers property listings as well as land auctions in Iowa. As a sportsman himself Jason enjoys archery and muzzleloader hunting for whitetail deer. In college Jason studied Fish and Wildlife Biology and specializes in rural properties only including Iowa hunting land, recreational land, farms and rural building lots. Jason also manages over 260 acres of hunting land using QDM. As a member of the (QDMA) Quality Deer Management Association he has joined ranks with whitetail enthusiasts across the United States in controlling and growing a healthy whitetail population for all to enjoy. Jason is a member of the Iowa Auctioneers Association, National Auctioneers Association.
;)
;)
