It’s true that the more assets and wealth you have to deal with in life, the more problems and challenges you may face. That’s not to say that this isn’t a good problem to have, it absolutely is, nor does it mean those without such privileges are lucky to have no problems at all. Rather, the more you have to think about it, the more things can go wrong. This is true no matter your income, but certainly true if you’re doing well and are trying to expand to some degree.
This is often how “lifestyle creep” becomes a factor in people’s lives – perhaps after a promotion they get used to small luxuries or higher standards that mean their lifestyle isn’t quite as abundant as they had assumed, their budget being cut by a thousand directions at once.
The same could be said for certain lifestyle outcomes that seem great at the time, but which may provide something of a challenge. For example, if a rural farmer nearby is auctioning off a small amount of land at a good price (perhaps an acre or two), or you’ve found a cottage to move into with this attached, you may wonder what to do with it.
In this post, we hope to help, so this “asset creep” doesn’t confuse you and lead to a sense of planning ennui. With that in mind, please consider:
Implement A Smallholding
If you’ve ever wished to keep some small farm animals as pets, it can be nice to run a smallholding of a modest kind. It doesn’t have to be for profit, though rearing pigs or turkeys could potentially help fill your freezer at the end of their life cycle. Starting small makes sense – perhaps a vegetable garden or a modest chicken coop to begin with, but you could also grow to local pigs or geese or whatever gives you the most joy. It’ll help you contribute to the local farmer’s economy and make some good contacts in your area.
Install Simple, Effective Structures
If you have land, and you get decent permission, well you can build on it. A well-designed garden office could be a good place to start, and be a peaceful workspace away from household distractions. Moreover, shed homes can be a wonderful middle ground between an independent structure and a comforting shelter that can be constructed with ease. That way, you can potentially welcome guests if you needed or event rent the space out depending on the allowances you have.
Rewilding
Rewilding offers perhaps the simplest yet most impactful approach to land management, for obvious reasons. Mother Nature knows more than anyone, after all. If you’d prefer it, you can let nature gradually reclaim the space while providing subtle guidance so it does so well. If you plant native wildflowers, install bird boxes, or create a small pond, you could attract some natural wildlife to the space. You could even attract bees for pollination too, which is vital to our food economy. This doesn’t mean just letting the place fall into a disheveled outcome, but again, it can certainly add some life and character to the space.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to manage your rural land with care.
