Land diversification is becoming more and more sought after, with traditional farming yielding fewer returns than ever before. The question is, what other ideas are out there if you want to start making a real profit from your land?
Of course, you could always sell the land with the help of a land conveyancing solicitor. That said, perhaps you could consider some unique business choices instead. After all, you have the starting point, you just need to think outside the box.
In this article, we’re going to explore eight potential ideas worth considering for your land. If you want to get the ball rolling to make more money from your land, read on…
1. Set Up Glamping Pods
One of the growing choices for unused farmland is to invest in glamping pods set up across the area to welcome visitors for a country getaway. Many of these pods are perfect for a weekend trip; a small home away from home, with a bed, bathroom, kitchen facilities and hot tub.
These can be open all year round, especially due to the welcome relief of the bubbly, hot water of the tub, which is perfect for those winter evenings. Although the initial investment in this for a landowner is certainly large, with the staycation industry booming, it seems a sensible choice.
2. Create a Theme Park
Did you know that Alton Towers in the UK was once a country estate? Well, if you’ve ever been there, you’ll know it certainly feels that way, giving it an eery historical air.
A brief rundown of the history of the Alton Towers estate consists of an Iron Age fort, a Saxon fortress, an 11th-century castle, and finally the Earl of Shrewbury’s seat in the 1400s. It then served its purpose as a hunting lodge and was host to annual summer fetes in the 1890s, involving clowns, fireworks displays, balloon festivals, and more, but it later fell into disrepair.
Finally, the remaining estate was sold to a group of local businessmen in 1924, forming Alton Towers Limited. In the 1950s, it started to take shape into the theme park we know and love today. Perhaps your vacant land could rival that of the Alton Towers estate?
3. Events
With the post-pandemic boom of weddings and other large events, now would be the perfect time to set up an events business on your vacant land. This would be even more effective if your land is host to a lovely manor, barn, or large building of sorts. This way, not only can you house the wedding, but you can also house the guests.
Other than a little cleaning and maintenance, your land will probably already have the infrastructure to cater for this. This could make it a much more money-friendly idea, requiring less of an initial investment than the others.
4. Renewable Energy
Ever been exploring the British countryside and stumbled across some solar panels or a wind farm? Well, these places were once vacant land, just like yours, so perhaps this could be an idea for you.
Again, the initial investment for something like this will be high, but the returns should come years later. This is because the energy source can be sold to the National Grid, and eventually form a profit as each year passes.
What’s more, you can also use the energy you create to power any other business ventures you decide to take up on your land. For example, if you decide to install glamping pods, the energy source in your renewable energy farm can be utilised to keep the gears turning here too.
5. Food and Drink Diversification
You don’t have to think completely out of the box. Instead, you could stick to the more traditional farming realm, with a twist.
For example, vineyards are becoming more and more popular in the UK, and it’s quite a niche that isn’t being tapped into yet. Another example might be cheese farming, exotic meat farming, or anything else you can conjure up.
Vertical farming is also another potential idea. This is when plants are grown in multi-layered buildings using artificial light, a bit like greenhouses. Using far less land than regular farming, this is becoming a much more sustainable option.
Ultimately, these ideas are perfect for the traditional farmers who don’t want to steer too far from their roots but aren’t yielding much from their usual crops.
6. Christmas Tree Farm
Another more traditional idea could be setting up a Christmas tree farm on your land. Although this requires the initial investment of years growing your first few trees, it’ll eventually become a sustainable holiday business.
If you’re excited to get going, you could even purchase the first few years of trees for people to buy from you. This would hopefully help you make a name for yourself in the local area, setting you up for your first home-grown batch later down the line.
Although this isn’t necessarily something that’ll get you profit all year round, it could double up as a business idea alongside the following…
7. Fruit-Picking
Sticking with the traditional farming idea, and along the Christmas tree farming thread, perhaps you could consider setting up a fruit-picking farm. All you need is fruit growing in abundance, alongside vegetables too, ready for visitors to pick, weigh, and buy.
This could work seasonally too, with a pumpkin patch for any Halloween lovers. It’s perhaps the closest thing to traditional farming, without having to do the harvesting yourself.
8. Petting Zoo
Maybe you have lots of animals on your farm that you don’t want to get rid of, but also don’t want to turn into meat. Well, one option for these furry friends could be to set up a petting zoo.
Again, this isn’t something that requires too much investment. If you have the livestock available, all you’ll need is some health and safety implementations and maintenance, and you’ll be set.
Ready to Make Use of Your Vacant Land?
In this article, we’ve explored just eight of the hundreds of potential business ideas for your vacant land. There are plenty more ideas, but hopefully, these have opened your mind to the possibilities so you can choose what’s right for you.
Have you had any experience diversifying your farmland? Be sure to leave your experiences in the comments down below.
Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained business or financial professional. Be sure to consult a business or financial professional or adviser if you’re seeking advice regarding the use of your vacant land. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.