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Guidelines for Marketing Your Horse Farm
or Equestrian Estate
By Jamie McDevitt*
The idea
of watching horses grazing peacefully
outside the back door is a
dream-come-true for many horse farm
buyers. So, if you are planning on
selling a horse farm or other equestrian
real estate, there are some details that
potential buyers will consider in
addition to the pastoral image of
rolling hills and endless fences. When
you are preparing to market your home,
you should always make an effort to get
it ready with a thorough cleaning and a
few repair items. A horse farm is no
different; and potential purchasers of
horse farms are usually just as
concerned about their horses as they are
about themselves. If you are selling a
horse farm, here are some important
details that you should consider
addressing and a few tips to make your
farm or horse property attractive to
buyers:
The
Barn: While barns are difficult to
keep clean, make sure that you are doing
your best! Get rid of cobwebs, keep
barn aisles swept, and make sure stalls
are “mucked” with fresh shavings before
all showings. Consider purchasing
rubber mats for each stall. While
relatively inexpensive for the seller,
most buyers ask if stalls have rubber
mats and consider them a necessity.
Fencing: Prior to putting your farm
on the market, evaluate the current
fencing to make sure all fence boards
are intact; and replace any old boards
if necessary. If you plan to install
fencing before putting your property on
the market, wood fencing is the most
appealing to potential buyers. Wood is
traditionally beautiful and generally
safe. Whatever kind of fencing that you
use, remember that the primary job of a
fence is to safely contain horses. The
last thing you want a buyer to be
concerned about is a horse escaping or
getting hurt. That said, the aesthetics
of your fencing will add appeal and
beauty to your horse property.
Pastures and Turn Outs: On every
horse farm, there should be ample room
to turn out horses. Just as stalls
should be kept clean, so should the turn
outs. Mucking as well as mowing and
trimming, especially in the spring and
summer, is often necessary to keep the
pastures maintained and groomed.
Arenas:
Your equestrian estate or farm
should have an existing arena or room to
accommodate one. Don’t underestimate
the cost of building an area or
improving an existing one. Footing is a
considerable investment that will affect
the soundness of horses and the amount
of maintenance the area will require.
Keeping the arena dragged and manicured
is also important. While horse
enthusiasts love a trail ride, many of
the equestrian buyers coming to our area
are serious competitors and use an arena
almost daily.
Follow the
above tips and your horse property will
be ready to show!!
*Jamie
McDevitt is the owner of McDevitt
Sotheby’s International Realty. She is
an expert in Horse Farms in the Southern Pines, and Pinehurst , NC area. |
