Building or buying your own horse farm is an exciting experience. One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether you want to buy an existing farm or build one from the ground up. Here’s some tips to help you decide.
Budget
In most cases, the overall cost will probably be the deciding factor for you when choosing between building and buying a horse farm.
If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, your best option is probably to buy an existing farm rather than building.
While you may not get to customize things exactly how you want them, you always have the opportunity for remodeling or changing things further down the road.
If money is no object and you’re confident that you can build the farm of your dreams with no expense spared, you may find that building from the ground up is the best option for you.
Customization
When you purchase an existing facility, you’re working with the layout and floorplans that were designed by someone else.
While you may prefer to have the tack room in a central area of the barn, whoever designed the barn may have preferred to have it near the entrance.
You may prefer to have the hay stored away from the main barn, but the barn you purchase may only feature hay storage above the stalls.
The list goes on, but the main point to consider is just how important it is for you to have customization and control over how your barn looks and operates.
If this is something that you just can’t compromise on and you feel that you may eventually end up spending a large amount of money on renovations anyway, you may want to consider building your farm rather than buying an existing one.
Startup Time
Another important factor to consider is how soon you’ll need to open your barn to the public.
If you need incoming cashflow from boarders or lessons as soon as possible in order to continue turning a profit, you may want to purchase an existing facilities.
All the buildings and structures that you need will already be on the property in working condition; you won’t have to wait for construction to finish before you start taking on new business.
Buying an existing farm means that you’ll be able to begin running your business right away.
If you feel that you’re financially stable enough to go without income until the construction is finished and you’re set on customizing your farm, you may find that building from the ground up is a better option.
Ultimately, the decision is yours and is dependent on what you wish to get out of your facilities.
Use the information you learned here to make the decision that works best for you and your business.
No matter what you choose, we wish you the best of luck with your new equestrian property!
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