So we are possibly going to be buying a larger property with a decent size pond on it (4 acres).  The property itself is mostly wooded but does have some large grass areas near the house.  We are currently on 1/2 acre in a subdivision.  What are some things about living on a large property that most people don't think of?  I know I will be needing some sort of ride on/tractor to mow the grass.  Any other big gotchas that I should know?  Any big expenses with having a pond like that?  Thanks!

We have 106 acres that we live on.  There are two smaller creeks that run through it and one property line is a river.  Trespassers are a problem around the creeks and especially along the river.  If the pond is known for fishing there will be people that show up saying that they have permission from the owners...even if you are the current owner.  Post your property line and get a number for the local fish police if you want to try and prevent that sort of stuff.



That was a big unknown for us.



CHRIS

Keep the pond properly stocked with fish, it will help with the mosquitoes.
Also keep the areas around the pond and house cut and trimmed so you can spot snakes.

How big is the property?

Have it surveyed before closing, neighbors tend to encroach on property that appears unused/unmonitored different states leave you with different options on dealing with it, they should also tell you about any easements, seriously consider those. Make sure none of the resource rights have been severed.
If you plan to fence it, plan to spend a lot of money.

Thanks for the replies everyone.  The property is 16 acres total with the 4 acre pond on it.

We have ten acres and I could not keep it up w/o a tractor.    I bought a new one, being my first one I wanted a warranty.  Knowing what I do now, I would have bought a well used one with the implements I wanted.  It would have saved a lot of money.

For the lawn: It is mainly wooded, so instead of a z/t mower, I could get away with a regular riding mower for the grass.

Good luck, and another plus one on keeping the pond stocked and the grass cut back to the waterline.

I spent 17,000 on fence this week.  Thought I could do it myself releasing I couldn't sucked!   And it takes a long time to clear land by hand,  get  two good chainsaws, a big bar for falling and a smaller one fir limbing.

I would definitely have it surveyed either before you buy or have it done right after you buy. Then I would spend time walking it and thinking about what your plans are for the property. If you have a lots of woods it may be worth calling a few foresters to see what they think. You will need a chainsaw to start thinning and keeping your fields from being over run. I personally don't have a tractor yet but it is on the list, I could use it for mowing right now but a riding lawnmower does the job it just takes forever and doesn't cut very well when the grass gets tall.

Then its time for chickens and all the other good stuff the property gives you room for.

Have it surveyed before you buy so you will know your boundaries.  Build a fence.  If  you have a lot of woods and have trouble with building a fence hire a dozer to clear you out a fence row.  A good dozer operator can clear a fence row in a day or two if the land is fairly flat and nothing crazy to work around or through.  Find out your county/state laws on private land and trespassing.  Our local laws require you to have No Trespassing signs at gates and on fences.  Not everyone is going to recognize that your land is yours and you payed for it.  Put up some well hidden game cameras if you suspect people trespassing or poaching and put up their picture everywhere you can.  Social media such as Facebook can be very helpful in identifying people who know they shouldn't be on your property.

What type and what length?

Presumably that's a lot of fencing to consider tackling yourself.

This is good advice.  Always have a pin survey done before you buy property, previous owners and neighbors often misplace fences - this has happened to me twice, pin survey saved me both times.  Ask the surveyor to use long metal pins - mine only planned on using wood stakes w/ an orange ribbon.

Most states require you to put up No Trespassing signs if you want to keep people off your land.

Your biggest issue w/ a pond will be if the dam leaks and has to be fixed, so walk it and look for seapage - it should also have a spillway and/or an overflow pipe, make sure both are in good order.  Ideally, there shouldn't be trees growing on the dam either.  

We had 16 acres when we lived in OK and I walked the entire piece of property before we bought it.  We started on 5 acres, then moved up to 16 and honestly, 16 acres isn't much land - we're looking at buying 40 acres, which I still don't think is a lot.  

A 35hp tractor is a good size for 16 acres.  2wd will work unless it's hilly, then go w/ 4wd.  A front end loader is worth the money.  

The forums at tractorbynet.com are invaluable when talking about tractors and owning property and everything related to it.

This.

Spend a few bucks and get the game cameras that text you pics (as opposed to having to check an SD card) in real time. After you send a few trespassers/poachers to jail, word will get out and people will stay away.

I live on an 160 acre off the grid property in southern Oregon and in my opinion time management was the biggest eye opener for me. When you first move onto your property your going to have ideas running through your head on what you would like to do or what you feel you need to do. Look at your goals and what your trying to accomplish. If your trying to homestead or live off grid then it gets even more complicated. The other big thing for me was to know what kinds of recreation activities there are to do off property. After a long week of working (either on your property or your conventional job) it's nice to have a reprieve and sitting around your place thinking about all the work that needs to be done isn't it. Just my experience.

I almost quoted every post in this thread with a +1

OP... go back and re-read every post and start making a list.

They nailed it.

TRG

Thanks for all the info everybody!  We went out and looked at the property today.  The land itself is beautiful.  We saw 2 deer the first 5 minutes we were there.  Lots of fish in the pond/lake.  Great timber.  The house, was a dump.  It was really disappointing.  The house was built in the 80's and has been seriously neglected.  It was really bad.  It would need so much repair work, it would be better off bulldozing it and starting fresh.  It had stairs on the porch that weren't all the same height for each step (don't building codes address that?).  Roof clearly sagging in some areas.  Insect damage to the exterior.  I think the homeowners did some of the construction themselves, and it shows.  It was just a mess.  Very sad.  Thank you again for all the great info, I will keep this all in mind as we continue the search.

FWIW...I just purchased 30 acres.  

I found it while looking at price comparisons for another property.

No matter how much you are 'in love' with a property, there is always something better just around the corner.

Don't get emotionally invested.

If the house is going to be torn down, then you need to seriously look at the 'negatives' of equipment, men, hours, materials, disposal, EPA, sewer, fees, dumping, etc.

In the words of Dave Ramsey, "When it comes to real estate, you only make money on the 'buy'"

Unless you are purchasing this property for under market value, in cash (so interest does not eat your profits), you should not make the purchase.

TRG

Sadly, when searching for homes on land, you'll look at a bunch of duds before you end up finding the one you eventually buy.  We did and unless you're looking high end farms and ranches, you'll run into a lot of junk.  It took us almost two years to find our last home on acreage.  We're still a year to two years away from buying, but we've started the search now.  Part of the reason for the quantity of junk is that in a lot of counties if you live in the unincorporated county, there are few building codes.  I lived in Logan County, OK and you could literally go from hole in the ground to finished house w/o even pulling a permit.  

Keep looking, you'll eventually find the one that's right for you.

A lot of rural areas have no code requirements. In a way, your freedom to do what you want on your property is dependent upon the previous owner having had the same freedom. This can be good and bad, depending on the previous owner(s).

It sounds like the last guy to work on that place was a real hack. Look very, very carefully at all framing, plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc. Are the studs, rafters, and joists spaced on good centers? Did they try to span too much area with too light of a panel for flooring or roofing? How many layers of roof are installed? Did they run the electrical correctly and size wire, breakers, etc. correctly? Is the ductwork and HVAC sized properly? Is it insulated properly? Etc., etc.

When you see a glaring problem, expect a dozen more to be hidden under the facade.