Buying a farm – What you need to know

Your guide to making a secure, informed investment in rural property

For many, purchasing a farm is not just a property transaction—it’s a long-held ambition and often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With such a significant investment, it’s essential that every aspect is thoroughly considered.

At Moore Barlow, our rural law team offers expert legal support to help you make a confident, informed purchase with the right structure and protections in place from the start.

Getting started – Planning ahead

Before you begin the search for the ideal farm, it’s important to establish your financial and legal foundations. That means deciding who will purchase the farm—whether as an individual, partnership, or limited company—and preparing a robust business plan, especially if external funding will be required. Engaging early with agricultural accountants, land agents and a specialist solicitor ensures that when the right opportunity arises, you’re ready to act with clarity and confidence.

Farm values continue to remain strong, with price varying significantly based on location, soil quality, and development potential. Whether your goal is working the land, creating a rural business, or preserving a lifestyle investment, understanding market expectations early can help shape your strategy.

How farms are sold

Farms can be offered for sale as a whole or split into smaller lots, with vendors often favouring the latter to maximise returns. Farmhouses, outbuildings (sometimes with planning permission), and parcels of land may be marketed separately to attract a wider pool of buyers.

It’s wise to visit any property at different times of year to understand seasonal changes in land condition—especially with farms marketed in late spring or summer when everything looks its best. Properties may be sold through:

• Auction, where contracts are binding the moment the hammer falls. While this route is less common today, it offers little flexibility and requires all due diligence to be completed in advance—often at the buyer’s cost, regardless of the outcome.
• Formal tender, which involves submitting your best and final offer by a deadline. If accepted, contracts are usually signed immediately.
• Private treaty, the most typical method, where negotiation is handled more flexibly via a land agent. This route allows for full due diligence, confidential terms, and the ability to withdraw if material issues arise.

Legal due diligence – what to expect

Once you’ve found a suitable farm, your solicitor plays a key role in identifying risks and ensuring the purchase is secure. This includes reviewing the contract pack, conducting a full suite of searches, and raising legal enquiries that go far beyond a standard property transaction.

Your legal adviser will check whether the land is registered, assess the title, and ensure there are no disputes or unauthorised occupiers. Searches will reveal critical issues such as rights of way, environmental designations, tree preservation orders, conservation area status, chancel repair liability and any planning breaches.

Importantly, if the property has been part of an environmental stewardship scheme or subject to any grant or subsidy agreements, you’ll need to understand your obligations—many of these require formal undertakings via a deed of covenant.

Mineral rights, agricultural tenancies, historic easements and overage clauses also require close scrutiny. Your solicitor’s role is to leave no stone unturned—under the principle of caveat emptor (buyer beware), sellers are under no obligation to disclose issues not directly raised before exchange.