Agricultural & rural property advice
Rural property rarely presents a single issue in isolation. A valuation may affect succession planning; a tenancy may influence development or environmental opportunities; a new income stream may alter the long-term use and value of a holding. Good advice therefore starts with understanding the property as a whole and what the owner or occupier is trying to achieve.
Geering Chartered Surveyors advises farmers, landowners, tenants and rural businesses across Devon and Cornwall. Instructions range from one-off valuations and tenancy matters to ongoing strategic advice, estate management and the coordination of wider professional teams.
Our approach is deliberately practical. We take time to understand the holding, the people involved and the commercial reality before recommending a course of action.
Agricultural and rural valuation
We undertake valuations of farms, agricultural land, farmhouses, buildings, woodland and mixed rural property for a variety of purposes. Rural valuation often requires more than applying a rate per acre: occupation, tenure, development potential, environmental commitments, diversification and the relationship between the component parts of a holding can all be relevant.
- Inheritance Tax, probate and succession-related valuations.
- Capital Gains Tax and retrospective/historic valuations.
- Valuations of whole farms, bare land, woodland and mixed rural portfolios.
- Agricultural and residential apportionments where required for a defined valuation purpose.
- Valuation advice connected with tenancies, rights, easements, covenants and compensation.
- Strategic and development land valuation.
Landlord and tenant
We advise both landlords and tenants on agricultural occupation, including Farm Business Tenancies and matters arising from older agricultural tenancies. The right structure depends on the land, the parties’ objectives and the wider succession or business position, so agreements should not be considered in isolation.
Advice can include new lettings, rent and terms, succession and restructuring considerations, surrender or variation of existing arrangements, and the practical management issues that arise during the life of a tenancy. Legal documentation is dealt with alongside the client’s solicitor where appropriate.
Succession and strategic planning
Succession is about more than tax. It can involve ownership, occupation, business structure, housing, family expectations and the future management of the land. We work with families and their existing accountants and solicitors to provide the property and land input needed to turn a wider succession plan into something workable on the ground.
That may involve establishing current values, reviewing occupation arrangements, considering future lettings or restructuring, identifying development or diversification opportunities and helping clients understand the consequences of different options before decisions become irreversible.
Estate and land management
For clients who do not require a traditional full-time land agent, we offer a flexible management and advisory service shaped around the holding. This can range from a periodic strategic review to ongoing assistance with tenants, contractors, property matters and projects.
The objective is to provide the continuity and familiarity of a resident agent without imposing a service that is larger than the client needs.
Environmental schemes and natural capital
Environmental policy is now a material part of rural land management. We advise on agri-environment schemes and the way environmental opportunities interact with farming, tenure, land value and long-term management.
Rupert’s MSc research at the Royal Agricultural University examined natural capital and conservation arrangements in the context of agricultural land valuation. That research informs a cautious, property-led approach: the potential income from a scheme matters, but so do the duration of the commitment, management obligations and the effect on future flexibility.
- Sustainable Farming Incentive and other agri-environment opportunities.
- Natural capital and land-use strategy.
- Biodiversity Net Gain and longer-term land commitments.
- Woodland, habitat and conservation considerations.
- Coordination with ecologists, planners and other specialists where required.
Compensation, rights and rural property problems
We also advise where land is affected by utilities, access, easements, covenants or public works, and on valuation issues arising from the grant or extinguishment of rights. These matters can appear small on a plan but have a disproportionate effect on how land can be used, occupied or developed.
When might you need us?
- You need a farm or land valuation for probate, tax, succession or another formal purpose.
- A tenancy is being created, reviewed, varied or brought to an end.
- Your family is considering succession and needs the property position understood alongside tax and legal advice.
- You want to review how a farm or estate is managed and where value or resilience could be improved.
- You are considering SFI, BNG, woodland or another environmental opportunity and want to understand the property implications.
- A utility, access arrangement, covenant or other right is affecting your land.
To discuss your land or property, or for an informal chat about how we can help, get in touch here.