Maintenance of a house with a large territory: a crib for the owner

Briefly about the main thing

When purchasing a house, the buyer always "gets" with it a plot that needs to be constantly looked after and maintained in proper condition. As a rule, small houses are accompanied by a small territory and vice versa, however, there are always exceptions in the real estate market.

A special category of properties are villas with a large territory, reaching several hectares. The purchase of such housing is very attractive, since the private territory with additional buildings makes rest and permanent residence abroad as comfortable as possible. However, the impressive area of the garden requires a lot of attention, sometimes even more than the house itself. Therefore, before buying, you should definitely weigh everything "for" and "against" and calculate the amount of monthly and annual maintenance costs as close to reality as possible.

Experts recommend that every potential owner of a villa with a huge garden take into account the fact that such properties belong to a special category and, as a rule, are less liquid and it is more difficult to find new owners.

Purchase features

In different countries, there are different requirements for the maintenance of the territory adjacent to the house, due to official differences in the designation of plots and land categories. It can be either just a recreation area or land for agricultural activities. So, for houses in residential settlements, the norm may be the mandatory presence of a lawn and the owner is obliged to maintain it in perfect condition. Otherwise, a municipal fine awaits him. For a number of sites, a garden with fruit trees, vineyards, etc. will require constant care. It will be possible to convert special-purpose lands for recreational purposes only after obtaining special permission from local authorities. Therefore, before buying, it is necessary to find out in advance from the realtor the category of the plot and the basic requirements for its maintenance.

Countries

As for the countries and the size of the areas adjacent to the houses, then, of course, in states of small area, on islands, resorts with high building density, cities with high land prices, the average size of the plots will be smaller than in regions with a vast territory.

If we talk about trends, then an impressive amount of supply of houses with large plots of land is represented in the south of France. Here you can find eco-estates, huge villa hotels, manicured vineyards, etc. Often buyers who have not found a suitable site on the Cote d'Azur "cross the border" and start searching in Italy, where there are many interesting offers on the market, including historical villas "restored or in need of renovation. These directions are the European "standard" for those who are looking for a house with a large territory.

Traditional houses with impressive plots can be found in the Alpine regions, but the object for purchase must certainly be located in an area with developed infrastructure and, in the case of Switzerland, be within the quota allowing foreigners to purchase.

In general, investors who are aiming to buy a villa with a large plot are unlikely to look towards, say, Cyprus or Spain. In general, in Cyprus, villa plots have a much smaller area: and if in France a "spacious garden" will be called an area of 10 hectares, then in Cyprus, inside the country, not at sea, the largest area will be considered approaching 1 Hectare. On the coast, on the contrary, the site may be quite small. The same applies to areas where housing on the coast with fairly dense buildings is in the greatest demand - Spain, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro.

Site selection

In order for the transaction to be successful, the potential owner must necessarily enlist the help of a professional real estate agency that has impressive experience in a particular market and will help you choose a house with the "optimal" plot. After all, in addition to its aesthetic qualities, it is worth considering the "technical" ones;: the condition of the lands, their flooding during rains and river floods, the presence of cracks, soil creep, etc. In general, everything that the buyer cannot evaluate on his own, even with a very thorough inspection of the site. In countries with hot climates, gardens require very careful, literally constant, care: plants need a lot of moisture, and sometimes the absence of an owner or gardener literally within a week can mean the death of all plantings.

That is why the choice of owners of houses with a huge plot is often to hire a manager who permanently resides on the territory and controls the performance of all necessary work. A reliable management company can perform the same function.

Basic costs

So, the main costs of maintaining a large area include:

• Garden and lawn care (gardener);
• Design of the territory (landscape designer);
• Regular cleaning of the pool;
• Cleaning of additional rooms;
• Maintaining cleanliness and order;
• Territory management (private manager, management company).

The manager will also prepare the house for the arrival of the owners or guests, ensure the purchase of food and necessary goods. The amounts needed to maintain the site in perfect condition can almost always be calculated in advance. You can also use the experience of neighbors and ask how much they spend on average on caring for the territory. For example, for the maintenance of plots of exclusive villas in Italy, an average of up to 1% of the cost of ownership should be included in the annual budget.

Examples of expenses

In general, the cost of maintaining a property with a large territory will depend on the country, location, land area, its characteristics, landscape features, garden design, availability of lawns, swimming pool, additional buildings and the number of residents. To these factors, you should definitely add a "spare" amount in case of unforeseen expenses.

For example, we can consider the annual maintenance of a typical Italian villa of 500 sq.m. m with an area of 1 Hectare worth 700,000 euros:

• €1500 – annual property tax;
• €1500 – garden care;
• €1000 – pool care;
• €500 – water supply;
• €1000 – garbage collection;
• €1000 – electricity;
• €500 – gas, without room heating.

Of course, the costs for each individual object will be strictly individual, but on average the prices are at this level. Thus, the total average amount for the maintenance of a house with a large plot will be from 7,000 to 10,000 euros per year, but it can be either higher or lower depending on the characteristics of the property.

Price examples

An elegant mansion of 230 sq. m. in France, in the suburbs of Paris, just 25 km from Charles de Gaulle airport, furnished, with high-quality finishes in a classic style, equipped with all necessary appliances, with an area of 1 Hectare will cost the buyer 840,000.

A historic villa in Italy, on the border of Tuscany and Umbria, with an area of 420 sq. m, seven bedrooms and a plot of 1.1 hectares, costs €950 000. At the same time, the price of exclusive properties with an area of 12 hectares, a 750 sq. m mansion made of stone, with a luxurious adjacent garden, in Tuscany, will already be 3.5 million euros.

A stunning mansion in the USA, in New Hampshire, with lake views, a home theater, exclusive finishes and an elegant garden spread over an area of 3.5 hectares, will cost the buyer $11.6 million. At the same time, a real ranch with an area of several hectares in the southern states can be bought for less than $1 million.

In Spain, in Maresma, a modern house with a swimming pool and a plot of about 1 hectare will cost €695,000.