Debts and loans

Once all the talking has been done and doubts have been overcome, you have to make a decision to start. It is best to set yourself a timetable. A date has to be set on which you will contact estate agents in one or more areas, another on which you will visit an area, and so on. The only date that should not be fixed is one by which you should have moved because, until you find the right property, it is impossible to tell when that will be. Finding the right property is the easy part; you just have to keep on looking. The difficult part is making the serious decision to embark on smallholding as a way of life.

Finally, going into smallholding with a rose-tinted misconception of it is disaster. Above all, be realistic, make your plans carefully and stick by them unless given 100 per cent proof that they are flawed.

The time for research is before you make any positive move such as resigning, selling your house or whatever. The most obvious type of research is to read books. Try to concentrate on factual books dealing with specific areas of interest. Avoid those which glorify the idea of living in a semi-derelict shell, half way up a mountain with a stream running through the house. Build up a file of information, addresses, references and the like. Once running your holding you will no longer have the time for such academic pursuits. If you intend keeping livestock, try to go on a farm holiday where you can actually get your hands dirty. It is much easier to learn about farrowing a pig by being there and actually taking a piglet as it is born and breaking the cord than just reading about it in a book. It is worth visiting markets to see how they function and to follow the bidding as well as getting up-to-the-minute information on prices.

If you feel that you are going to need reference books, buy them before you move because the money will be less available afterwards. For your non-agricultural ventures(s) you need to be fully informed before you move so that the least possible time is lost once you have settled in.

Any specialist venture that you consider undertaking should be extra carefully researched as they can sometimes appear superficially very profitable, because of the lack of information available. Then on further investigation a flaw may be found, throwing all your calculations out. This could be high initial investment, high mortality/failure rate or just a very unpredictable demand for the produce. It is important that you know your venture intimately from set-up to market Look for other people who are already doing similar things; they may be willing to share their knowledge with you. If they are not, the worst you can get is a blunt refusal and that will not hurt you financially, whereas a serious misjudgement on the saleability of a product could.