Old Acquaintances, New Land

When I moved to the village, while travelling on the bus to and fro, I spotted a car that I recognised. It was not so much the car but the registration number. As its a personalised one, I knew the person who owned it.

As I may have mentioned previously, I used to live I North Shields, a fishing port near the mouth of the River Tyne. While there I became acquainted with a couple of chaps who were involved in business and particularly the property business. While we were never going to agree on much, I did earn some grudging respect from them because I stood up for what I believed in and my thoughtful prospective on the world.

So one day while out on my wanderings when I heard a voice call out “Get your hair Cut” I knew who it was. I told him that I had seen his car in the area, and we had a chin wag about things. It was about the time that I was looking for the place I am in now, as while I said I was looking for a place, I was not willing to pay an over inflated rent. He as a landlord told me that I was talking out of my bottom (He used another phrase). So I explained, not for the first time, that by charging a more reasonable rent he could then select better quality tenants. Further, he would not have the problem of having a property empty for months on end. Here in the North East the average time that a property remains empty is nine months. With tenancies only lasting six months, properties remain unoccupied for nearly two thirds of the time.

Anyway, we parted having exchanged telephone numbers, but I had not really expected to hear from him. While great for a chat in the Pub with, we were never really close buddies. Therefore I was surprised when last month I got a call from him. He wanted a chat about a business idea. So yesterday I went over to his for a meal. Big posh house, even though I had dressed up, I still felt a little out of place, far to much frippery for my taste.

After talking about the old days (you have to read that as though I am ninety years old, what do you mean you thought I was older!), he confesses that had he not listened to me then, he would have lost a fortune when the dot com bubble burst. I had said then that most of the businesses were seriously over valued as they were not making any money, they were in fact loosing money, and that I thought it would all end in tears. As he had made a tidy sum from technology stocks, he got out about two months before that crashed.

Then he had heeded my comments about rents and now had all his properties rented out and while not making vast profits was making some money. Further, he had for the first time, retained a tenant rather than them moving out after six months. Well one persuaded only a million to go.

However, while it was my previous clear financial thinking that had made him realise that I was more astute than he had previously credited, it was my knowledge of Natural History that had prompted him to contact me.

It turns out that several years ago he and a couple of partners had bought some land with the aim of building on it. However, planning permission was refused because of a number of environmental factors. One being rare species on the site. For seven years they have tried every means to get permission to build but every application has been refused. What he was wanting from me was some plan or ideas that will allow them to build.

They had been so confident that they would be able to build houses that they had paid over the odds for the land. However, they have never been able to do anything as in two of the properties there were sitting tenants, plus the other larger property was falling down. Further there are covenants associated with the land.

So during this meal I agreed to go and look at this land. This I did today. It is a wonderful setting but isolated. The two cottages are stone and very dilapidated. It looks as if while they have owned the properties they have done nothing to improve them. The substantial farm house is literally falling down. This is why he/they want my help as since one of the sitting tenants died late last year, they are looking for a caretaker to reside there. The former farm house has to be demolished. Also, they are finally carrying out the repairs needed (desperately) to the cottages.
Additionally, as the land is a wildlife haven and an part of an ancient woodland they need to know what's actually living there. So I am being offered some “free” accommodation and a small wage to look after the land and carry out a survey. However while I am interested, I also pointed out that if I were to take on the task, I would need to keep paying for my home. Also while I would get paid for doing something I would want to do anyway, I would need more than they are offering.

It could be a great opportunity as there is a substantial Badger sett just yards from the cottage, and I saw a Sparrow hawk as we walked up the track to the derelict farm house. Also as the farm still has a pond, I have no doubt there will be plenty of wildlife there too. The old lady who lives in the other cottage told me that often a heron visits the pond.

Therefore, if the pay offer can be improved I will have a difficult decision to make. As I do like where I live, but to open my door onto a wildlife haven is seriously tempting.

Lastly, the owners of this land are looking for ideas to use the land, so if I were to take it I may be able to guide them towards something genuinely sustainable.