Woodland may not be the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about land, however this alternative is now becoming more popular to investors. Buying woodland is a relatively new trend - who had heard of people buying woodland recently, and moreover, what would likely be done with it?
Woodland sales have historically been large acreages with the main use for purchasing being timber production. Typical locations would be in Scotland or Wales, for example, approximately 750 acres near Inverness, costing around £800,000. This size of woodland could yield revenue from selling timber but it also requires maintenance and experience to do so.
In recent years a rise in demand for woodland for sale has meant more areas and sizes of woodland is avaialble to purchase. Whilst it remains a specialist sector and tends to be sold by specialist land agents, you can now find your idyllic piece of woodland for sale in a variety of locations around the UK.
In the past two years there has been a rise in woodland sales for carbon offsetting, ie, as a green product. For exampler, saplings require CO2 in order to grow. Once a sapling begins to grow, it will begin to absorb CO2 and convert it into sugars and other chemicals essential to their development, releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. This process, known as Carbon Sequestration, means that people who buy enough young woodland can offset their lifetime carbon emissions and create a healthier environment.
The majority of woodland for sale is still relatively cheap and is mainly sold in blocks of 50 acres and above. However, most people look for small, private woodland of around 10+ acres. Since woodland requires maintenance, this is a manageable size for the average enthusiast, but finding smaller woodland with good access is fairly difficult, meaning it is a more likely purchase for recreational rather than development purposes.
