Rural Sales - Market Comment
Head of Rural and Professional
Keep up to date with the latest properties, rural business insights, market commentary and events:
Join mailing listThe national farmland market in 2024 was the busiest it's been for some years. It was influenced by a General Election, anticipation of CGT changes in the Autumn statement, and, following that, the unexpected proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.
All this is alongside the reduction in farm subsidies through the transition period, which requires farm businesses to review how they do things and restructure as needed. As ever, changes in economics, government and taxation lead to business decisions being made and more significant market activity as a result.
According to a recent survey undertaken by Savills, which was recently published in the Farmers Weekly, there was an increase in the number of larger farms being sold in 2024, with 56% of farmers selling to either manage debt, financially restructure, or invest capital elsewhere in pursuit of better returns. Nationally, the increase in farmland values was less than 1%; however, within the southwest, their survey reports stronger demand and a rise in values for bare arable land of 5.7%. The market for residential farms was more challenging. That said, these market trends can be very different in regional hotspots.
One hotspot is the Cotswolds, where Butler Sherborn is a residential property and farmland market specialist. "2024 was our busiest year yet where we sold a record level of farm and equestrian property," says Richard Greasby, head of the Rural Department. "Around 25% of our sales have been private/off-market, and 62.5% have been agreed in excess of the guide prices". The Cotswold remains a very popular area with buyers ranging from existing farmers looking to increase their holdings and non-farming investors to entrepreneurs and celebrities alike. The proposed Inheritance Tax changes, effective from April 2026, may influence some buyers and sellers in the market; however, we are not expecting values to change noticeably in 2025.
Butler Sherborn has a very exciting year ahead with new instructions to bring to the market during 2025. This includes a wide variety of properties from both our equestrian and rural team, from a residential farm with several hundreds of acres, bare land, and many more instructions in the pipeline.
We have a strong book for potential buyers, so if you are thinking of selling your farm, equestrian property, or bare land, then please call Richard Greasby or Ben Way to discuss your plans confidentially.
Land Sales and Acquisitions | Butler Sherborn
Richard Greasby
E: richard@butlersherborn.co.uk
T: 01285 883 740
Ben Way
E: ben@butlersherborn.co.uk
T: 01451 830 731
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
The government has made the decision to delay the introduction of the new EPC Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for rental properties. Originally scheduled to change in 2028, the government have now delayed this until 2030.
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
As winter begins to loosen its grip on the Cotswolds, one of the most uplifting signs of the changing seasons quietly emerges, snowdrops. These delicate white flowers, often pushing through frost-hardened ground, bring a sense of hope and renewal, and nowhere is this more beautifully displayed than the snowdrops at Painswick Rococo Garden.
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief
This has been a hot topic since the surprise announcements in the Autumn budget of 2024 and has threatened to turn upside down tax planning for farmers and the affordability of succession. The short article below captures the key facts and implications which have been debated from farmhouse kitchen tables up to the Government in Westminster and at every level in between…
Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief
A Very Happy New Year
Happy New Year! We are all back and fully underway into 2026. It is early days, but properties are already going under offer across all our offices and exchanges are securing homes for excited new owners.
A Very Happy New Year
