6 Ways to Research Equine-Friendly Real Estate in Colorado

Purchasing a Colorado luxury home with your horses in mind can prove to be a complicated task. Naturally, you want the best for yourself, your family, and your horses—and there are a handful of serious factors that you should consider when assessing what a property can provide. Longmont is a great area of the state to own horses (and luxury real estate), so consider the following tips as you search for a piece of horse heaven.

It’s vital to develop a comprehensive plan before beginning your search for equestrian-friendly property in Longmont. First, you need to find a proper Longmont real estate agent and think long-term about what you want. It’s important to know what kind of real estate investments you are willing to take on. That way, you’re prepared to find the best Longmont real estate to suit your needs and can quickly inform your Longmont realtor what you’re looking for.

Take the time to explore local zoning laws and the inspection process. While you may have grand ideas for what you want to do with your new land, different pieces of Longmont real estate have various zoning laws that restrict what you can legally build. Furthermore, others might not allow you to expand the property if you acquire extra land nearby. You don’t want to buy a homestead that ruins any of your future development plans.

When you find a listing online that looks beautiful in the pictures, be sure to investigate all aspects of the property before making an offer or even touring. When it comes to Longmont real estate, it’s important to consider location, acreage, layout, and accessibility.

The size of the property could easily limit how many horses you could safely home there and how many activities you could do. The location also can easily be a deal-breaker. For example, if a piece of land is surrounded by dirt roads, even off the property, it could be difficult for anything but a pick-up truck to traverse. Accessibility and location go hand in hand and are vital considerations.

The layout of the lot is another consideration. A Longmont home for sale could be beautiful at the surface level, but if the stable is too far from any pastures or the house is miles from the barn, daily living could become inconvenient. Additionally, you may love that the Longmont property you’re looking at includes a natural stream, but flooding could become a significant issue if the home is built downstream.

When it comes to caring for livestock, the condition of your potential property’s natural environment is crucial to know. The local fields and pastures on your land need to be nutritious and safe for feeding horses. When it comes to Longmont real estate, look out for local Colorado plants of concern, like Curlycup Gumweed, which can damage the keratin in horsehair and hooves, causing possible lifelong damage. Worse plants like Houndstongue and Russian Ragweed can even lead to death. Your land needs to grow enough grass and greens to feed your animals comfortably. Otherwise, you’ll be fighting a losing battle with infertile soil. You’ll also want to consider the condition of a property below the ground. Ensure any septic tanks and drainage fields are in working order before making an offer.

While land quality is important, the existing facilities on a property can also be a game-changer for sprawling homes in Longmont. For one, not all large properties come with pre-installed buildings or fences for horses. This is something you’ll need to consider when budgeting for your purchase. For example, if you pay $1 million for your new piece of land, you might still end up paying upwards of $20,000 for a simple 4-stall horse barn. You’ll pay even more for anything more extensive or complex.

Existing structures need to be tested for structural integrity. They may be old or damaged from harsh winter weather. While they’re technically functional, they could be worth nothing, and you’ll have to replace them to keep your animals safe. A good stable, barn, and/or tack room needs to be secure, dry, convenient, and have adequate lighting and storage.

To properly care for your horses, your Longmont real estate needs to provide shade and shelter year-round, room to roam, and adequate fencing. Exercise is vital for horses, and you can’t ignore a lack of fencing on a horse property—which can mean a costly renovation if not already present.

Even if you’ve fallen madly in love with the first piece of Longmont real estate that you see, you should still visit other properties in the area before putting in an offer. Horse land isn’t as competitive as other markets, and you honestly won’t know what kind of options are out there unless you look.

When you’re ready to move forward with researching and purchasing an equestrian property in Longmont, contact the trusted local real estate agents at The Byrne Group for expert guidance.