Offered: NVM Agricultural & Rural
Major regional differences in the horse business market
Arjan van der Waaij was once a dairy farmer, but switched to real estate in 2000. Thanks to this background, Van der Waaij Makelaars en Rentmeesters is not only active as a residential real estate agent, but also specializes in agricultural real estate, including land, dairy farms and horse farms. In addition to his work as a real estate agent, Arjan is also the owner of Waaij Stud, a breeding farm for sports horses. As a result, he has a lot of knowledge of the market in horse companies. "It is mainly the lack of space in the middle of the Netherlands that leaves its mark on the market."
Horse farming is very diverse. From boarding stables to breeding farms and from riding schools to dressage or jumping stables. "All these companies have different needs in terms of real estate and land," says Arjan. "But they have one thing in common: they need surface area. One horse box is 12 m². If you have a boarding stable, then there is also parking space. Another example: a company can also have an event location, where competitions are organised, so there must be both indoor and outdoor space for catering and spectators. Another example: a company that focuses on dressage or jumping. They need one or more riding arenas. What we have mainly seen in recent years is that when companies want to start or expand, this is almost impossible in the rural area in the middle of the Netherlands due to a lack of space."
Put the brakes on
Previously, a solution was to transform other companies. "That happened quite often, especially in Brabant where pig farms closed down and were converted into horse farms. The sector then grew a lot in that province and very extensive locations were created in return." But according to Van der Waaij, there is now also a brake on the transformations there. "That has to do with the destination of the companies and the associated permits. A company that organizes competitions needs different permits than a breeding farm. For example, a former dairy farm can become a breeding farm, but not a riding school."
Common thread
Although Van der Waaij Makelaars en Rentmeesters is based in Eemnes, their expertise in the field of destinations is sought throughout the country. "It is actually the common thread through our office. Can we transform or expand the company? How is it located in relation to Natura 2000 areas? What permits does it have? We are truly knowledge partners for the entrepreneur who wants to do something with his real estate. For example, I am currently investigating whether we can turn a riding school into a rehabilitation stable, but I also advise horse owners who want to stop their business." Van der Waaij appraises horse companies throughout the country and of course the brokerage sells and searches companies for clients. "It is noticeable that horse farms in the middle of the country sell well. A boarding house near Amsterdam is quickly gone. But a beautiful stable in Groningen or Drenthe, that can take some time before it is sold. Incidentally, you also see that horse farms in regions where there is a lot of money and a lot of foreigners also sell more easily. In the down-to-earth North there are simply fewer people who are prepared to spend a lot of money on a horse hobby than here in the Gooi."
Click on this link for insights into the Agricultural and Rural real estate market for the first half of 2024.
