How Valuable is Your Ranch? Here are 5 Determining Factors

When a homeowner is ready to sell their home, it’s fairly easy to figure out the value of their home.  With a professional real estate agent and access to the MLS, you can submit your home details with your location and find all of the comparable recently sold homes and start the comparison.  

One thing is for certain, that is not the case when listing your Oregon ranch for sale.  There are many other factors that determine the value of your ranch and each of those factors may or may not be the selling point that gets the deal “done”.  

As we discuss the top determining factors that add value to your ranch, it is also important to understand that those factors need to align properly with the buyer’s needs.  There is a high possibility that the party that purchases your ranch isn’t going to have the exact operation as you did.  Even if you are both cattle ranchers, the amount of difference in systems and preferences can be vast.  

This is why Oregon ranches remain on the market for so long.  Not only is a ranch buyer looking for the appropriate location, acreage, and land resources, but if your ranch property does’t have their preferred fencing, outbuildings, irrigation supplies then it could be a deal breaker.

So, what provides the most value when selling your Oregon ranch?  Let’s dig in below in our top 5 determining value factors to your ranch property. 

#1: WATER RIGHTS & EQUIPMENT

In addition to the water rights is the irrigation equipment. Does your property include water lines, wheel lines, hand lines, and water pumps? If so, have they been maintained properly and do they function with low maintenance. These are not always expected, but when a ranch has them included, they can add a ton of value to the buyer and move the transaction towards a closed deal.

#2: RANCH PERFORMANCE

 

Unique to ranches and farms, a buyer will most likely want to know about past operations performances. How many cattle have been on this land? How many sheep have grazed these pastures? Are there any potential contracts with other local ranchers or energy land-lease opportunities?

These are crucially important to the buyer, especially if they will have a similar operation or livestock mix. Not only to accommodate their livestock and operational needs, but these can be sources of revenue for the ranch operation. This adds value to their ranch operation as well as their bottom line, which can be a huge factor in making the sale.

In some cases, ranchers will want to grow their own feed. If your ranch land has the ability to manage livestock and also fields to grow alfalfa or other crops, this can dramatically increase the value of the property and potential buyers looking for your land performance type.

#3: LIFESTYLE OR RECREATION

 

For the most part, our recreation choices are completely separate from our home and work life. Meaning that we travel to our favorite fishing holes or we hike to our favorite trails and parks. Sometimes they can be combined when there are properties that have those types of amenities as part of the land.

Fay Ranches made its claim to fame by curating amazing ranch properties that had recreation embedded in the land that it was listing and selling. These listings include Montana ranches with fly fishing or Wyoming ranches with Elk hunting. These combination properties receive a ton of attention as well as a healthy listing price for the ranch owners.

While Fay Ranches lists some of the largest and most luxurious ranch properties in the world, they don’t quite focus on affordable ranch properties or smaller operations that you might find in Klamath County. Ranches that are surrounded by trails, fishing holes, elk and whitetail deer and some of the best waterfowl migrations in the United States.

#4: OUTBUILDINGS

 Depending on how mature a ranching operation may be, there are several needs requiring outbuildings that can push a deal to the closing table, or not. Where will you store your feed? Where will the machinery and equipment be stored and protected? Will the existing barn keep rain and snow from damaging the items inside? These are all questions that need to be answered for the most common ranchers looking for ranch property for sale.

Barns and outbuildings, especially if maintained or newer/updated, can be a critical factor in choosing a ranch for sale. If the rancher looking to buy your property can attach a requirement of his operation to each outbuilding, then the property becomes more turnkey and eliminates large gaps of low productivity and efficiency.

#5: RANCH HOME

 

 

Although the focus of the rancher, when buying a ranch property, is their operation, there is no question that the ranch home located on the property plays a large part to the appeal of the real estate as well as the needs of the family. This is also dependent on the family size and activities of the family members.

Ranch homes need to have the proper space and function to accommodate the operation and its operators without getting in the way of the efficiency and effectiveness of their daily routine. Not only does the home need to have function, but for many ranchers it must accompany their taste and style, as well.

Because these items can be easily renovated or updated, they might not be seen as drawbacks to the buyer, if the ranch property meets all their other needs that have a higher priority. Updated and beautiful ranch homes tend to drive more interest to a property, allowing a faster close of sale and transfer of ownership.

SO, HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOUR KLAMATH FALLS RANCH?

These five determining factors most definitely add value to your ranch property, although there are dozens of other factors that complete a sale. To determine the real property value of your ranch based on all factors and local comparable ranches for sale, contact one of our Klamath Falls real estate agents today. To browse our licensed realtors, check out our Klamath Falls real estate agents page or ask for a Klamath Farm & Ranch agent at 541-884-1343