Just a farm house

[Flakman]

Just for your reference, governnment is discussing changes to the Agricultural Development Act and the Regulations Governing Agricultural Dwelling Houses.

From my understanding in discussions with land agent and architecture company (who designs rural houses), the new rules planned for implementation will place many more restrictions on farm land housing. I am interested because I bought farm land just for that purpose (and now appears will be unable to do so).

I agree with previous comments about enforcing rules about actually using your farmland. Rule now is the base of your house can not be larger than 1/10 of land area. I think that is fair to prevent "mansions" which are obviously not for farmers and more prone to be for B&Bs. Another rule prevents speculation....cannot resale home within 5 years after construction finished.

If rule changes to include restrictons that I have been told (and is enforced), then the building of homes on farm land will be almost eliminated.

[finley]

If rule changes to include restrictons that I have been told (and is enforced), then the building of homes on farm land will be almost eliminated.

If true, that would be a great pity, and it completely misses the point. Personally, I think it's right and proper that farmers should be able to build nice houses, conveniently located on their farmland. It is probably the last remaining incentive for becoming (or remaining) a farmer. If farmers are forced to live in hovels, or live miles from their land in expensive high-rises, the countryside will empty faster than a barrel of rats in a flooding sewer. Everyone loses.

If the law about maximum footprint were enforced, and also the law about farming the remaining land - problem solved. There's no need to actually change anything. I suppose the only upside is that any new law will be comprehensively ignored, just like 90% of the rest of Taiwan's legal code.

Yet again, politicians fiddling with stuff they don't understand.

[Flakman]

Most of the farm land around my land is unused...including land left fallow to collect money from government.

Most of those planning retirement to just sit around in their house (no farming) do not buy larger plots of farmland. Like me, I would not buy 1600 pings and fight off the weeds every day without growing anything useful. Those serious about farming buy the larger farm plots. By the way, current regulation states minimum size of farm land that can include a house is 756 pings. In other words, if you buy 755 ping of farm land you cannot build a house on the land.

I have viewed about 50 plots of farmland for sale…only 2 were actually being farmed at time of viewing. My land was previously owned by son of farmer (inherited from father) who had no plans to continue farming. Next door is owned by previous owner’s brother who has not farmed the land either.

FYI…For land restricted from containing a house, restrictions only allow equipment/storage shed (no toilet).

What gets a lot of publicity is the numerous new homes in Yilan but from what I see most are still on small plots. And other houses sprouting up in places like Hualian are actually on land not designated as farm land even if seen next to “official” farm land.