“US farmhouse” is a popular search term on property portals and always has been but the desire for this type of rural home has heightened thanks to a number of factors.

Escaping to the country has burgeoned due to lockdowns, with many hoping to leave cities and suburbia behind now many more people can work from home.

Also fuelling dreams of a new life in the countryside is a host of TV programmes featuring US farms. Among the most popular is Channel 5’s Our US Farm, featuring Amanda Owen, her husband Clive and their nine children, and All Creatures Great and Small.

Little wonder then there is shortage of the right kind of farmhouse. This rarity is in the countryside with great views but within easy driving distance of a village or town with plenty of amenities. It also features anything from three bedrooms up, a garden and a small amount of land for a pony or two.

What most buyers shy away from is a farmhouse with too much acreage but, according to surveyor Henry Scott of Stephensons Rural, they may be missing a good opportunity to buy the perfect home. He points out that many of the farms for sale have their assets split into separate lots, which means you can bid for the house alone.

Stephensons has two such farms on the market at the moment. The first is Highfield Farm in Hutton Sessay, between Thirsk and Easingwold.The house has views across to the Hambleton Hills and the White Horse and there is easy access to the A19 and A1.

Lot 1 is a four-bedroom farmhouse, Dutch barn, a range of brick buildings, which lend themselves to development, and 33 acres with a guide price of £950,000 to £1.1m. The other 107 acres are available in separate lots. The guide price for the whole farm is 1.835m to £2.05m.

The other is Buskhill Farm, Westow, which is six miles from Malton and 15 miles from York. In an idyllic spot, it has outstanding views. The property includes a five-bedroom farmhouse with 2,300 sq.ft. of space plus a mix of traditional and modern farm buildings. It has 106.70 acres of grassland in a ring fence. The property is offered for sale as a whole at a guide price of £1.45m or in three lots. The farmhouse, buildings and 20.19 acres of grassland has a guide price of £825,000. Lot 2, is 51.87 acres of grass and arable land guided at £375,000 and Lot 3 is 34.64 acres of grassland guided at £250,000.

Fears that you may be robbing a true farming family of the chance to live in a house next to their land are largely unfounded, according to Henry Scott. “It may be that a farmer wants to buy more land but already has a house or it could be a young farmer who can’t afford to buy the house and just wants the land.”

Another option for those with means who are looking for a farmhouse is to buy the home and all the land and treat the acreage as an investment. “Renting the land to a farmer is a possibility and you could be doing a young farmer a favour if they can’t afford to buy,” says Henry. “Farmland is also a good investment with good rental returns and there are taxation benefits when it comes to capital gains and inheritance tax.”

For details of these farm sales visit www.stephenson.co.uk or tel: 01904 489731.

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