Please share your experiences those who have ever bought old shanties. Any points that I should jot down before I make my decision to buy it? I know the new ones if I buy of this size would anyway cost me some CHF 3000 in Bau & hobby or Do-it garden. And I also know that there is a big waiting list to get these garden allotment.
Thanks for any help!
Find out from the gentleman if he's looked into how much the repairs would cost or ask him if it is alright if you have someone out to do an estimate.
Also, look not only at how much a new one would cost (I see you found out this part already) BUT also how much it would cost to have the new one positioned / built on site.
Then, weigh the information you have... is it more cost effective to repair an existing building or is it better to buy a new one? The only one who can answer that really is you as you're the only one who has even seen it at all.
If the repairs look minor and fairly easy to DIY, I'd say to go for it.
My m-i-l has an allotment which I'd love to get into and help her fix up but she's content with the building as it is and I'm not such a keen hand with gardening. I get relegated to picking strawberries and pulling weeds.
How did you get your allotment? I had no reply from the familiengarten site. I then contacted a local shared garden, and got an initial reply to email, but then no further reply, so that trail went dead too. What was your route to success?!
On the black friday the 13th I recvd a call from this gentleman, asking if I was interested in seeing this family garden...It seems like he shortlisted the names of people living near this garden location. And we were amongst them. He also wanted to give it out only to the family with kids... And we are a small family of 3. The deal is not yet final though. We made our decision after all the estimations and called him up yesterday for the answer...but he now needs to make a final decision as in to whom he wants to give away. lets see. But you can try your luck once again may be with a different garden location nearby if any... or may be by changing the amount of maximum limit on the form. I know, its very difficult as its always long long waiting lists.. But you may even try by contacting the old people who have been alloted these gardens for years and years...may be they might help you if they don't want to give it further to their children or friends...
Hope you get thru it soon.
lets see what happens next. but thanks anyway for your note... it encouraged me in a big way.
True, my hubby comes from a farmer family, but since a decade he moved to swiss and he misses his home-grown fresh-served stuff....this is the ideal choice for us to at least enjoy the summer months here. YES, we finally made the garden deal. There's a lot to do and a lot more to grow. Hope all goes well. Thanks for your wishes. And I still hope that you get thru this process. Try, don't give up if you really want to have it.
Got one for sale outside Basel, if anyone is interested. See my previous posts. Price has been reduced.
Some advice:
Mail in the online from, but don't expect a response. They get tons of requests and your name is on the waiting list. In Wipkingen you can add a preference for maximum "hut" price you are willing to pay. Putting down 500 francs means you will be waiting for a very very long time. For reference, we put down max 3000, and actually paid 1500 for the one we got. The hut is old, but serviceable and needs no major
repairs. The rent you pay (includes water costs) is based on the size of the plot.
There is low turnover on the plots (lots of people have had theirs for 20+ years and don't give them up until they pass away or move away) however the waiting list moves faster than you would expect because many people decide they don't actually want one or don't like the one they are offered. Most turnover happens in late fall.
The process in Wipkingen was not complicated at all, there is no showing a plot to multiple people and "choosing" who gets it etc. I have heard that having kids puts you higher on the waiting list. For everyone else it is first come first serve. When a spot empties up, you are called, offered the spot after being allowed to view it and you either take it or leave it. I guess most people think it over first, because they were surprised when we said yes right away. The price of the hut is estimated by the club and not by the previous owner, so the prices are not inflated (in my opinion).
Expect your neighbors to be uber-swiss and retired We are the "junge paar" and already have a reputation for riding our bikes there instead of bringing a car. The upside is we are always complaining on the forum about how hard it is to meet real swiss people....well this is your in! They are very friendly and helpful.
Don't get one because you want a place to hang out or grill. Grilling at the park is a lot less expensive and less work than a garden. The 2nd most common reason for plot turnovers is newcomers who didn't realize how much time it takes. Weeding, watering, keeping track of all those plants, their nutritional needs and diseases is tricky and lots of people get discouraged when everything dies the first year.
Otherwise, go for it, it is not as difficult to get one if you are flexible!
vishnu
p.s. any other gardeners out there up for trading seeds or transplants....i got lots of stuff started this week and should have extra if they survive til May
The list of rules was fairly long, and the site was under the Bern building regulations, with only a large wooden shed being specified (About 12 m2), and only this model was allowed. No other sheds above 80 cm high were allowed.
http://www.fgvb.ch/ look at "Documentation" for the rules and look at "Aktuell" for upcoming meetings.
There were also compulsory working Saturday mornings, about 4 per year, when various group projects were completed.
After a year I found a full time job, and couldn't continue, as each time I went there the weeds were back again, each time with a fresh variety. It was depressing, as the only thing which was good was the rhubarb which I detest. The field mice ate the vegetables and the birds ate the fruit. It was in a very pleasant location, but the garden members were ancient, and didn't talk to me much.
I lived in Basel. There we had the Basel Gartenverband. Here is the link to open gardens: http://www.stadtgaertnerei.bs.ch/fre...ie-gaerten.htm . These gardens run between 2500 CHF and 7000 CHF per parcel. The more expensive ones include a shack-sized chalet, that you cannot live in. You are required to volunteer each quarter in order to maintain an active membership.
Outside of Basel, there are a number of other gardens. I was a member of the "Familien Garten Verein Allschwil" or "Family Garden Club". Here the parcels were larger and included a larger chalet with running water, heat, etc. Ours had a futon/ couch, dining area, full kitchen with propane stove, grill, etc. These of course cost more because it is real estate you can also live in. Here is a link to that organization's 3 free parcels. http://fgv-allschwil.ch/27001.html
If anyone would like more information on the FGV Allschwil, please feel free to contact me directly. It is key to understand the annual fees, the annual duties required, and what the prevailing values are for properties in your area. Usually, you get what you pay for.
Thanks,
Jamie