Selling a horse riding stables business

We often go horse riding to a horse farm in Altmarkt. I get on really well with the owner there. She contacted me today and told me she wanted to sell up as the business was too much work for her and her husband. They are both getting on a bit.
She seems to think that there would be strong interest in the UK for such a place and she asked me if I could her help.

The details are here. Basically it's a big house with holiday flats and stables and buckets of land for horses, all set in beautiful countryside. There are hundreds of bridlepaths. Seems a really cheap price to me at less than 500,000 euro. Any ideas?

Ta.

You mustn't spare a coin unless you haven't checked out everything. If you're not in the horse business, get yourself an expert -otherwise there's a good chance you'll lose more than another 500.000 €. Don't ever trust anyone dealing with horses... you'll get screwed.

Thanks for the warning, Mr Moose. However I was rather hoping for tips on how to flog the place to the Brits.

why the brits? why would you want someone owning a stable that doesn't live there unless there's a brit that wants it and is going to move there and live there.

Ignore the negheads - the majority of people on TT seem to be experts at pissing on other peoples ideas, yet shit at coming up with their own. It's too easy to knock ideas.

Answers to your question is:

1. Contact David at www.euroburolimited.co.uk - I know him and he specialises in Austrian properties to brits and these sometimes crop up on UK TV etc. He has a German section (mainly in the South) but
will no doubt list this one for you.

2. Contact the guys at http://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/ as they work on a commission only basis, and I have sold a couple of UK businesses with them. They will also list you on the main websites like
http://www.businessesforsale.com/

I don't see why this should not appeal to someone from the UK. We all moved here for one reason or another?? Sounds like with a bit of livery and holiday lettings etc someone could make a living from this.

share your concern.

Maybe the're pikeys?

Better info here and more pics.

uh no.
Generally owning a stable is lots of work. The way it was phrased sounded like someone would buy a stable for a 'holiday property' to me that just doesn't make sense. If they're moving over then who cares. I don't care it's not my property, i was posing a simple question as to how this idea formed- no need to get all uptight due to a simple question. You're not talking about a small lakeside cottage, but a place where (from the sounds of it) living animals reside thus it needing tending to and everything else (yes, the person can hire stablehands/managers i'm well aware).

eurovol- thanks for the other link with more photos.

@Mere - when in a hole stop digging?

First sentence the guy wrote:

she wanted to sell up as the business was too much work for her and her husband.

I don't think anyone buying a working stables are gonna assume the horses muck themselves out.

Johnny English- what does it matter to you if i asked a simple question. I'm not in a hole yhis isn't a debate and I have nothing to do with the property.

I'm glad that you have taken this property sale so personally. Hopefully your fervent interest in my comments will help it sell.

"too much work" is probably code for "couldnt make enough profit to pay for the costs". They better think of a way to deflect a potential buyers attention from the business aspect.

Because I have some sympathy for the original poster. He politely asked for advice on how his friend, the owner of a stables, might seek to sell to UK buyers.

Instead most of the posts seem to be dissing either the idea of selling to Brits, or the idea of owning/running a stables.

Of course these are not mainstream concepts, and will not appeal to the majority of people, but no reason for people just to pile in with negative comments about
why selling to brits is a crap idea, and running a stables is a crap idea, and that the owners are clearly trying to hide something etc etc.

It's a free world, and a free forum and this is a free thread. So you can make your mindless negative posts and I can try to negate and belittle them as best I can. That is the game.

This may not be very helpful, but I am sure I saw an ad or post on TT somewhere about a firm looking to buy property in Germany, I think it was an Irish company if that helps, anyway good luck.

Cheers for the replies and links, I'll pass them on.

The owner told me that there are a lot of English people interested in buying property in Altmark at the moment.

Expressing concerns or pointing out risks isn't dissing. From my experience I'd tell most people to get away as quickly as they can, when it comes to business and estates in this category. This is just a warning, if someone knows what he does, it's merely an advice he already knew.
Good luck to the buyer.

Out of curiosity - what is your experience then? Profile says you are 21 years old.

It might be so cheap because of the insurance costs... ask them what they pay to insure the business, including animals, employees, guest house, barn, guests, guests' animals, etc. Also, if the barn is in rough shape, it might need to be redone, or brought up to code or who the heck knows. Maybe they could contact equestrian adventures type vacation firms for advice on selling to groups with deeper pockets that are willing to take on the liability. Assuming that the place is really a nice place to ride or train or whatever.

Why market it to Brits? Every freaking German of the female gender has a fascination with these animals. If you can't get it to work with the local clientelle, forget it..

On a side note, it's simply unbelievable that you can buy an 11 room, 400sqm place on a hectare of land in East Germany for 500k, whereas in Munich, that'll get you a 150sqm Reihenhaus with 100sqm of land at best.

As stated before, there are a lot of engländer buying property in her region. She is presumably, at the same time, marketing the property to the German market.


Dunno about insurance costs. The barn and the rest of the property is in top nick.

This looks like a great place.
I know someone who might be interested if it was in another region. Anyhow, I will ask him.

If you want to help her advertise it as a working stable business to the Brits you could help her word an advert in English and place it in Horse and Hound.

Indeed. I happen to have family in the estate agency business, plus I'm quite familiar with the horse-people and countryside folk, for me and my girlfriend spend much time at the local stables/live nearby. Last but not least, I know of similar cases and the ruinous circumstances which followed.

There are a few things that will never change, at least not in Bayern:

- As a local, you get information and prices a foreigner would never ever get.
- Profitable business (especially family business) will not be for sale
- If it was, a local gets it. Especially farmers (it's commonplace to buy your neighbours or to expand your business this way)
- The village community is not fond of foreigners
- If property is to be sold to foreigners, nobody else wanted to buy it, or it's very obvious that only those who have no clue about the whole thing might consider a purchase
- Running a stable is a FULL-TIME JOB not a holiday ride for the weekend

Why brits? Because they often can afford to buy things and do the thinking afterwards

Fair enough - I agree with most of the above. I was out on Saturday evening with friends that own the stable where our horse resides. They of course know all the local gossip etc, and I don't think you own a stable to make money.

The "selling only to locals" of course will change over time, especially as people learn that this is a possible route to a better sale price - although it seems even more so in Austria!! Some of these skiing villages like Ischgl for example you could NEVER EVER buy a property on the open market - and I mean like NEVER.

Just had a look at the House and Hound. Looks like a good tip, Thanks.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/marketplace...php?category=27

There are many reasons for selling family businesses, even if they are running pretty well. Major problem throughout Europe is that the next generation often wants to move to cities, have an office based job, study BWL etc. and so kids who would have naturally carried on the family business don't and as people get older and the work tougher they end up selling. Just because a family business is for sale does not mean it's going badly.

The reason why the property is interesting for Brits is because those Brits who own property in the UK have so much equity on their homes now and would make such a profit if they were to sell, that buying the dream home with masses of Land and stables etc. for the same price as your 2 bed flat in a shitty area of London is very attractive. I know several people who have sold their flats and bought country homes & business in another European Country and made the big move out there. It's a big market.

it won't do any harm anyway. Stick it out there and see what happens. I would take JE's advice and also stick an ad in the Horse & Hound as suggested before.

I guess everyone has their ideas about what makes a good and bad business - just like everything else in life from cars to girlfriends.

My personal horror/nightmare business would be a restaurant. I think the stats in the UK are that 95% of new restaurants go bust within 2 years. As all Germans are tight as a gnat's chuff I personally
reckon that anyone wanting to open a restaurant over here is totally raving barking mad. But that is just my opinion - won't stop anyone!!

Sometimes, but not always.
Definitely not true but could very well sell for a premium.
Again, not true. Locals don't have money and especially not in the neck of the woods where this stable is.
Wrong. I moved to a village north of Augsburg and everybody wanted to be associated with the "American" living amongst them. We got on great. I was even invited to check out a private "Nazi memorabilia" collection. The bobble-headed Hitler was scary!
Wrong, as not all locals can afford or appreciate some businesses. Germans are typically risk adverse.
So very true. It is a 24/7/365 endeavor. Horses don't go on vacation!

Seems right, but I won't go there.

Mmmm...The original post was only asking if anyone was interested and did anyone know of how to present the place for sale.
Gawd knows how it got onto the usual 'Toytown' slag off.
Who knows more about what and when and why.

I would say 'Horse and Hound' is a fair bet.
People that read it are... er...into horses and horsey stuff in general.
Horses in any situation are hard to make money out of, it's more a way of life...and a very nice life to. If you are into horses that is and like living up to your neck in crap.
As for the locals...you should try living in any rural community anywhere that you don't originally come from.
It will be the same wherever you go.

P.S. to eurovol.
Ha...nice.
I am very interested in the bobble headed Hitler...

Advert will be in Horse and Hound on April 3. Fingers crossed. Here's the ad :


Thanks for the help.