Buying a home with acreage in Central Wisconsin can be exciting. More privacy, room for a garden, space for animals, hunting land, trails, a workshop or simply some breathing room between you and the neighbors.

But when you're buying several acres, you aren't just buying the house.

You're buying the land too. And you should understand what you're buying.

One of the best pieces of advice we can give acreage buyers is simple:

Walk the Property

When practical and with permission, get out of the house and actually walk the land.

Five, 10 or 20 acres can look fantastic in listing photos or from the kitchen window. Once you start walking it, however, you may discover things you couldn't see from the house or driveway.

That isn't necessarily bad. It simply gives you a much better understanding of the property before making one of the largest purchases of your life.

Not All Acreage Is Equally Usable

A listing may have 10 acres, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're getting 10 acres of open, usable ground.

Some of the property may include:

  • Woods

  • Wet or low-lying areas

  • Steep terrain

  • Drainage areas

  • Easements or access areas

  • Dense vegetation

  • Existing trails

  • Fields or pasture

  • Areas that may be difficult to access

What matters depends entirely on what you plan to do with the property.

Someone looking for hunting land may LOVE thick woods and wet areas that another buyer hoping for horses or pasture would consider a drawback.

There isn't necessarily a right or wrong type of land.

The question is whether the land works for YOU.

Pay Attention to Wet and Low Areas

Central Wisconsin has plenty of properties with seasonal wet areas, ponds, creeks, marshes and low ground.

Some are beautiful and can be fantastic for wildlife.

But if you're dreaming about building a pole shed, adding fencing, creating pasture or putting in another structure someday, you need to understand where those areas are located.

A dry-looking area during one showing doesn't necessarily tell you what that same spot looks like after spring snowmelt or several days of Wisconsin rain.

Depending on your plans for the property, additional research with the appropriate municipality, county or other agencies may be important before purchasing.

Look at the Woods and Trails

Wooded acreage can be one of the best parts of owning property in Central Wisconsin.

Walk the trails if they're accessible.

Look at how dense the woods are, whether there are established paths, how the terrain changes and how easily you can access different portions of the property.

If hunting or recreation is important to you, the layout of the land may matter just as much as the number of acres.

Look Beyond the Property

Don't spend the entire showing looking inward.

Look around.

What borders the property?

Is it farmland? Woods? Other homes? Public land? Vacant acreage?

Can you see neighboring buildings from different parts of the property? Are there nearby roads, businesses or other land uses that weren't obvious when you pulled into the driveway?

The view from the back 10 acres can sometimes tell you something the front porch can't.

Think About What You Want to Do With the Property

Before falling in love with acreage, think about your plans.

Do you want horses or other animals?

A large garden?

Hunting land?

ATV or walking trails?

An additional garage or pole building?

More privacy?

Room for the kids and dogs to run?

Your intended use can change what you should be looking for.

If you have specific plans for the land, don't assume they're automatically allowed just because there is plenty of space. Zoning, shoreland rules, wetlands, easements, deed restrictions and other regulations may affect what can be done with a property.

Those are questions worth investigating before you buy.

Property Boundaries Aren't Always Where You Think

A fence, tree line, trail or mowed area isn't necessarily the legal property boundary.

If knowing the exact boundaries is important to your plans, ask about surveys, recorded maps and other available information. Depending on the situation, a professional survey may be appropriate.

We would much rather have buyers investigate a question before closing than discover afterward that the area they thought was theirs isn't quite where they assumed it was.

Bring the Right Shoes

This deserves its own section because we've learned a few things showing rural Wisconsin property.

Wear appropriate shoes.

Preferably something you don't mind getting muddy.

Wisconsin acreage does not care that you wore your cute showing outfit.

Neither do burrs, mud, thistles, mosquitoes or whatever mysterious hole you manage to step into while looking toward the tree line instead of at your feet. 😂

The House Is Only Part of the Purchase

When buying acreage, it's easy to focus on bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and garages.

But the land may be one of the biggest reasons you're considering the property in the first place.

Take the time to experience it.

Walk it when practical. Ask questions. Look at maps. Think about how you'll actually use the property and investigate anything important to your plans.

Acreage can be an incredible investment in the lifestyle you want.

Just make sure you're buying acreage that actually works for that lifestyle.

Thinking about buying a home, recreational property or acreage in Central Wisconsin?

Lakes Region Team | Terra & Jim
Weichert, Realtors®

We live here. We work here. We love it here.