Best Return on Improvement to Raw Land?

Not knowing where to best ask this question, I saw the "barn" posting area and thought I'd start here. I have some raw land- 40 acres- some tillable, some woods, some marshy. I'll probably put it on the market in a year or so and was wondering if a building would add significant value to justify the expense.
There's enough space for a pole barn. Or maybe space in addition to that for a 'modular' small house/cabin. Or maybe just two outbuildings? What about building size? Does a bigger pole barn bring a better return on investment? Thanks for any suggestions and thoughts on the matter.

Edited by JBergie - 17 Nov 2018 at 9:30pm

Dipstick In wrote: A building is the LAST thing I would do in improvements o sell any ground. Don't mean to be a smart ass,,,,,,,,, but how could guess which kind of building to do. Tile ditching,brush removal, lime are improvements that would gain an advantage.

Not to worry about sounding bad- that's what I was looking for- an honest opinion.
There's a trashed mobil home on the place now that is on 'solid ground', (tillable) that has to go. The land is mostly for hunting use now. I doubt anyone would use it for anything else. That's why I was thinking small garage even- to use as a huntin' shack..

Good demand for this size close to populated areas, especially if it is good site for a home close by.

I think where you own the property you would probably not recover the cost of a building. But it could make it easier to sell. Codes and what not have all changed up there. So check with the township about what is required to build. We have our cabin not to far from you. I would clean up the trailers, maybe think about some food plots if you want to play in the dirt. Get used to the property and you may find that you like it! Then put up a building that you will use. Like a friend told me when we bought-Mike the cheapest part of this is the land! He was right.

A guy I know has spent his whole life making a good living just by buying pieces of property, usually in somewhat remote locations. He'll get a shack built quickly to live in, then over the next couple years get water, sewer, and electricity on the place. Get a more livable cabin on the place. Then a barn and some fences up to run a few critters. And by then, usually someone is begging him to sell it to them for a handsome profit. And he'll move onto another piece of property and start all over. Darrel

Dakota Dave wrote: Just clean up the property and have good accessibly. You'll never get your money back on putting up a building. When you remove the trailer put an RV drop on the axis ting sewer and a frost free hydrant. I think it cost me $100 when we removed grandmas trailer and I had a place to hookup when I pulled the camper back to visit.

look on ZILLOW, you will see a lot of properties for sale and a lot have smaller buildings like garage size or larger, they put an old stove and sum bunks inside and sell it as a hunting paradise. they usually sell pretty quick that way. make sure the listing says hunting property for sale. a camper with a deck built off the side of it will help sell it too. put sum pics on here, maybe one of us will buy it? I could pull my "machine" up there!

JBergie wrote: Gary in da UP wrote: Drainage is the only improvement that will return or make sale easier Drain the swamp. So you may have guessed this'll generate the next question from a newbie like myself- What does one look for in the yellow pages for people that specialize in draining wet areas? (Ha! When's the last time you heard the term "yellow pages"? Bet many people don't even know what that references!)

You might talk to somebody that builds ponds. If they can make water stand they should know how to make it drain. Probably have to involve local government as well

Don't sell to Shameless!!!! My cabin is to close for his machine. You sound pretty committed to selling. You really may like what you have. I really doubt you could drain it. Clean it up, do some mowing and put it on the market. See if there is a demand. Tieman lists a lot of land up there. Talk to Roy G.

Is there any zoning there?   If so, before you remove the house trailer, you may want to check into regulations.  Once it's gone, the next owner possibly couldn't put another one there if it had been vacant without the trailer.  If it is pulled and immediately replaced with another (or a double wide or mfg home), that may be allowed.   Yes the trailer may not look good, but it may leave options open for the next owner.

You may run into some problems with draining the wetlands. WI is very specific about what you can do even with the proper permits. The water table where it is is very high. There is water on hills. Lots of spring fed wetlands. Also the wet areas are most times very rock laden also. Clean up what you can and if you want a pole barn build one that you can use part of as a cabin. I am assuming you have water, septic and power on the property? I really think if you are thinking short term do cosmetics first. 

salt it with a few gold nuggets?

mdm has walked the parcel and has some land near there, so he has probably dealt with WI beauraucracy before! I'll likely hang onto it for a little keeping it as a 'test bed' for my dirt skills. But for sure wouldn't you all agree that brush removal, a little discing, and stump pulling will require a D17 with loader and blade, right?   

boy bought 40 acres of ground with a house, no garage or barn. We were going to cleanup 4-5 acres , cut trees, move dirt... all I had was a couple "B" tractors at the time. Bought a 16 x 20 steel shed you nail to the ground and put some tin walls on it . About 300 ft from the house. Kept  both tractors, fuel, some tools, winch, etc in the shed for 3-4 months while we cleaned up the area, disc, planted grass, put in a road, and started foundation for pole barn.......... Paid $800 for the building and ended up selling it 6 months later for $500.