Describe the holding parcel by parcel
List the townlands, entrances, buildings and separate parcels. Provide available maps and explain how the land is presently used. Identify any land retained by the seller so that the proposed sale does not leave an access or servicing question unaddressed.
A line added to an aerial image is a marketing aid, not a determination of a legal boundary. Ask the solicitor to check the relevant title and rights. Where the physical extent needs survey work, identify that requirement early.
Put occupation and practical access on the table
Tell the agent about leases, licences, grazing arrangements and other occupation. Do not assume that a familiar informal arrangement has no significance. The solicitor should advise on its legal effect and the possession that can be offered.
For viewings, establish safe entry, livestock precautions and whether machinery is operating. A gate visible from a public road does not by itself establish the rights that a purchaser would acquire.
Consider lots without promising an uplift
A house, farmyard and outlying parcel may appeal to different buyers. They may also rely on shared services or access. Before proposing separate lots, examine those practical connections and the legal work required. Splitting a holding can create costs and dependencies as well as opportunities.
Ask for a strategy that explains the options, the assumptions and how offers for individual lots would be compared with an offer for the whole. No particular lotting arrangement guarantees a higher result.
Give buyers information they can use
Clear particulars should distinguish measured or documented information from estimates. Describe the land, buildings and access with appropriate qualifications. Avoid implying development permission, grant eligibility or a transferable entitlement without evidence.
Agree the method of sale, marketing material, fees and how enquiries and offers will be reported. The PSRA’s property-services agreement guidance requires the service and costs to be clear (PSRA, 2023). A formal valuation for succession, tax or a family arrangement remains a separate purpose to be agreed.
A useful first step
What to gather before you enquire
- Location plans, townlands and known acreage basis
- Buildings, parcels and any property to be retained
- Access, services and occupation arrangements
- Relevant title or planning questions for the solicitor
- Preferred timing and the reason for considering a sale
Start with a brief introduction. Detailed or sensitive documents can follow through an agreed channel.
Common questions
Should I sell the holding as one lot?
That depends on its physical arrangement, likely buyers, access, services and legal position. Compare a whole-holding sale with workable lotting options before choosing a strategy.
Does a farm sale include entitlements or equipment?
Do not assume it does. Identify everything intended to be included and obtain the appropriate specialist advice. Land, buildings, equipment and entitlements may require separate treatment.
Sources and scope
Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) (2023) Letters of engagement. Read the source (Accessed: 29 October 2026).
Tailte Éireann (2024) Practitioner’s Guide 2024: Mapping procedures for first registration, subdivisions and rights over registered property, section 2. Read the source (Accessed: 29 October 2026).
General information for Irish property matters. Legal, tax and funding decisions require advice on the particular circumstances. How these guides are prepared.
Explore the detail
A rural property is more than its acreage
What a price per acre leaves out
Planning potential needs more than an optimistic description
When you are ready
A clear brief.
A useful conversation.
Tell me the property’s location and what you need to decide. We can establish the appropriate next step.