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The Voices of Land blog

Get insight on current land trends and issues from experts across the land real estate industry.

04Nov

Top 10 Fence Options for Your Land

You’ve found the perfect parcel of land, but the lack of a fence means you may have to purchase some fencing to enclose your property. Or perhaps you’re looking to sell some rural land, and are worried that potential buyers may be turned off by the lack of a fence.

Either way, there are plenty of options for land fencing you can choose from. And, in addition to attracting potential buyers in an increasingly competitive land market, many of the following fencing options can also help to increase land value as well. Consider the following land fencing options and choose one that best suits your needs.

Corral panels

Corral panels are ideal if you are just seeking to put some no-nonsense fencing around your land. The panels are easy to put up and connect, and often don’t even require you to dig any postholes. However, they can be quite costly — an average price for a 12-foot panel is $100. Using corral panels to fence a small area is more feasible in cost, but not very practical for larger areas,

Flex rail

Flex rail is often chosen as an alternative to solid vinyl rails. They are pretty solid when attached to fence posts but have just enough flexibility enough to make them a practical choice for horse owners. They are also pretty maintenance free and some styles look like real wood fencing.

Stock panels

Simple and practical, stock panels are a low-cost option for those just seeking to land fencing without worrying about how nice it looks.

Vinyl rail

Typically chosen more for looks, this is a decent option if you just want to make the fencing around your land look nice, but they aren’t a practical choice for horse owners, since rails can easily be knocked out of place. Other than that, they are easy to insert into posts, and don’t need staining or painting.

Continuous steel rail

A good choice for putting land fencing around larger areas, continuous steel rail is connected to wooden posts, making a seamless fence line. The one drawback to these sturdy panels is that they can be costly, even more than corral panels.

Horse fence

Obviously a good choice for those with horses on the property, horse fencing is comprised of woven wire integrated with a tight mesh. It enables a horse to walk near the fence without the risk of the horse’s hooves getting caught in traditional fencing or rails. It is also affordable, and can be attached to fenceposts to improve the sturdiness. As an added bonus, this type of fencing can look attractive, increasing land value. It is best installed by a professional though, since it takes some skill and experience to stretch the woven wire fencing properly from post to post.

Coated wire 

Coated wire fencing is often chosen as an alternative to cable fencing, and is constructed from electric fence wire that has been wrapped in a polymer coating. It’s a rather simple type of fence, ideal for those who simply want some sort of land fencing. It is stronger than a traditional wire fence and the polymer coating offers more visibility as well. Some varieties of coated wire can also be electrified.

Barbed wire 

Not very attractive but definitely low-cost, barbed wire fencing is suitable for people with livestock, but not necessarily horses, as they can be injured by the fencing. Handling barbed wire fencing is obviously not without difficulty and requires careful patience and lots of durable gloves. Barbed wire fencing usually requires some maintenance as the wire strands tend to loosen over time and will need to be re-tightened.

Electric wire 

Electric fencing is easy to construct around a a large piece of land and is relatively low-cost as well. However, many people usually use electric fencing as a temporary solution to other types of land fencing, unless there is livestock on the land, in which case it is more practical. Otherwise, the fencing can often be quite fragile, and the low visibility makes it an issue for some. Overall, it’s a convenient solution for temporary fencing but requires constant maintenance to ensure the strands don’t become loose and remain functional.

fence-and-fields-pasture-and-farmland

Natural fence

Natural fence always looks rather attractive and there are certainly a wide range of styles to choose from. Any one of them can help to increase land value, but prices can vary based on style, height, and of course, how much land fencing is required. For large areas of land, natural wood fencing can be very costly depending upon the style. Additionally, natural fencing often requires postholes, as well as regular painting or treated every so often. Large amounts of natural fence can become quite labor-intensive, so many land owners shy away from this type of fencing option based on that factor alone.

When considering your fencing options, it might be best to talk to a fencing expert. He or she will take into consideration what your land is used for and how large a parcel it is, and make the best recommendation based on your needs and budget.

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