Should you 投資する in woodland?

By Toby Walne for The Mail on Sunday
Updated: 19:42 BST, 30 January 2011

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The 論争 over the 政府's 計画（する）s for the sale of 75,000 acres of 国家の woodland has 強めるd the 焦点（を合わせる） on forests as an ますます popular ? and financially rewarding ? 投資.

Tranquil: Julie Quinn’s 避難 from the ネズミ race

If the 計画（する）s go ahead, new owners are likely to 含む 存在するing individual 投資家s, many of whom have enjoyed healthy returns from their woodlands.

Simon Hart, woodland 投資 助言者 at forester and 木材／素質 売買業者 UPM Tilhill, says: 'Woodland values have remained strong. We have seen prices rise by an 普通の／平均（する） of 17% a year over the last five years ? this equates to だいたい 100% 資本／首都 growth.'

普通の／平均（する） house prices, by comparison, barely show any growth over the past five years. Hart says: 'Unlike oil and gas, woodland is a renewable natural 資源. When you 削減（する） trees 負かす／撃墜する you replant for the next 世代 to grow.'

The 政府's 提案するd sell-off would 含む a 範囲 of woodland types, 含むing 商業の forests, recreational and いわゆる '遺産' forests, such as the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

The new owners of all these forest types will have to 供給する public 接近, 持続する and 保護する the landscape, and manage 木材／素質 within a 始める，決める of 支配するs. But a 大多数 of 投資家s will be most 利益／興味d in 商業の forests because of the 税金 perks 大（公）使館員d, Hart reckons.

To qualify, a forest must be 'managed on a 商業の basis and with a 見解（をとる） to the realisation of 利益（をあげる）s'.

Income arising from 木材／素質 sales, crucially, is 税金 解放する／自由な, as are the 非常に／多数の 認めるs 利用できる to 補助装置 in the 維持／整備 and 開発 of the 陰謀（を企てる）. Other income from the forest ? such as rents from 冒険的な activities ? is taxable, however.

Any growth in the value of the 木材／素質 is 解放する／自由な of 資本／首都 伸び（る）s 税金, but this is separate from the 増加する in the land value, which remains taxable. However, planning can 限界 the 税金 予定. Another 控訴，上告 is that qualifying woodland that has been owned for two or more years 落ちるs outside of an o wner's 広い地所 for 相続物件 税金.

私的な 投資家s without 深い pockets can still get a 税金-efficient slice of the 活動／戦闘 through a 'forest 基金' with an 支出 of as little as £10,000. Providers 含む 植林学 投資 管理／経営, Fountains 植林学 and Stellar 資産 管理／経営.

Jonathan 伸び（る） of Stellar says 投資s should be seen as a ten-year かかわり合い. The 基金s operate over 始める，決める periods, returning 投資家s' cash and any 利益（をあげる）s at the end.

Returns come from income 生成するd through 木材／素質 sales 同様に as the 結局の sale of the land. 伸び（る） says: 'We tend to buy woodland halfway through its life cycle at 15 to 20 years old and get our returns from rising 木材／素質 収穫 and land values.'

The Second Stellar 植林学 基金 carries a 3% 初期の 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 and 0.5% 年次の 管理／経営 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金. 集団の／共同の woodland 計画／陰謀s are rarely 規制するd by the 財政上の Services 当局. Selling your 火刑／賭ける before 成熟 may 証明する difficult.

An easier, 代案／選択肢 way to 利益（をあげる） from 木材／素質 is to 投資する in the 株 in 会社／堅いs 伴う／関わるd in 植林学 産業s or in a 基金 which owns baskets of 株.

The iShares S&P 全世界の 木材／素質 & 植林学 基金, for example, 投資するs in the world's 25 largest 木材／素質-関係のある companies. 株 in the 基金, which in the last 12 months rose by 30%, are 引用するd on the London 在庫／株 交流.

The 植林学 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 points out that although 商業の forests receive the 税金 breaks, 私的な, 非，不，無-qualifying 支持を得ようと努めるd can also be 価値のある.

A 広報担当者 says: 'It can still be an 投資 if the land grows in value and there is also the 特別手当 of owning an idyllic 退却／保養地.'

Owners are often able to （人命などを）奪う，主張する 認めるs to 工場／植物 new trees, manage 存在するing ones, or 高める the landscape in other ways. Tight 制限s 適用する as to the use of the land. The only buildings 許すd are sheds, for instance, and trees cannot be chopped 負かす／撃墜する without a licence.

I just love the idea of having somewhere you can escape

Engineer Julie Quinn, of Cuckfield in West Sussex, stumped up £12,000 for a one-third 株 of woodland with two friends eight years ago.

They bought a 15-acre beauty 位置／汚点／見つけ出す, 近づく Bewl Water in Kent, of oak, coppiced chestnut and birch trees, through woodland スパイ／執行官 woodlands.co.uk.

The 陰謀（を企てる） has grown in value by more than 20 per cent since 購入（する）, Julie reckons, though because it is not commercially operated it does not attract any 税金 breaks.

Julie, 48, who has a 16-year-old daughter Samantha, says: 'I 購入（する）d the 陰謀（を企てる） on a whim. But, 平等に, I did not want all my money in 在庫／株s and 株. Trees are something solid you can touch and feel.'

She chose 私的な woodland over a 商業の 投機・賭ける such as a 植林学 基金 because a 重要な part of the 控訴，上告 was that she could also visit and enjoy the 資産.

Julie 作品 定期的に on the 陰謀（を企てる） herself, 持続するing trees and controlling brambles, 同様に as collecting fallen 支持を得ようと努めるd.

She 追加するs: 'I am not a tree-hugging hippy, but love the idea of 存在 able to go somewhere where you can 全く escape. When my daughter was younger it was a 広大な／多数の／重要な place for 調査するing and playing games. Now I enjoy its tranquillity and use old 支持を得ようと努めるd for 解雇する／砲火／射撃s at home.'