If You Own Vacant Land, Consider These Ways to Use It and Make Money

Believe it or not, there are realistic things to do with land to make money. Some of the options can provide you with passive income.

Danielle Letenyei - Author
By

Mar. 24 2023, Updated 8:06 p.m. ET

Vacant land
Source: Pexels

Real estate is often one of the best things to invest money in. Even if you’ve been priced out of the housing market recently, you may still be able to afford vacant land and turn a profit from it.

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Believe it or not, there are realistic things to do with land to make money. And some of those options can provide you with passive income that you hardly have to lift a finger to make. Here are 10 things you can do with vacant land to make money.

Farmland
Source: Getty Images
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1. Rent it to farmers

If you own several acres of fertile farmland but aren't interested in growing your own crops, you can rent your land out to farmers in the area. The farmer can expand their crops and make more money without purchasing the land, and you earn rental income.

2. Store boats, campers, and RVs

In the winter, people who own boats, campers, or RVs may need a place to store their recreational vehicles when they aren’t using them. You can build a storage garage on your land or just throw some gravel down and invite people to store their vehicles there.

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3. Lease the land to a solar or wind farm

According to Strategic Solar Group, solar farms are one of the most profitable uses for vacant rural land. You can make between $300 and $2,000 per acre per year by leading your land for a solar farm. You could also lease the land out to a wind farm.

A solar farm
Source: Getty Images
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4. Offer it as festival space

Concerts, fairs, festivals, and other events usually need a significant amount of space. So, you may be able to make some money (and even score some tickets) by renting your land out for these events.

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5. Rent it for hunting and fishing

Is your property located on a lake that's popular with fishermen? Or maybe it's in the woods with a lot of wildlife. You can lease the land to sportsmen and let them hunt or fish on the land.

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fishermen
Source: Getty Images

6. Build a campground or RV park

Creating a campground or RV park on your land requires a little upfront investment but can provide you with considerable profits in the future.

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7. Billboards

If your land is located near a major highway or another road, the local billboard company may be interested in leasing the land from you to put one of its signs up. Or you can construct a sign structure yourself and offer to lease it as advertising space for local businesses.

A billboard near a highway
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8. Harvest timber

For land that includes a lot of forested acreage, consider using it to harvest timber. There are laws for harvesting lumber, even if it's on your own property, so contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the guidelines.

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9. Tiny home vacation rental

Many people are looking for ways to experience living “off the grid.” You could put a tiny home or RV on your land and then offer it as a vacation rental on sites like Airbnb or Vebo.

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A tiny home
Source: Pexels

10. Start a farmers or flea market

You’ll probably need to invest in some tables or tents to start a farmers market or flea market on your land. But, once you’ve set things up, you can make money by charging vendors a fee for renting space. The more popular the market gets, the more you can charge vendors.

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