Thinking about investing in a vacant lot? Or maybe you already own one and aren’t sure what to do with it? Luckily, there are plenty of business opportunities you can leverage when you have this type of space. Here are 50 business ideas for vacant land.
Business Ideas for Vacant Land
Farm Stand
If you have a piece of land in a decent location, you can set up a roadside farm stand and use the rest of your land to grow or produce food to sell.
Produce Farm
You can also use land to grow produce that you can sell to restaurants or food retailers.
RV Storage
RVs take up a lot of space and many people don’t use them constantly. So you can start a business where you store those RVs on your property for a regular fee.
Boat Storage
Similarly, you can use your land as boat storage, especially if it’s located in a water adjacent community.
Campground
Maybe your vacant land is near a tourist area or just offers some neat views or other features. In this case, you can turn it into a campground and rent space to travelers.
Firewood Business
If your land is stocked with trees, you can use it as a source for timber or firewood to sell. You can also potentially gather wood from other sources and use your land as more of a processing space.
Wind Farm
Alternative energy is a huge growing industry. And vacant lots — if large enough an in the right location — create the perfect opportunity for wind farms.
Solar Energy
Similarly, you can set up some solar panels and work with local communities, businesses or energy providers to offer solar power.
Self Storage Facility
You can also use your space to set up some storage units and offer self storage options to local consumers.
Raising Livestock
If you have enough space and the know-how to raise animals like cattle, you can make a business out of the opportunity.
Dairy Farm
You can also raise cows and produce dairy products like milk and cheese.
Horse Stable
Or you can start a horse stable business where you offer riding opportunities and lessons.
Wool Processing
If you want to work with animals like sheep or alpaca, you can create a business by processing their wool and turning it into yarn and fabric.
Goat Rentals
There’s also a unique business opportunity for those who have the space and ability to raise goats. You can rent them out to other land owners as low cost lawn mowing options.
Educational Farm
If you set up a working farm on your property, you can also make it into an educational farm where you welcome school groups or people interested in learning about farming.
Summer Camp
You might also consider setting up a summer camp on your property where kids can take part in outdoor recreational activities.
Sports Fields
Or you can set up sports fields and rent them out to school groups and teams.
Corn Maze
If you want to welcome visitors to your land, you can also set up a business like a corn maze for which you can charge admission.
Hay Rides
Similarly, you can use a tractor or similar vehicle and pull visitors around on a wagon to create a fall themed hay ride.
Petting Zoo
You can also welcome a variety of animals to your land and set up a petting zoo that people can pay to visit.
Apple Orchard
Apple orchards can also be fun outdoor attractions for people to visit. You can charge admission and let people pick their own apples, while also offering a variety of apple based products.
Christmas Tree Farm
For another seasonal business idea, you can grow pine trees on your property and let people visit and purchase their own Christmas trees.
Ice Rink
You can also set up an outdoor ice rink on your land and charge a small admission fee or even make money from other things like concessions.
Vineyard
As another way to build a business from growing items, you can set up a vineyard and offer wine made from your own grapes.
Golf Course
It can be a process to set up, but if you have enough space you can create your own golf course on a plot of vacant land.
Junk Yard
A less complicated idea would be to simply start a junk yard business where people can bring unwanted items and you can sell this unwanted stuff to others for scrap.
Hunting Property
For land owners in rural areas, you might consider setting up a hunting property people can pay to visit for hunting.
Outdoor Shooting Range
Or you could set up an outdoor shooting range where people can take target practice.
Paintball Course
More of a recreational business, you could set up a paintball course on your land and welcome groups of customers.
Biking Course
Or you could set up a course where people can ride motocross or BMX bikes or take part in similar activities.
Zipline Course
If you have the right type of space and equipment, you could even set up a zipline that people could pay to use, especially if your land has access to interesting views.
Tiny House Manufacturer
Tiny houses have come into style lately. And if you have the right supplies, you can manufacture these homes on your land and even let it serve as a sort of mobile home park for tiny homes.
Glamping Facility
Glamping is another trendy concept. Short for glamorous camping, this would be similar to setting up a campsite, but with some more elaborate amenities.
Drive-In Theater
A more old school business idea but a nostalgic trend still popular with some, you can set up an outdoor theater that people can visit in their vehicles.
Concert Venue
Or you can set up a stage and offer your space as a concert venue to musicians and event promoters.
Event Rentals
Similarly, you can rent out the space for events like weddings or corporate retreats.
Landscape Supply Storage
Landscaping and home supply businesses don’t always have enough space to store all of the items they use or sell regularly. So you could start a storage business that caters specifically to this need.
Training Facility
You can also use your space as a training facility where businesses and their employees can come to learn about things like construction, landscaping or even drone operation.
Plant Nursery
If you want to grow plants on your property, you can construct a greenhouse or simply offer your plants for sale at a roadside plant market.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is another in-demand business that requires a fair amount of space in order to operate safely.
Roadside Attraction
Roadside attractions like the world’s largest spool of thread or unique old museums can also be businesses, as long as you charge admission or offer a gift shop or other type of paid attraction.
Outdoor Advertising
If your land is near a road or high traffic area, you can construct a billboard or similar type of outdoor advertising structure and use it as a money making opportunity.
Antiques Market
Antiques markets are popular in rural areas and can take up a lot of space. So you can set up your own antiques market that people can visit on your property.
Carpentry
Or you can set up a carpentry workshop and use the space to build large pieces of furniture and other structures.
Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ markets are often hosted by cities and community organizations. But if there’s a need in your area, you could set one up on your land and charge a small fee for vendors to participate.
Pop-up Facility
Or you could offer your land as a space for other businesses to host pop-up shops and events.
Outdoor Yoga Studio
If you have a scenic or serene piece of land, you could open up your own outdoor yoga studio or facility for similar activities.
Art Installation
It’s also possible to set up an outdoor art installation that people can pay to visit. Or you could allow people to visit for free and simply charge for things like food or merchandise.
Outdoor Photography Studio
You might also consider using your land as an outdoor photo studio so you can take unique landscape and portrait photos.
Parking Lot
And if your vacant land is adjacent to some local attractions, you could simply set up a parking lot and charge a fee for people to park there.
Vacant Lot Photo via Shutterstock