Picture yourself opening the wrought iron gates at dawn, sunlight filtering through a hundred fruit trees as you walk the private driveway to your country sanctuary. The morning air carries the scent of apple blossoms in spring, ripening plums in summer, and wood smoke from your own forest in winter. This is daily life at this 260-square-meter farmhouse in Westoverledingen, where 40,000 square meters of private land create a world entirely your own, just minutes from the amenities of Papenburg in Lower Saxony.
This property represents a rare opportunity to acquire a fully operational country estate that combines modern self-sufficiency with traditional German rural architecture. The 4-hectare plot unfolds like a private park, with established orchards, dedicated equestrian facilities, and nearly one hectare of native woodland. For international buyers seeking a vacation home in Germany that offers complete autonomy, this estate delivers an off-grid lifestyle without sacrificing comfort or connectivity.
The main residence spans 260 square meters across two floors, designed around a central living philosophy that connects indoor comfort with outdoor abundance. Enter through the spacious hallway into a light-filled living room where floor-to-ceiling windows frame views across your private landscape. A wood-burning stove anchors the space, creating gathering points for family evenings after days spent exploring the property. The country-style kitchen functions as the heart of daily life, equipped for preserving your orchard harvest and preparing meals with vegetables from your own garden beds.
Ground floor accommodations include a versatile room that serves equally well as a home office for remote work or a library for quiet afternoons. The bathroom features double sinks, a soaking tub, walk-in shower, and bidet, reflecting the property's attention to comfort. A practical utility room connects to the separate guest accommodation, itself a complete 60-square-meter living unit with independent entrance, bedroom, living space, kitchenette, and private bathroom. This arrangement opens multiple possibilities: multi-generational holiday gatherings, rental income to offset ownership costs, or accommodation for property caretakers during your absence.
Upstairs, two spacious bedrooms fitted with air conditioning offer panoramic countryside views that change with the seasons. Wake to mist rising over paddocks in autumn, watch storms roll across open fields in winter, or observe your horses grazing in summer twilight. Built-in wardrobes provide ample storage, while the separate upstairs toilet adds convenience for family living.
The outdoor infrastructure transforms this from a simple country home into a functioning agricultural estate. One hundred fruit trees produce apples, pears, plums, cherries, walnuts, and various berries, creating harvest opportunities from May through October. Berry bushes line the property edges, while designated vegetable growing areas support year-round cultivation in this temperate climate. Current occupants maintain chickens in purpose-built housing with capacity for twelve birds, providing fresh eggs daily.
Equestrian facilities rival those of dedicated riding centers. Four spacious 3x3-meter stables with dedicated tack room provide secure housing for horses, while four smaller stables accommodate goats, sheep, or other livestock. Four separate paddocks with professional horse fencing allow rotational grazing, and the expansive 45x95-meter riding arena enables training and exercise regardless of weather. For riders seeking a vacation home in Germany with serious equestrian capability, this property eliminates the need for external boarding facilities.
Self-sufficiency infrastructure sets this estate apart from typical rural properties. Solar panels generating 10kWh connect to 16.2kW traction battery storage, providing primary electrical power. A three-phase 22kVA diesel generator ensures backup during extended cloudy periods. The wood-burning stove supplements natural gas central heating, fueled by timber from your own oak and birch woodland. This combination of systems allows near-complete energy independence, dramatically reducing ongoing costs for international owners using the property seasonally.
The fully insulated garden house measuring 5x4 meters functions as additional guest accommodation, artist studio, home gym, or storage. Previously used as living space, it includes toilet facilities and a small kitchen, ready for conversion to suit your specific needs. Its separate location on the grounds provides privacy for guests or creates a dedicated workspace away from the main residence.
Westoverledingen occupies a strategic position in Lower Saxony, offering rural seclusion with urban accessibility. Papenburg, five kilometers away, provides supermarkets, restaurants, medical facilities, and services. This historic port town on the Ems River is famous for the Meyer Werft shipyard, where massive cruise ships are built and launched. The region's flat landscape attracts cyclists, with hundreds of kilometers of dedicated paths connecting villages and nature reserves. Water sports enthusiasts access the extensive Ems waterway system, while the Dutch border sits just twenty kilometers west, opening additional exploration opportunities.
Seasonal rhythms define life in this part of Germany. Spring transforms orchards into seas of white and pink blossoms, with migratory birds returning to nest in the woodland. Summer brings long daylight hours perfect for gardening, riding, and outdoor dining on the guest house terrace. Autumn harvest season fills storage cellars with preserved fruits and vegetables, while winter offers the stark beauty of frost-covered fields and cozy evenings by the wood stove. The temperate maritime climate brings moderate temperatures year-round, with summer highs around 22°C and winter lows rarely below freezing.
Cultural exploration extends easily from this location. Groningen in the Netherlands sits forty-five minutes west, offering museums, shopping, and university town energy. Bremen, ninety minutes northeast, provides international airport connections and major city amenities. The East Frisian Islands along the North Sea coast lie within two hours, offering beach holidays and unique island culture. This positioning makes the property an ideal base for exploring northwestern Germany and eastern Netherlands while returning each evening to your private sanctuary.
For international buyers, this property offers practical advantages beyond its lifestyle appeal. The separate guest accommodation generates potential rental income through platforms targeting rural tourism, equestrian holidays, or wellness retreats. Germany's stable property market and strong legal protections for owners provide security for foreign investors. The energy independence reduces vulnerability to utility cost fluctuations, while the productive land offers genuine food security and potential agricultural income streams.
Property condition ranks as good, with recent upgrades to energy systems and maintained structures throughout. The main residence requires no immediate renovation, allowing new owners to begin using the property immediately. Future enhancement possibilities include expanding the guest house, adding greenhouse facilities for year-round growing, or developing additional outbuildings for workshops or agricultural processing.
Maintenance requirements suit owners seeking active engagement with their property rather than passive ownership. Orchard management, paddock rotation, and seasonal property care provide rewarding activities during extended stays while creating opportunities to hire local caretakers during absences. The self-contained nature of systems reduces dependency on external service providers, though local tradespeople in Papenburg offer support when needed.
Key Features: 40,000 square meters of private land with no direct neighbors; 260 square meters of living space plus 60-square-meter independent guest unit; Four bedrooms and two full bathrooms; 100 established fruit trees producing apples, pears, plums, cherries, walnuts, berries; Complete equestrian facilities with four horse stables, tack room, four paddocks, 45x95-meter riding arena; Solar panels with battery storage and emergency diesel generator for energy independence; Nearly one hectare of private oak and birch woodland; Fully insulated garden house with kitchen and toilet; Electric gate with long private driveway; Multiple outbuildings and barns for storage, workshops, or livestock; Vegetable growing areas and chicken housing for up to twelve birds; Air conditioning in guest unit and upstairs bedrooms; Five kilometers from Papenburg amenities and services.
This Westoverledingen country home represents more than a vacation property; it offers a complete alternative lifestyle within easy reach of modern infrastructure. Whether your vision includes sustainable living, equestrian pursuits, agricultural experimentation, or simply a private retreat from urban pressures, this estate provides the land, facilities, and freedom to realize those ambitions. Contact Homestra today to arrange a private viewing of this exceptional German country property and begin planning your European rural adventure.
