First year selling and lost already!

[WoodlandWilf]

Hi all,

 

We manage a woodland just south of London and for the first time this year we are looking to sell some timber to help with the upkeep of the woodland.

 

Lots of timber (Oak, Chesnut, Ash & Pine) is already felled and trimmed to 3m and stacked ready to go.

 

We are new to selling and trying to work out how best to value. Lots of potential buyers are offering £50-£60 per tonne weight which seems reasonable. Is it normal to sell by the tonne than by a cubic metre mass? If we seasoned the wood presumably it would weigh less and so should be more valuable but would wiegh less and so a cubic metre seems more accurate? In terms of measuring it would also be easier to measure by cubic metre than get it weighed constantly.

 

Sorry for the total newbie question but we want to ensure we sell this in the best way to ensure future development of the woodland.

 

Appreciate any guidance thank you.

 

Wilf Roberts

Edited January 19, 2023 by WoodlandWilf

[Mark Bolam]

It’s an age old problem for foresters.

 

Weight is the only accurate way of measuring timber, too many variables in calculating accurate volume in round wood.

 

I fully appreciate your roadside stacks will be decreasing in value as they dry out!

 

Just get it sold asap.

 

Timber wagons can measure the weight loaded.

[GarethM]

Presumably you're selling what has been licensed or legally felled?.

 

As unless it's all above board you're not going to have a huge stockpile of timber.

[Squaredy]

56 minutes ago, WoodlandWilf said:

Hi all,

 

We manage a woodland just south of London and for the first time this year we are looking to sell some timber to help with the upkeep of the woodland.

 

Lots of timber (Oak, Chesnut, Ash & Pine) is already felled and trimmed to 3m and stacked ready to go.

 

We are new to selling and trying to work out how best to value. Lots of potential buyers are offering £50-£60 per tonne weight which seems reasonable. Is it normal to sell by the tonne than by a cubic metre mass? If we seasoned the wood presumably it would weigh less and so should be more valuable but would wiegh less and so a cubic metre seems more accurate? In terms of measuring it would also be easier to measure by cubic metre than get it weighed constantly.

 

Sorry for the total newbie question but we want to ensure we sell this in the best way to ensure future development of the woodland.

 

Appreciate any guidance thank you.

 

Wilf Roberts

Give us an idea of the logs you are selling.  Are we talking about firewood grade (up to a foot or so diameter) or sawlogs for milling?

[WoodlandWilf]

Thank you Mark, appreciate your feedback.

 

Gareth, yes all felled under license.

 

It sounds like it would make most sense to get a larger contractor to turn up and weigh it then rather than us try and sell locally to lots of buyers.

[WoodlandWilf]

2 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

Give us an idea of the logs you are selling.  Are we talking about firewood grade (up to a foot or so diameter) or sawlogs for milling?

All lengths trimmed to 3 metres. Lots of varying diameter depending on species and lots of the chesnut for example is very straight whcih is why we thought woudl be easier to estimate m3.

[GarethM]

I wasn't wanting to be the wood police, but you never know.

 

It's the old doing it yourself cheap and taking a dogs age Vs paying for someone's time. Obviously biomass is the lowest paying but it gets gone quickly.

[Squaredy]

1 minute ago, WoodlandWilf said:

All lengths trimmed to 3 metres. Lots of varying diameter depending on species and lots of the chesnut for example is very straight whcih is why we thought woudl be easier to estimate m3.

I ask because you should ask a higher price for sawlogs.  But this also depends on the quality of course, and you would need to separate them out.   Chestnut sawlogs for instance could be worth £130 per ton if top quality.  
 

And it depends on getting a full load. You won’t have much luck trying to sell a few tons of sawlogs.

[Squaredy]

4 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I wasn't wanting to be the wood police, but you never know.

 

It's the old doing it yourself cheap and taking a dogs age Vs paying for someone's time. Obviously biomass is the lowest paying but it gets gone quickly.

And I would suggest selling by the ton is easiest.  Have you ever tried to measure firewood grade log stacks?  If you do you are guaranteed to create arguments with your customers!  Let the timber lorry weigh it and no one can argue.

[WoodlandWilf]

15 minutes ago, GarethM said:

I wasn't wanting to be the wood police, but you never know.

 

It's the old doing it yourself cheap and taking a dogs age Vs paying for someone's time. Obviously biomass is the lowest paying but it gets gone quickly.

Thanks Gareth, will look into Biomass as well but as you say I am guessing much less than what we could get in lengths.