The valuation of commercial grain silos

A grain silo is a unique form of real estate because of its construction, use and income generation. The study is based on vertical concrete silos built for the sole purpose of storing grain. Silos are, in essence, income-producing properties, but because the tenant is the owner of grain and oilseed, the income produced by the silo fluctuates from year to year depending on the size of annual grain harvests. The purpose of this qualitative study is to establish which valuation methodology is best applicable to grain silos and to explore the factors that make grain silos unique in the determination of their value. Sources of information include historical research, unstructured interviews and case studies. The results of this study indicate that grain silos should be valued using the income capitalisation method. Income is calculated based on a long-term trend; expenses are calculated on financial information, and a capitalisation rate is calculated by adding risk to a baseline capitalisation rate. This study provides a guide to valuers and silo owners on how to determine the value of silos. The study focuses on grain silos that store maize and soya beans in the Highveld of Mpumalanga. The principles determined will be the same if other silos in other regions charge for storage and handling in the same way as used in this study.‘n Graansilo is ‘n unieke tipe eiendom as gevolg van konstruksie, gebruik en hoe inkomste verdien word. Die studie fokus op vertikale beton graansilos gebou uitsluitlik vir die stoor van graan. Silos is inkomsteproduserende eiendomme, maar omdat die huurder die eienaar van graan en oliesade is, is die inkomste wat ‘n silo kan produseer wisselend gebaseer op die grootte van die jaarlikse oes. Die doelwit van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is om te bepaal op watter waardasiemetode ‘n graansilo waardeer moet word en om die faktore te bepaal wat ‘n silo uniek maak in die bepaling van die waarde. Die studie is gebaseer op historiese navorsing, ongestruktureerde onderhoude en ‘n gevallestudie. Die bevindings van hierdie studie is dat graansilos op die gekapitaliseerde-inkomste-metode van waardasie gedoen moet word. Inkomste word bepaal deur ‘n langtermyn gemiddeld of tendens in besetting te bepaal. Uitgawes word bepaal uit die finansiele inligting van die silo. Die kapitalisasiekoers word bepaal deur risiko by ‘n basis kapitalisasiekoers te voeg. Die studie is ‘n gids om waardeerders en silo-eienaars te help om die waarde van ‘n graansilo te bepaal. Die studie konsentreer op graansilos in die hoeveld van Mpumalanga wat meestal mielies en sojabone stoor. Die beginsels wat bepaal word deur die studie sal dieselfde wees in ander areas van die land asook vir ander graantipes indien die stoor en hanteringsfooie op dieselfde manier toegepas word.