10 Dirt Cheap Farmhouses in South Carolina With Land, From $255,000 Down to a $10,000 Lakefront Auction
South Carolina is one of the most underrated states in the country for affordable rural real estate. Drive an hour in almost any direction, away from the coast and the bigger cities, and the prices fall off a cliff. You find brick bungalows on five acres, century-old farmhouses with porches deep enough to live on, and lakefront homes that cost a fraction of what the same water would command anywhere else. If you have been searching for cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land, this is the kind of inventory that rarely makes it onto the front page of the big listing sites.
This article walks through 10 rural properties spread across the state, from the red-clay Upstate down through the Midlands and into the Lowcountry. They range from a polished, move-in-ready brick home on two private acres outside Columbia, all the way down to a furnished lakefront house going to absolute auction with an opening estimate near $10,000. Some are turnkey. Some need work. All of them give you room to breathe.
We have ranked them from most expensive to least expensive so you can scan straight to your budget. Each one includes the key facts, an honest look at the trade-offs, and a direct link to the live Zillow listing. Prices and availability change, so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not a guarantee. Whether you want a turnkey home you can move into this month or a fixer you can buy cheap and grow into, this list of cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land has something at almost every budget. Take your time with it, because the right rural property is worth waiting for.
Read on for all 10 cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land, with Zillow links for each.
Watch the Full Tour
Prefer to watch instead of read? The full video tour of all 10 properties is below. Every home in this article is covered in the countdown, with narration on the land, the interiors, and the honest trade-offs of each one.
What You’ll Find: Cheap Farmhouses in South Carolina With Land
These 10 cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land run from $255,000 at the top down to a $10,000 auction estimate at the bottom, and they cover a real cross-section of the state. You will find a 1900 farmhouse in Kershaw County wired with solar and battery backup, a 1910 brick bungalow with soaring beadboard ceilings on five Upstate acres, a 6.24-acre homestead with multiple powered outbuildings near the North Carolina line, and a four-bedroom lakefront home on Lake Secession. Acreage ranges from a level half-acre lot up to more than six acres, and most of these homes sit on well and septic with no HOA. Counties represented include Kershaw, Lexington, Marion, Chesterfield, Laurens, Newberry, Williamsburg, Greenwood, and Abbeville. What ties these cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land together is space: every single one gives you real acreage, not a token yard, and most come with the kind of outbuildings, porches, or water features that simply do not exist in a subdivision. If you are comparing them side by side, watch three things in particular, the age of the home, the condition of the systems, and whether the price reflects move-in readiness or a project.
| Rank | Town | Price | Acres | Price / Acre | AHO Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elgin | $255,000 | 2 | $127,500 | 71 |
| 2 | Gaston | $235,000 | 2.78 | $84,532 | 72 |
| 3 | Bethune | $195,000 | 2.53 | $77,075 | 76 |
| 4 | Mullins | $180,000 | 2.17 | $82,949 | 75 |
| 5 | Chesterfield | $167,500 | 6.24 | $26,843 | 73 |
| 6 | Laurens | $150,000 | 5 | $30,000 | 80 |
| 7 | Newberry | $129,000 | 1 | $129,000 | 74 |
| 8 | Kingstree | $85,900 | 1.1 + lot | $78,091 | 63 |
| 9 | Ware Shoals | $70,000 | 0.67 | $104,478 | 62 |
| 10 | Abbeville | Auction, est. $10,000 | Lakefront | N/A (auction) | 82 |
Every property on this list also carries an AHO Score, our own 100-point editorial rating that weighs price and value (25 points), land (20), condition (20), practical location (15), charm (10) and future potential (10). Scores come only from what each listing shows and states. It is an editorial tool for comparison — not an appraisal, an inspection, or investment advice.
For context, bare rural farmland in South Carolina has been running around $4,180 per acre on average, per USDA NASS estimates. Every figure in the table above is a whole-property price that includes a livable house, not raw acreage, so keep that in mind when comparing it to the bare-land benchmark. The Abbeville lakefront property is an absolute auction with no fixed acreage figure, so its price and price-per-acre are not directly comparable to the rest of the list.
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#1 — Elgin, SC — $255,000 — 2 acres
A polished brick home at the end of a private, tree-lined drive, twenty minutes from Columbia.
This is the most refined home on the list, and it sits at the end of a wooded drive that closes behind you the moment you turn in. Two acres of mature trees wrap the homesite, giving it a retreat-like quiet even though Northeast Columbia and the Sandhills shopping corridor are a short hop west on Interstate 20. It is brick on all sides, built in 1999, and clearly well cared for.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms across 2,261 square feet, with soaring ceilings and hardwood floors that carry a lot of natural light. A fireplace anchors the main living area, which flows into two separate dining spaces. The kitchen has extensive cabinetry and generous counter space. The primary suite is the standout: vaulted ceilings, an en-suite bath with dual vanities, a separate shower, and a soaking tub under the window. The third bath is a convenient half-bath off the main living space, which keeps the two full baths private to the bedrooms. With single-level living and main-floor bedrooms throughout, the layout works as well for downsizers as it does for a family.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 2 acres are private and usable, with a large deck stepping down into a wide backyard and a detached carport off to the side. The driveway is paved to the door. The home runs on a well and septic system, so there is no monthly water bill, though you maintain those systems yourself. There is also a dedicated laundry room and ample storage throughout. The screened porch is the kind of space you end up using nine months of the year in the Carolina climate, shaded in summer and dry in the spring rains. Mature hardwoods do most of the privacy work, so you are not staring at a neighbor’s fence from the deck.
About Elgin
Elgin sits in Kershaw County, just inside the Northeast Columbia growth corridor. You are about 20 minutes from the full retail, dining, and medical network of the Columbia metro on Interstate 20, with Kershaw County schools serving the area. Fort Jackson and the broader Columbia job market keep this a steady commuter location, which is part of why two undivided acres this close to the city is unusual. The surrounding Sandhills area is known for its horse farms and pine woods, and the commute into Columbia opens up a full metro of jobs, hospitals, and universities while you live on quiet acreage.
AHO Score: 71/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 14 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 12 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 19 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 14 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 7 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 5 / 10 |
| Total | 71 / 100 |
At $255,000 for 2 acres, this works out to about $127,500 per acre — far above the roughly $4,180-per-acre South Carolina farmland benchmark, which makes sense given this is the most polished, move-in-ready home on the list rather than a land play. The price relative to the rest of the countdown, not the condition, is what keeps the score from climbing higher.
Mark’s Verdict
Two private acres this close to Columbia rarely come available, because most comparable land near the city has long since been subdivided. The home itself is move-in ready with no obvious deferred maintenance. The only real consideration is the well-and-septic setup rather than city utilities, which is normal for the area and easy to plan around. Among the cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land on this list, it is also the most move-in ready, which makes it the easiest one to picture living in on day one.
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#2 — Gaston, SC — $235,000 — 2.78 acres
A move-in-ready ranch on nearly three private acres, with solar panels that convey.
This one is about walking in and being done. A single-story ranch on 2.78 acres south of Columbia, screened from the neighbors on every side by a natural buffer of trees. It is wrapped in low-maintenance fiber-cement Hardie plank and was built in 1990, and the whole property has the easy, settled feel of land you can actually use. The trees that ring the lot were left in place rather than cleared, so the privacy is mature and immediate instead of something you wait a decade to grow.
Inside the Home
There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms across 1,700 square feet. The interior is genuinely move-in ready: brand-new carpet underfoot and fresh paint throughout, clean and bright the moment you step in. The standout is the layout, which gives you two separate living areas rather than one. That second space becomes the home office, playroom, or media room that most homes at this price simply do not offer. The two living areas are the real flexibility story here, letting a household separate quiet space from noisy space without adding square footage. Ceilings are a comfortable height and the rooms take afternoon light well.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 2.78 acres are flat, wooded at the edges, and private, with a detached carport and parking for far more vehicles than most owners will need. The biggest feature is on the roof: solar panels that convey with the sale, a standing reduction in the monthly power bill from day one. The home sits on well and septic with no HOA.
About Gaston
Gaston is in Lexington County, just south of the Columbia metro. Lexington Medical Center is roughly 25 minutes north, and West Columbia and the interstate network are an easy drive, putting the whole Columbia job market within commuting range. It is a quiet, semi-rural pocket that still keeps you close to everyday services.
AHO Score: 72/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 16 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 13 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 18 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 13 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 6 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 6 / 10 |
| Total | 72 / 100 |
At $235,000 for 2.78 acres, this comes to about $84,532 per acre, reflecting a fully move-in-ready home with conveying solar rather than raw acreage. The math works well against the monthly savings from the solar panels; the modest acreage compared to other entries on this list is what limits the land score.
Mark’s Verdict
The combination of move-in-ready condition and conveying solar panels is hard to find at this price, and it directly lowers your monthly cost of ownership. At 2.78 acres this is a comfortable private yard rather than a working farm, so buyers wanting serious agricultural acreage should look further down the list. For everyone else, it is about as turnkey as rural living gets. For a buyer who wants the savings of rural living without a renovation, this is one of the most practical cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land you will find near the capital.
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#3 — Bethune, SC — $195,000 — 2.53 acres
A remodeled 1900 farmhouse with a detached shop and solar battery backup.
This is a 1900 farmhouse that announces itself from the road: white siding under a standing-seam metal roof, with a full front porch dressed in ornate iron brackets and brick pier columns. It sits on 2.53 acres ringed by mature oaks and pines, with established pine-straw landscaping. The character here is the kind new construction cannot reproduce, but the systems have been brought current. Homes from this era were built with deep porches and high ceilings for a reason, and that practical, pre-air-conditioning design still pays off in the Carolina heat.
Inside the Home
Inside are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms across 1,536 square feet. The hardwood floors have been refinished, the walls freshly painted, and a wood-burning fireplace anchors the living room beneath a dark wood mantle. The kitchen is the showpiece, with white cabinetry, a subway-tile backsplash, and a full suite of stainless appliances including a new range, dishwasher, and microwave. Each bedroom has hardwood and a ceiling fan, and one of the two full baths has a walk-in shower with a built-in bench.
Land and Outdoor Potential
Out back there is a detached shop with a roll-up door and its own separate entry, ready to serve as a workshop, storage, or flex space, plus an attached carport at the rear and an enclosed side porch that adds usable square footage. The real differentiator is the solar array tied to a Generac battery backup, so the lights stay on when the grid goes down. The home is on public water with a septic system.
About Bethune
Bethune is a small, quiet town in Kershaw County. Camden, with its medical center and full retail, is about 20 minutes south, and Columbia is roughly 50 minutes out. This is genuine small-town country living with the services you need within a short drive, not the deep backwoods.
AHO Score: 76/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 19 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 13 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 16 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 13 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 8 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 7 / 10 |
| Total | 76 / 100 |
At $195,000 for 2.53 acres, this works out to about $77,075 per acre, a premium justified by the remodeled kitchen, refinished hardwood, and grid-independent solar-and-battery system. The 1900-era structure and the higher-than-expected property tax bill are what keep this out of the 80s.
Mark’s Verdict
A remodeled century farmhouse with a detached shop and grid-independent solar is a rare package, especially under $200,000. The main thing to keep in mind is the home’s age: even with the refinish work done well, a 1900 house warrants a contingency fund for what lives behind old walls. The property taxes also run higher here than the price alone would suggest, so factor that in. The pairing of genuine period character with a modern, grid-independent power setup makes this one of the more interesting cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land in the Midlands.
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#4 — Mullins, SC — $180,000 — 2.17 acres
The biggest house on the list, with a personal creek and its own upstairs balcony.
If square footage is what you are after, this plantation-style home delivers the most house for the money in the entire group. A wide covered porch with columns runs the front, an upstairs balcony sits above it, and a creek of your own runs through the back of the 2.17-acre property. Built in 1980, it has the bones and the style of something much older. For a large family, a home business, or anyone who simply wants room to spread out, the sheer volume of finished space here changes what is possible.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms across 2,642 square feet, by far the largest footprint here. A semi-open floor plan lets the living and dining areas flow together, with built-in features throughout and a fireplace in the living room. Upstairs, a flexible layout adds a bonus room plus additional flex space, the makings of a home office, studio, or playroom. The kitchen is generous and, honestly, waiting to be reimagined by the next owner. Ceilings are generous and the windows are large, both hallmarks of the era, and the built-ins around the living room add storage and character at once. The balcony off the upper level looks back over the yard and the creek line.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 2.17 acres include the creek, an attached garage, and parking for nearly a dozen vehicles, with the land opening out around the house in the unhurried way of older Pee Dee properties. This is the one property here that openly needs some work, and it is priced for exactly that.
About Mullins
Mullins is in Marion County, in the heart of the Pee Dee tobacco country. Florence and its major medical hub are about 40 minutes northwest, and the beaches at Myrtle Beach are roughly 50 minutes the other direction. That coastal proximity, combined with the creek and the size of the house, gives this property real weekend-retreat and rental potential. Marion County is classic Pee Dee farm country, flat and fertile, with small downtowns, county fairs, and an easy pace that rural buyers tend to fall for once they spend a weekend here.
AHO Score: 75/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 20 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 13 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 14 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 11 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 8 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 9 / 10 |
| Total | 75 / 100 |
At $180,000 for 2.17 acres, this comes to about $82,949 per acre, but at roughly $68 per square foot for 2,642 square feet, this is the cheapest house per foot on the entire list. The needed cosmetic and kitchen work is what holds the score back from what the square footage alone would suggest.
Mark’s Verdict
At roughly $68 per square foot, this is the cheapest house per foot on the list, and the spread between the asking price and what the home could become is the widest here. The catch is honest and obvious: it needs cosmetic and kitchen work. For a buyer comfortable putting in sweat equity, the size, the creek, and the location make it a strong project. For square footage per dollar, nothing else among these cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land comes close.
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#5 — Chesterfield, SC — $167,500 — 6.24 acres
A 6.24-acre homestead with three powered outbuildings and water already run to the yard.
This is the one for buyers who want the land to be the point. The home sits well back on 6.24 acres behind a paved circle driveway, with room on every side for gardening, animals, or simply open space. Built in 1945, it is a modest house carrying a serious piece of property. Acreage like this, already cleared, fenced in part, and served by powered outbuildings, is the expensive part of building a homestead, and here it comes included.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom across 1,296 square feet. Hardwood floors run through the main rooms, and the kitchen has been nicely updated, flowing into the dining and living areas while staying separated from the bedroom wing. The fourth bedroom is the versatile one, easily a home office, hobby room, or storage. The layout is simple and practical, making a smaller house live larger than its footage. The separation between the bedroom wing and the common rooms is the kind of practical floor-plan detail that makes daily life easier in a smaller house. Real hardwood underfoot, rather than laminate, ties the rooms together.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The outbuildings are the headline: a 12-by-30 building with power, a separate powered building with its own lean-to, and a 12-by-24 storage building. That is workshop, equipment storage, and hobby space already standing. A water line has also been run to the back yard, so livestock or a serious garden are a connection away. The home is sold as-is, with window units rather than central air.
About Chesterfield
Chesterfield sits in Chesterfield County, in the northeast corner of the state near the North Carolina line. Cheraw, with the nearest hospital and retail, is about 15 minutes away, and Charlotte is roughly an hour and 15 minutes north for anything bigger. This is true country, and the price reflects the distance.
AHO Score: 73/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 20 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 17 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 11 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 11 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 6 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 73 / 100 |
At $167,500 for 6.24 acres, this works out to about $26,843 per acre — well above the $4,180 South Carolina benchmark, but that premium buys three powered outbuildings and water already run to the yard, the expensive part of building a homestead. The single bathroom and window-unit cooling are the honest trade-offs.
Mark’s Verdict
Six-plus acres with water already run to the back and three powered outbuildings is a homestead starter kit you could not build for the asking price. The honest trade-offs are real: one bathroom for four bedrooms, window-unit cooling, and as-is condition. Budget for a second bath and an HVAC system, and you are buying the land and the infrastructure for very little. If your priority is acreage and infrastructure over a finished interior, this is the strongest land value of all the cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land featured here.
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#6 — Laurens, SC — $150,000 — 5 acres
A 1910 brick bungalow with beadboard ceilings and a new roof, on five Upstate acres.
This 1910 brick bungalow carries the confidence of land that has been settled for over a century. A full-length front porch runs the face of the home, with a huge screened porch around back, on five gorgeous acres in a fast-growing Upstate county. A brand-new roof went on in 2025, so the single most expensive item on any old house is already handled.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom across 1,440 square feet, and this is where a 1910 home separates itself. The ceilings soar, finished in beadboard with a warmth drywall never matches, and giant windows flood the rooms with light. Hardwood floors run throughout, and a masonry fireplace anchors the living room. The three bedrooms are genuinely large, the bathroom is oversized, and the kitchen is functional and ready to cook in. Beadboard ceilings and tall windows are the signatures of a true 1910 build, and they give the rooms a brightness and a craftsmanship that modern construction quietly stopped delivering. The masonry fireplace is a working anchor for the living room rather than a decorative box.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 5 acres sit on gravel parking with room to spread out, and the home is on well and septic with no HOA. It needs a little cosmetic attention, but the structure, the brick, and the architecture are all here. This is a livable, character-rich home rather than a gut project.
About Laurens
Laurens is in Laurens County in the Upstate, with Interstate 385 just minutes away. The restaurants and shopping of Simpsonville and Fountain Inn are about 20 minutes north, and Greenville with its major hospital system is roughly 40 minutes out. Downtown Laurens and its courthouse square handle the everyday, and the booming Greenville corridor is what makes this acreage appreciate.
AHO Score: 80/100 — Strong AHO Pick
| Price & Value Appeal | 20 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 15 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 15 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 13 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 9 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 80 / 100 |
At $150,000 for 5 acres, this comes to $30,000 per acre, a strong rate for acreage this close to the booming Greenville growth corridor. The new 2025 roof removes the single biggest expense on an old house, which is a large part of why this scores among the strongest picks on the list; the single bathroom is the main limitation.
Mark’s Verdict
Five acres this close to the Greenville growth corridor and Interstate 385, with a livable century home already on it, is land that should hold and gain value. The single bathroom and the cosmetic to-do list are the trade-offs, but the new roof, the brick bones, and the beadboard ceilings are irreplaceable. Spend on the finishes, not the structure. Buyers who care about appreciation, not just a cheap entry price, should put this one near the top of any short list of cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land.
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#7 — Newberry, SC — $129,000 — 1 acre
A 1922 home with timeless character on a full acre in a college town.
A full acre inside a small college town is a combination that almost never lines up at this price. This 1922 home sits on a generous, private lot with real room out back for a garden, a workshop, or an outdoor hobby. An accessibility ramp leads to the door, a practical touch more buyers appreciate than most listings bother to offer.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom across 1,162 square feet. Box ceilings give the rooms a defined, period character, and hardwood floors run through the main living spaces. The kitchen has been updated and is ready for everyday use, and the layout carries the timeless proportions that century-old homes got right: generous doorways, square rooms, and ceilings a little higher than the modern standard. Box ceilings, original proportions, and steady natural light give the interior a settled, lived-in warmth, and the updated kitchen means you are not walking into a gut job. It reads as a home that has been maintained rather than neglected.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 1 acre gives you separation from the neighbors that an in-town lot rarely buys, with parking for several vehicles. The home is on public water and public sewer, which is a nice convenience for a property this size. There is no fireplace, and the lot has the established feel of land that has been lived on and cared for.
About Newberry
Newberry is the seat of Newberry County, an easy 45 minutes from Columbia on Interstate 26. Newberry College is right in town, Newberry County Memorial Hospital is local, and the historic Newberry Opera House keeps the downtown lively year-round. A full acre this close to a college campus is genuinely scarce.
AHO Score: 74/100 — Solid Rural Deal
| Price & Value Appeal | 19 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 12 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 15 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 14 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 6 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 74 / 100 |
At $129,000 for 1 acre, this works out to $129,000 per acre, high on a per-acre basis but reasonable for a full acre inside a college-town setting with public water and sewer already in place. Steady student and faculty rental demand is what keeps the future-potential score strong despite the older systems.
Mark’s Verdict
A college town gives a landlord steady, recession-resistant rental demand from students, staff, and visiting faculty, and a full acre near campus is rare. The single bathroom and the older systems behind the walls are the honest trade-offs of a 1922 house, but the cosmetics are already updated and the price reflects the rest. As a long-term hold, it is one of the more landlord-friendly cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land in this group.
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#8 — Kingstree, SC — $85,900 — 1.1 acres
A 1947 Lowcountry home with a screened porch and a second lot across the street.
There is more land here than the listing first lets on, because the property includes additional acreage across the street. That is the detail to circle: you are buying optionality, not just a house lot. A 1947 home sits on the main parcel under mature trees, with a screened porch for the long Lowcountry evenings and a peaceful, rural setting. That extra parcel across the street is the kind of detail that quietly doubles your options, from a future build site to simple privacy you control.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom across 1,115 square feet, in a traditional layout. This is an inherited home, so think of it as a blank slate. The appliances are already in place, including the washer and dryer, so the basics are covered from day one. The house is honest about what it is: a solid, traditional country home waiting for a buyer with a vision. The traditional layout keeps the living, dining, and sleeping areas clearly defined, which is easy to work with whether you renovate to rent or to live in. With the appliances already in place, the essentials are handled from the start.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 1.1 acres plus the extra lot across the street give you room to expand, build, or simply hold. The home sits on public water with a septic system. It is sold as-is and will need repairs, which is exactly why it is priced where it is.
About Kingstree
Kingstree is the seat of Williamsburg County, deep in the rural Lowcountry. Williamsburg Regional Hospital is right in town, Florence is about 40 minutes north for bigger retail and medical, and Charleston is roughly an hour and a half southeast when you want the coast. This is quiet, affordable country living. The Lowcountry around Kingstree is slow, green, and heavily agricultural, the kind of place where land is still genuinely affordable and neighbors are measured in acres rather than feet.
AHO Score: 63/100 — Niche Opportunity
| Price & Value Appeal | 20 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 13 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 9 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 8 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 5 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 63 / 100 |
At $85,900 for 1.1 acres plus a second lot across the street, the effective per-acre cost is lower than the listing acreage alone suggests. The as-is, inherited condition with unknown history is what pulls the score down the most; the bonus parcel is what keeps it from scoring even lower.
Mark’s Verdict
At under $86,000 with a second parcel included, the entry cost is almost nothing and the optionality is real. The honest trade-off is that this is an as-is inherited home with unknown history that will need repairs. Go in with a contractor and a plan, and the land plus the spare lot make the math work. For pure entry price plus upside, it is one of the cheapest cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land you will find with a bonus lot attached.
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#9 — Ware Shoals, SC — $70,000 — 0.67 acres
A compact investor special on a highway that reaches four Upstate cities.
This is the smallest and second-cheapest home on the list, and it is squarely an investor or starter play. It sits on just over half an acre on Highway 25, a level, cleared lot with a couple of shade trees, a two-car carport off the side, and a separate storage building for tools and equipment.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom across roughly 830 square feet, with a dining room that could easily serve as a third bedroom. Every appliance is included, so the home is ready for immediate occupancy or a renovation. It is a straightforward, functional floor plan with no wasted space and a clear path to value for whoever brings the work. For an investor, the compact footprint is a feature, not a flaw: less square footage to renovate, lower holding costs, and a quick path to a rent-ready unit. The optional third bedroom adds rental flexibility without any construction.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The 0.67-acre lot is level with few trees, and the two-car carport plus the storage building are real bonuses on a property this affordable. The location right on Highway 25 is the locational pitch, keeping a steady pool of potential tenants within reach.
About Ware Shoals
Ware Shoals sits right on Highway 25 in the Upstate. Greenwood, with Self Regional Healthcare, is about 20 minutes away, and Greenville, Anderson, and Laurens are all within easy reach. Four cities off one highway is the whole appeal for a rental.
AHO Score: 62/100 — Niche Opportunity
| Price & Value Appeal | 19 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 8 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 10 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 13 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 4 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 62 / 100 |
At $70,000 for 0.67 acres, this works out to about $104,478 per acre, high for the land alone, but this is squarely an investor or starter play judged on rental math rather than acreage. The small lot and rehab needs are what cap the score.
Mark’s Verdict
As a rental entry point, the numbers are hard to argue with, and the carport and storage building add value on a very affordable property. The honest trade-offs are size and condition: this is a small home that will want some rehab, and cash buyers are preferred. Buy it for what it is, an affordable, well-located rental or starter, and it does its job.
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#10 — Abbeville, SC — Auction, est. $10,000 — Lakefront
A furnished four-bedroom lakefront home on Lake Secession, going to absolute auction.
This is the wildcard, and the reason it sits at the bottom of the list is the opening number, not the quality. It is a two-story lakefront home with over 450 feet of frontage on the main water of Lake Secession, plus a cove, going to absolute auction with a starting estimate near $10,000. The home is built entirely around the water it sits on.
Inside the Home
Inside there are 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms across two levels, and it comes furnished, with every appliance and piece of furniture staying. The main level opens up with a master suite, a full kitchen with a bar area, a great room, and laundry, all flowing out to a screened porch and deck over the lake. The lower walk-out level holds three more bedrooms, two full baths, and a den, with its own door to a covered deck. Mini-split HVAC units in nearly every room let you control the temperature space by space. The walk-out lower level functions almost as a second living quarters, which is part of why the home works so well as a rental or a multi-generational getaway. Furnished and equipped, it could be earning income within weeks of closing.
Land and Outdoor Potential
The grounds are the draw: a dock with a covered boat slip, covered and uncovered seating areas, a firepit by the lake, pavered walkways down to the water, a metal carport with a shop area, and an outbuilding with a roll-up door. With over 450 feet of frontage, this is as much a waterfront compound as a house. For a waterfront property, that much usable shoreline and ready-built infrastructure is the hard part already done, the piece that costs the most time and money to add later.
About Abbeville
Abbeville is the seat of Abbeville County, with Lake Secession at the doorstep. Abbeville Area Medical Center is the local hospital, and Greenwood with its larger medical network is about 30 minutes away. Lakefront is the scarcest asset in this entire group, which is what makes the auction worth watching. Abbeville itself is a historic Upstate town with a restored opera house and a walkable square, and Lake Secession draws boaters and anglers from across the region all summer long.
AHO Score: 82/100 — Strong AHO Pick
| Price & Value Appeal | 15 / 25 |
| Land & Usability | 18 / 20 |
| Condition & Livability | 18 / 20 |
| Practical Location | 12 / 15 |
| Charm & Dream Factor | 10 / 10 |
| Future Potential | 9 / 10 |
| Total | 82 / 100 |
This one is a genuine wildcard: the $10,000 figure is an absolute-auction opening estimate, not a sale price, and the tax-assessed value runs far higher, so treat the score’s price component with real caution. What earns the high score is everything else — over 450 feet of lake frontage, a dock and boat slip already in place, and a fully furnished, move-in-ready interior are rare at any price on this list.
Mark’s Verdict
Lakefront property is the rarest thing on this list, and this one arrives furnished with a dock and boat slip already in place, making it turnkey as a short-term rental. The critical honest note is the format: this is an absolute auction, so the home will sell, but the opening estimate is a starting point, not the final price. The tax-assessed value is far higher, so confirm the terms, arrange financing, and line up an inspection before you bid. Auction details are listed at howe.bid.
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Final Thoughts on Cheap Farmhouses in South Carolina With Land
What stands out across these 10 cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land is how much the state rewards buyers who are willing to look past the coast and the metro centers. The same dollar that buys a cramped suburban lot near Charleston or Greenville buys multiple acres, a real house, and breathing room an hour inland. From the solar-equipped 1900 farmhouse in Bethune to the 6.24-acre homestead in Chesterfield to the lakefront compound in Abbeville, the range here is genuinely wide.
A few themes repeat. Well and septic systems and no HOA are the norm, which means lower carrying costs but more self-reliance. Several of these homes are a century old, which buys you irreplaceable character along with the maintenance that comes with age. And the cheapest properties are almost always as-is or at auction, where the savings are real but so is the work. The best of these cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land reward a buyer who does the homework.
Prices, taxes, and availability were accurate at the time of writing and will change. Before you fall in love with any of these, check the current Zillow listing, verify the details independently, and walk the property in person if you can. If you want to see all 10 on video, the full tour is on our YouTube channel, where we cover a new state every week. Used carefully, a list like this of cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land is the fastest way to understand what your money actually buys across the state before you ever get in the car.
Buying Cheap Farmhouses in South Carolina With Land: A Quick Checklist
Before you make an offer on any of these cheap farmhouses in South Carolina with land, run through a few state-specific items that matter more here than in most markets:
- Legal residence property tax rate — South Carolina taxes owner-occupied primary residences at a 4% assessment ratio versus 6% for second homes or rentals, a difference that can double your annual tax bill. Confirm which rate applies to your intended use, including the properties in Elgin, Gaston and Bethune, before you budget.
- Agricultural rollback taxes — Larger-acreage parcels like the 6.24-acre Chesterfield homestead may be assessed at a lower agricultural-use rate. If you change the land’s use after buying, South Carolina can apply up to five years of rollback taxes at the higher rate, so ask the county assessor about the property’s current classification.
- Termite bond and wood-destroying insect report — South Carolina sits in a high termite-pressure region, and most lenders require a wood infestation report before closing. Budget for an active termite bond, especially on the older homes in this list like the 1900 Bethune farmhouse or the 1910 Laurens bungalow.
- Well and septic verification — Several of these properties (Elgin, Gaston, Laurens) run on private well and septic. Get the well tested for yield and quality and the septic system inspected before closing.
- Solar panel ownership vs. lease — Both the Gaston and Bethune listings mention solar systems conveying with the sale. Confirm in writing whether the panels are owned outright or under a lease or power-purchase agreement, since a lease transfers differently and can affect financing.
- Older-home inspection basics — Homes built before 1978 (1900, 1910, 1922 and 1945 in this list) may have lead-based paint, and older wiring and plumbing should be verified by a licensed inspector.
- Absolute-auction terms — The Abbeville lakefront property is going to absolute auction, meaning it will sell regardless of price. Confirm the buyer’s premium, deposit requirements, financing timeline and inspection window directly with the auction house, and remember the opening estimate is a starting point, not the final price.
- Flood and hurricane insurance — Properties near creeks, lakes or closer to the coast, like the Mullins creek-front home or the Abbeville lakefront listing, should be checked against FEMA flood maps, and South Carolina’s hurricane exposure means wind and flood coverage should be quoted before closing.
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Disclaimer
American Home Opportunities is not a real estate broker or agent and is not affiliated with Zillow or with any listing agent or brokerage. All prices, acreage, square footage, tax figures, and property details were taken from public listings at the time of writing and are subject to change or prior sale. Properties may no longer be available. Nothing in this article is financial, legal, or real estate advice. Always verify all information independently and consult a licensed professional before making any purchase decision. This content is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.
