Homestead Archives - Which land is perfect?

Oct 07, 2025

If possible, purchase land next to state or federal lands (with minimal efforts, various opportunities can arise and be beneficial being next door...)

Think carefully about the land you intend to purchase. Weigh as many pros and cons as you know. Simple low spots can turn into mosquito infested pools after a good rain, high ground can expose you to high winds, sandy soil can be difficult, if not impossible, to build upon, et cetera

Important! what is this land going to do for you? You have needs. How is this land going to help you meet these needs? Water? Shelter? Food?

Mentioning water...the average homesteader uses from 80 to 100 gallons of water per day! Key word is average. The author of "Homestead Survival" states that his family survives on around 40 gallons a day.

Where does all that water go?

garden

greenhouse

livestock

dishes

washing (both personal hygene and clothing)

personal consumption

As crazy as this sounds...check with the state to see if they offer incentives to move to a certain area to homestead. States often want a certain amount of people in an area for political gain or financial gain and will offer incentives to try and boost population in a certain area. It doesn't mean you're greedy, but you're playing by THEIR rules, on THEIR court, with THEIR ball.'

As you research, pay attention to which grow zone your property will be located within. Know far in advance what you'll be able to plant outside and what you'll need a greenhouse to grow

In searching, here are some things to look at, look for, and seriously consider (according to "Homestead Survival")

Natural Resources - water, healthy soil, ample sunlight

The Local Community - no matter how much you want to be alone, things like bartering and watchful eyes are very beneficial to survival

Cost of Living - don't over extend your finances - you'll still need to purchase essentials like everyone else (gas/fuel...lumber...food...hardware) until your homestead is established and supporting you

Regulations, Codes, and Taxes - dig until you speak Chinese!!! Know what you can and cannot do with your property. One township may only allow pink outhouses while the township next door may only allow purple polka dot outhouses

The best place to homestead is wherever you can survive and thrive for generations to come. Shrek made due in his swamp. William Wallace in a valley near the Scottish highlands. Take an imperfect plot and grow your future there...thrive, grow, make this world a much better place foot by foot

In our search, I developed a series of spreadsheets with a growing theme amongst them all...what does this property offer? As I began to fill in blanks, I noticed that some lands offered more items so as my little comparison grew, I soon built a template of what was available and begant to assign point values for each item offered. For example: if the property had a water feature of some kind, I'd score it a 5/5 because even if I had to boil it and filter it...water is still water. The body can only go 4 days without it. If the property was very rocky/poor soil...i'd score it -2. Things like that. At the bottom, I'd have the spreadsheet tally up the score and when it was all said and done, I had organized all my tabs according to the highest score to lowest. I could then look at the "best" properties and compare them to the "better" ones. we discussed it, settled upon what was important to us and our needs/desires, and chose 5 to pursue. This is just our experience'

Now that you've found the "perfect" spot...roll up your sleeves, it's uphill from here

If at all possible, talk to the neighbors around your property. Go sit in the local restaurant and strike up conversations. The local inhabitants know a lot more about the area than your agent may be letting onto. Don't mind the off topic "there was once a dead coon living in Martha's washbin and it would crawl out every night and terrorize Mrs. Murphy's chickens" stories...they just add flavor to your potential choice. Listen for details...things that will help/hinder you in your quest to thrive on the property in question. Ask about depths of local wells...get an idea what you'll be needing for yours. Ask about soil - loamy, clay, sandy, river bed, et cetera. If you made it to this point, be bold and daring and ask about the wild critters in the area. Who knows...maybe a friend of a friends cousin saw Bigfoot on your property!! Never know...but you may also find out that mountain lions patrol your corner of heaven...or black bear use it to nap on.

A key to always remember: No matter how perfect the ideal of homesteading appears, Mother Nature still rules. She may fight you tooth and nail and you'll never win...but you can mitigate the damage and help her become more beautiful. Keep this is mind as you select your property. Earthquakes, lava flows, hurricanes, tornados...just "Momma" reminding you that she has all the aces in this game of cards.

Remember the old African proverb: A visitor once asked a tribal leader - "How do you eat an elephant?" The leader smiled brightly and softly replied "One bite at a time." In your choices that you make for your homestead, you can easily feel overwhelmed. Don't eat the whole elephant at once. Take one bite at a time. Break things down into priorities. Set goals. Make time limits. As you knock them off...take a moment to celebrate them being accomplished. The brain is hardwired for rewards. It automatically loves rewards and tries harder to keep getting them. Use this to your advantage

Questions to ask yourself:

Is there a clean water supply very close by?

Consider the location - where do you want to live and succeed...does it get ample south-facing sunlight

Neighbors - do you want them? Think of them as well as yourself

Are there existing buildings on the property you want? Even if unusable, they're still usable to repurpose'

Is there existing infrastructure (roads/driveways/two-tracks)?

Research the type(s) of zoning your land is cleared for

Do you really need a lot of acreage? 2-3 acres is fine for chickens and a garden

Previous owners - did they leave a mess? Factor cleanup into your budget

Is the price of the land too good to be true? Dig and find out why!!!

Get a title company involved. Make sure the property you want is free and clear for you to purchase