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When we found our off-grid homestead, we definitely weren’t ready.  We didn’t know the first thing about off-grid living.  Honestly, we’d never even considered living off-grid until we found our dream homestead. 

Looking back, off-grid is a perfect fit with everything we’d wanted out of a homestead.  If you’re hoping for a property that’s private, with good acreage, and not visible from a road then looking off-grid is a great way to find it.

Looking back, it’s a bit comical how unprepared we were to transition to this life.  What’s a charge controller?  AC vs. DC power?  How on earth do we maintain these batteries?  How will we know it’s all working right?  So many questions.

Learn from Other Off Grid Homesteaders

I really wish we had taken the time to connect with others and learn as much as we could from their experiences.  Since I started blogging about our experiences, I’ve learned that this is a common thread among off-grid homesteaders.

I had the pleasure of hosting Teri Page from homestead honey on our homestead.  Over a cup of tea, she shared some of her experiences creating an off-grid homestead from scratch.  Teri and her husband started homesteading in Northeast Missouri literally the same month we moved onto our homestead here in Vermont (October 2012).

While we moved into a fully functional off-grid compound, Teri started with a piece of raw land and build from the ground up (with 2 kids!).  After that experience, Teri decided to write the book she wished she had before her family started their off-grid journey. 

In her book, Creating Your Off-Grid Homestead, she shares her first-hand experience in designing an off-grid homestead from scratch.

The book includes everything from how much it cost to build their homestead, what system they use, how they designed a rainwater catchment system and creating an outdoor summer kitchen.  She also includes practical advice for how to bathe, toilet, and do laundry without running water which is essential as you’re getting established.

This is the book I wish we had before we even considered moving off-grid.

While we didn’t have to design our own system, that means we had a steep learning curve inheriting someone else’s handiwork.  In many ways, I wish we had started from the ground up.  Five years later, while I’m still trying to trace wires and troubleshoot connections, Teri already knows every inch of her system because she laid the wire herself.

If you’re considering starting out with raw land, take the time to read and learn from someone whose already been there.  Follow this link to get your copy of her book, Creating Your Off-Grid Homestead.