With everything going on in the world today, the idea of finding an off-grid home away from it all is looking more and more attractive all the time. Thanks to innovations and advances in solar technology and the ability to work remotely, it is easier than ever to find a place in the woods and live a quiet and peaceful life.
None of that means that it is easy to accomplish or that you don’t have to do much planning. Like many things worth doing, the more prepared you are ahead of time the more likely you are to succeed. In this article, we will go over several factors to think about when deciding to go off the grid.
1. Find the right land
The biggest factor in how well you will be able to be self-sufficient is in the land that you choose. Your life is going to be centered around living off the land to a certain degree so it has to be suited for the purpose.
The first thing to consider is the area. Look for plots of land that are far enough away from civilization that you can do your own thing, but close enough to areas where there are basic services. You aren’t going to live like a mountain man, after all, and will need to have access to civilization.
Look into places where there is a lot of rural area with land for sale that isn’t too far from a town. Tennessee real estate is a good place to think about since there are a lot of places where there is land that can be built upon and still offer privacy. The land itself should be sunny for solar, have the possibility of drilling a well, and it should be big enough that you can grow your own food.
2. Think about the climate
Your ability to collect water if you can’t drill a well, plus the ability to grow your own food is highly dependent on the climate where you plan to move.
You’re essentially looking for a Goldilocks Zone in which it is sunny enough to power your home through solar but not so sunny that it is too dry. It should provide you with enough rain to grow crops and collect water, but not so much that you risk flooding or that you don’t get enough sunlight for solar power.
There are a lot of places in the US that fit these criteria so you just have to do some research to find the right spot.
3. Local regulations
Although you’re looking to unplug and detach, you will still have to make sure that you are following the local regulations. These rules will determine how able you are to build on the land you want in the way that you want. There are also rules in some places about needing to attach to water and sewer services. The list goes on and on so it is very important to get in touch with the city hall in the township where your property is located to understand what is required.
