Living off the grid affords you all kinds of freedoms, from keeping the lights on during a major power outage to selling excess power. Some people also combine this energy-independent lifestyle with homesteading — growing their own food, raising animals and getting away from city life. With so many great options for going off the grid, how do you decide where to live?
Factors to Consider in a Property
If you’re planning to move off the grid, look closely at these qualities:
Cost
The cost of housing, land and property taxes should all factor into your decision. Some locations — like certain jurisdictions in Alaska — have no property taxes. However, be wary of cheap land that seems too good to be true. It may not be accessible by road, it could be landlocked by someone else’s property or the terrain might make it impassable.
Always visit a site in person before closing on a deal. One acre on flat land is much more valuable for homesteading than five acres on a slope.
Natural Resources
You may be interested in building your own home from the ground up. If so, look for areas with abundant resources like timber and stone. The more materials you can source from your own property, the more money and time you’ll save when building a house.
Living off the grid means generating your own energy or going without power. If you plan to install solar panels, look for properties in sunny climates. Research local wind patterns if you plan to set up a wind turbine, and look for geothermal hotspots if you want to use a heat pump to warm your home.
Hunting and Wildlife Control
Does the area you’re considering have big game? Thriving deer, elk, fish and turkey populations can support you and your family by providing meat. Find out if you can hunt and fish on the property before buying it. You must own at least 10 acres of land in many Texas counties to legally discharge a firearm.
Another factor to consider is pest species. Feral hogs and nilgai may be tasty, but their penchant for destroying fences and ravaging crops makes them more than just a nuisance. Migrating lubbers can decimate gardens. Grizzly and black bears will also eat unattended food or garbage you leave outside. Before buying a homestead, take time to research the animals in the area, especially if you plan to live in a remote region.
Climate
Do you plan on raising animals or growing crops? If so, look at climate records for the property you’re interested in. Are winters typically mild, or will you have to contend with blizzards? Are the summers so hot you can’t keep animals outside?
Mild temperatures are important if you’re moving into a home without central air and heat. Heating your house with a wood-burning stove has its charms, but it can get very time-consuming during extreme winters. Temperature and rainfall also determine the property’s growing season and which types of renewable energy it can support.
Find out what types of natural disasters the area is prone to. Are wildfires, earthquakes or landslides a concern for the region? The best places for off-grid living typically have mild climates with few weather-related threats. Look up climate forecasts for the next few decades to see how the weather may change in the coming years.
Soil Fertility
Soil health is important if you’re planning on growing crops or grazing livestock. Test any property you’re considering before signing the papers. The quality of the earth determines which types of plants — including forage — will grow in your fields. This information will help you estimate how many animals the property can support.
Water Availability
Will you be connected to a local sewage or water system? If not, harvesting rainwater may be the cheapest, most convenient water source option. Rain is also an important factor if you want to grow your own food.
Look carefully at rainfall records for the property you’re interested in — you don’t want to have to buy water or haul it from a well far from the house. Desert properties are often deceptively affordable because they don’t factor in the cost of purchasing water and having it delivered to your home.
Internet and Phone Service
The point of living off the grid may be to get away from it all, but emergencies still happen. Determine your options for internet, landline and cell service availability. Research the pricing for these services in different areas. If you decide to forgo internet or phone service, look into buying a radio, satellite phone or personal locator beacon for emergencies.
Pollution
The ideal off-grid property has clean air, water and soil. If the area is located downstream from an industrial or agricultural complex, fertilizer, manure and other toxic runoff can pollute the property’s waterways and soil. Look for a homestead far from other farms and factories or ensure there are stringent laws in place to keep the area clean.
Red Tape
You might have found the perfect property in terms of size, climate and natural resources, but certain legalities can get in the way of building an off-grid house.
For example, Nevada has a law against harvesting your own rainwater. Indiana dictates you must connect to a sewage system. Homeowners associations and building codes may also present a challenge when designing a house, installing an off-grid energy system or raising livestock, so check local ordinances before closing on a deal.
Personal Preferences
The last things to look for when choosing an off-grid property come down to personal choice. Do you want to live near neighbors, or would you prefer to be completely isolated? How important is it to have a nearby school or hospital?
Another factor to think about is accessibility. If you order construction materials for your house, will companies deliver them to your door or will you have to use a truck to manually haul things to your property? Should you purchase helicopter insurance in case you need to be airlifted in an emergency?
These factors will play a big part in where you should live. Montana might be the perfect choice if you love hunting and don’t mind the cold. In contrast, if you want a warm, humid property with ample fishing opportunities, looking for something near the coast might be better. Keep your preferences in mind when searching for a homesteading property.
The Best Places for Off-Grid Living
No matter what you’re looking for in a property, you have plenty of unique options.
1. Lammas Ecovillage, Wales
Do you want the company of neighbors? The Lammas Ecovillage is a collection of sustainable living plots in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, most with a house, barn and covered growing area. Residents practice methods for living off the land, including farming, gardening, composting and raising bees.
Some residents maintain a more private lifestyle, while others give tours of their properties. All dwellings in the village use renewable energy and builders construct them out of natural resources.
2. Lasqueti Island, Canada
Around 400 people live off the grid on Canada’s Lasqueti Island. The community features a cafe, pub and free store — where you can take any item you like without paying — and is disconnected from British Columbia’s energy infrastructure. Consequently, many residents power their homes with solar panels. Some get their drinking water from creeks.
You’ll need to take a boat to reach the island, and many people get around Lasqueti Island by bike. It’s a great community to live in if you enjoy being outside and getting to know others.
3. Lord Howe Island, Australia
The remote Lord Howe Island is another coastal location — but with a very different climate than Canada. It has fewer than 400 residents, most of whom are acquainted with each other. Building on the island is relatively expensive because you must ship materials from the mainland. As a result, houses are typically small and simple.
Residents love their kingfish barbecues, but you can also enjoy food at the local bowling and golf clubs. You can order less-common ingredients from supermarkets in Port Macquarie and have them delivered via ship. Because the population on the island is so small, there is a strong sense of community and cooperation among residents.
4. Tennessee, United States
Tennessee’s long growing season, rich soil and warm, wet weather make it an ideal location for homesteaders looking to live off the grid. Land prices are low, and a sizable chunk of the population lives in rural, self-sufficient farming communities.
Tennessee has very lenient zoning laws and no state income tax. It’s no wonder so many people live off the grid in this U.S. state.
5. Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
Charming, secluded Vieques Island is just off the coast of Puerto Rico. It boasts a thriving arts scene, hiking and biking trails, miles of beaches and plenty of opportunities to get away from it all. Vieques is also home to the stunning Mosquito Bay — the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world — where the ocean is awash with glowing blue dinoflagellates.
Properties on the island are relatively expensive. However, compared to mainland Puerto Rico, Vieques is not a popular tourist destination. This makes it better for residential living. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so Americans can enjoy all the perks of living on a tropical island without the paperwork involved in immigrating to a foreign country.
6. Cayo, Belize
Belize’s Cayo District boasts several off-grid communities. For example, Carmelita Gardens sits on almost 100 acres of farmland and is home to a self-sufficient group of residents who grow their own crops and share fresh produce.
The area’s fertile soil, sunshine, rivers and abundant rainfall make it the perfect place for sustainable homesteading. Properties are relatively affordable, and many have fruit trees, gardens and plenty of space for raising livestock.
7. Tinkers Bubble, England
Tinkers Bubble is a charming ecovillage in the Somerset region of England. Residents practice a combination of no-dig gardening and horse-drawn plowing to grow crops. They use wood-fired, steam-powered sawmills, horses, and saws to cut down and process trees. They also keep bees, chickens and milk cows.
Aside from using wood for cooking and heating, the residents of this tiny community create no greenhouse gas emissions. They also forgo the use of fossil fuels. Instead, they use solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity.
Tinkers Bubble has two businesses — an apple juice and cider business and a lumber mill. Most people wash their clothes by hand.
8. Matavenero, Spain
Matavenero is located in the Sierra de Ancares Mountains. This former ghost town is home to fewer than 100 people. The community is entirely off-grid and frowns on alcohol consumption, although there is a nonalcoholic bar where you can socialize.
Residents grow most of their own food and make a weekly trip to the market for the rest. Because no one owns a car, they bring back supplies by wheelbarrow or donkey. Residents allow people to visit for two weeks before committing to living in the area or passing through.
9. Azores, Portugal
The Azores is one of the most pristine environments on Earth and is becoming more popular for off-grid homesteading. The cost of living in the archipelago is lower than on the mainland, and the area gets ample sunlight and rain, has clean air and supports farming. There is little traffic, and it’s easy to travel between the islands.
10. Alabama, United States
Alabama ranks high on the list of U.S. states that support an off-grid lifestyle due to modest property taxes, cheap land and an overall low cost of living. There are no restrictions on harvesting rainwater, and many counties have lax building and zoning laws.
Off-grid electricity is legal. You can build a pond on your property, and the fertile soil and abundant rainfall make for an exceptionally long growing season. Winters are typically mild.
Living the Dream
From climate to local culture, there are several factors to consider when looking for an off-grid property. Generally, the best places for off-grid living have ample water, fertile soil, a mild climate and affordable pricing, but the rest is up to you. For every unique dream of off-grid living, there’s a location to go along with it.
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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