Considering Moving to the Country & Starting your own Homestead?
The Following as some Considerations to take into Account

• Budget: Take your existing budget and cut out everything you expect to be able to reduce in your new way of life. With the new monthly total think about where this will come from. If this is from your savings, do you have enough to build and how many years will the remainder last?
  


• Employment: This goes hand-in-hand with your budget. Where will you work to earn monies needed? If you are self-employed what resources do you need and are they available (e.g. UPS/Fed-X, Internet & Phone access, the closest airport, etc.).
  


• Medical: How close will the nearest medical facility be? Will you have to rely on helicopter service for emergencies and if so, is there an annual subscription cost or will your health insurance cover it? Speaking of health insurance, do you have it?
  


• Transportation: Will you need a special vehicle (e.g. 4-wheel drive) to access your property? What about in the winter time? Who will maintain the access road or should you consider purchasing a used bulldozer?
  


• Food: Do you plan to raise your own food or purchase your groceries, even part of the time? If so, is that in your budget and where is the closest location? If you are raising your own food, do you have a plan for protecting the garden area from wildlife? And if you are planning to raise livestock, how will you butcher them and preserve the meat?
  


• Water: Is there a developed well or spring on the property? Will this be available year-round? What type of storage do you need? Have you considered using gray water for irrigation?
  


• Waste: Where is the closest dump? What type of toilet facilities and sewage treatment will you be using (and is it permitted)?
  


• Siting: Make sure when you are looking at prospective properties that walk the land. Ideal tools to have include a compass, an altimeter, a topographic map, and if solar energy is a consideration, a SolarPathfinder. Think about possible homesites (if you are going to build), how much flat land you need for gardening, etc.
  


• Restrictions: What kind of restrictions exist for the land you are considering? What is it zoned for? Is the access road a clear easement? If this is a part of a larger property, are there other forms of restrictions imposed by a land- or home-owner association?
  


• Proximity: How close are power and phone lines to the property? How close is town or the nearest place to purchase household supplies? What about the closest contractor, contractor/building supply and concrete supply?
  


• Purchasing: Get yourself pre-approved for the maximum you are willing to spend on the land. If there isn't a house on the property understand that this will not be a mortgage but a conventional loan (land=conventional loan, construction=construction loan, once complete, both can be converted to a mortgage).
  

 

 

 

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Last modified: May 12, 2005