He likes it better the old way, so he grows a little garden in the backyard by the fence;
He’s consuming what he’s growing nowadays in self-defense;
He gets out there in the twilight zone sometimes…
– David M. Bellamy
Living off the grid means different things to different people. At its most basic, it means disconnecting from a conventional electricity account. It may or may not mean disconnecting from public gas, water, and sewer systems. For some, off-grid living is about self-reliance and a compact environmental footprint. For others, it’s about cutting ties with bureaucracies.
No matter how you envision off-grid living, it takes thorough preparation to do it well. Here is a basic checklist of what you’ll be exploring at the start.
Housing Options
You might be disconnecting your current home from electricity services and going off-grid right where you are. Or you might be buying land with a cabin or cottage. Some homesteaders get build-it-yourself tiny homes, or set up house in recreational vehicles, or install shipping container homes.
☛ Can a recreational vehicle become your permanent home? Read about landowning, titling, and lending for these homes from Deeds.com at Types, Titles & Taxes: What to Know Before You Buy a Mobile Home.
Sources of Energy
Renewable energy (often wind or solar) is the mainstay of off-grid living. Batteries for energy storage and generators are used as backup power sources. Rooftop panels system can power a home through the summer months. If you set up your home in the northern latitudes, you might have to live on power from the generator in January and February.
Some off-grid homeowners use a woodburning stove for cooking and heating. Some have large propane tanks to meet cooking and other needs. The tanks rely on outside services for annual filling.
As you can see, paying for (at least some) expensive equipment and services is inevitable!
Everyday Sustenance
Homesteading relies on enough land to grow food, and naturally occurring water sources. Many owners drill wells, install water pumps, and fill underground cisterns with rainwater, where allowed by local ordinances.
☛ Know what’s in your bundle of rights when you purchase land. For example, will you own the water under your home?
Study permaculture skills. Get a grasp of fruit-bearing trees and berry-producing vines. Learn fruit dehydration and canning techniques, and get used to composting to slash your volume of everyday waste.
Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, once harvested, can be kept in a cellar; keep that in mind when you decide what type of house to have. Knowing how to make foods last through the seasons is as important as becoming a skilled grower.
Waste Reduction and Management
When you grow and preserve much of your own food, you’ll naturally begin cutting back on your use of plastic and other packaging. Still, you’ll likely have to purchase weekly waste pickup services.
If you aim to stay off the local sewer system, you’ll need a septic tank for processing wastewater. To cut costs, some homeowners prefer toilets that turn waste into compost. This means going to an outside toilet, and it can get a bit stinky.
Sink and shower water purification is allowed in some locales. (Review the greywater rules in your state.)
Staying Connected
If you need the internet (to work from home, to stream videos, or to use for educational purposes), your best bet is to keep a Wi-Fi hotspot with a mobile phone account. Alternatively, set up your house near a coffee shop or library where you can have regular internet access.
Granted, the internet question sparks controversy among the pure off-gridders. Some homeowners commit to learning offline skills — syrup production, for example, or creating a presence at the area farmer’s market.
All of the above choices entail connections with other (often large) businesses to get the necessary supplies at affordable prices. How should you approach the trade-off? At the end of the day, it’s your call.
Eco-Awareness
Eco-friendliness is a big part of homesteading for many. Off-grid living typically means creating homemade products to substitute for household chemicals. It means closely monitoring power use, saving energy when the wind or sun available is low, and learning to avoid too much reliance on fuel-burning generators.
☛ Environmentally aware home buyers are reducing their carbon output. Learn more by reading The Rise of the Zero-Carbon Home: A Trend Whose Time Has Come on Deeds.com.
Off-gridders make do with the minimum necessary amount of hot water, and water generally. At its best, off-grid living creates a smaller environmental footprint than conventional households have.
Creating a Budget
Land for homesteading could run a few tens of thousands of dollars. Building a home could easily cost $100,000 or more. And energy independence doesn’t come cheap. Solar panels and necessary equipment costs close to $15,000, even after subtracting government credits. Figure in a few thousand dollars to set up a septic system. Purchase and installation for a wood stove will typically run into the thousands, too. And don’t forget to budget for a tractor for ordinary hauling jobs!
If you offer goods and services, you’ll pay income tax. Then there are state property taxes. The way you lay out your home (number of bedrooms, baths etc.) will impact your property value and thus your tax bill, so learn about the tax provisions of your chosen state to plan accordingly. A taxpayer may get a break if the land can be registered for agriculture, or as a wildlife preserve.
Anticipate continual rises in home insurance and medical insurance. Medical insurance will vary widely, depending on federal policy.
As you can see, reliance on other people and other entities is a fact of human life. Equipment needs to be serviced; taxes need to be paid. And you have to be connected with that institution that’s so dear to our hearts: the county recorder of deeds.
Learn more about the effects of unrecorded real estate transfers, and whether an affidavit of deed form may be necessary.
Best States for Off-Gridders
Looking for freedom from the local electrical grid and sewer system? Some states are more flexible than others. Some have sparser building codes and more allowances for household energy options. Some impose fewer permit requirements, fees, and possible fines for off-grid households.
Georgia and Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, Colorado, and Texas all get high marks for off-grid living. Florida offers a lot of freedom for home growing and sustainable energy. Missouri supports helpful personal waste and rainwater collection systems. Hawaii, Vermont, Alaska, and California are also supportive (but expensive).
Don’t forget to check county rules as well as state law. And townships may be established with their own taxes, building codes, and zoning rules. You’ll want to look at storm and natural disaster histories of any of the counties you explore, too.
Most Important of All: An Off-Grid Mindset
Nick Rosen’s book Off the Grid – Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government and True Independence in Modern America put the concept of off-grid living on the map. Do you have the mindset to adopt the lifestyle? Are you comfortable with a rugged, independent way of life? Have you learned to set up an off-grid solar system? Have you maintained a generator in the wintertime? Have you taken a canning course?
If you’re new to the off-grid concept, start by becoming more self-reliant where you live today. Wherever you are, start gardening. Buy the rest of your food—flour, beans, spices, etc. — in bulk and hone your basic cooking skills. Take long camping trips. Gradually disconnect yourself from whatever you plug in — get comfortable with camping, not “glamping”!
Ultimately, the off-grid life is a journey of living by your own knowledge and skills — in a way that meets your goals, and not someone else’s definition of life off-the-grid.
Supporting References
Accidental Hippies.com: What Does It Actually Mean to be “Off the Grid”? (Feb. 17, 2020).
Natalie Bucsko for Land.com: Everything You Need to Know About Off-Grid Living (updated Dec. 21, 2020).
UnboundSolar.com: What States Allow You to Live Off the Grid? (Oct. 6, 2020).
Alex Rejba for TheSmartSurvivalist.com: Living Off The Grid in the USA – Is It Illegal?
Photo credits: Lachlan Ross via Pexels.