Living Off the Grid Essentials: Considerations for Getting Started
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Learning how to get off the grid involves several key considerations. Off the grid essentials include land, power, heating, and water resources.
by Wren Everett
My homesteading journey started 10 years ago, in a tiny house in a not-great urban neighborhood, where my husband and I dreamed of living off-grid. We now live on an off-grid homestead in the Ozarks, independent of any power company, sewage service, or outside water supply. The space between those two sentences took a full decade of blood, sweat, tears, and laughter to accomplish!
I know that many people out there also dream the same dreams but have no idea where to begin. Now that I’ve “made it,” so to speak, I feel I can speak with some authority on what choices there are for the off-grid hopefuls out there. Here are some of the options we considered, researched, and tested as we found our way. There are lots of terms that are worth further research — I can’t possibly explain them fully in this brief article.
Land
Getting land is likely the most important consideration for getting off-grid. The HOAs and building codes of urban and suburban areas are too restrictive for building or retrofitting an off-grid home, and most of us don’t have the millions of dollars necessary to make such a home in those high-cost areas anyway.
Finding land can take years, so, before you begin, make a list of what you require for your off-grid dreams. Some of the “musts” on our list were a south-facing hill for passive solar use, no building codes, at least 5 acres, and a price we could completely pay off with cash. A specific location wasn’t a requirement — we were willing to go anywhere! Because we were open to both developed and undeveloped sites and roads or no roads, there were a lot of rural parcels of land available that still fit within our limited price range. The more demanding your “must” list is, the harder it’ll be to find a place. The more open you are to working with undeveloped land, the more options you’ll have. (Read more on buying land at What to Look for When Buying Land to Build On)
Home
You can retrofit an existing structure to suit an off-grid life, but it can be frustrating. When modern homes are taken off their grid “life-support,” their limitations become immediately apparent. If you’re willing and physically able, consider building your own home.
You’re not limited to the rustic log cabin, either. My husband (who hand-built our home himself) has written many articles on alternative home building. (You can find them at Alternative Building Methods) That said, here’s an incomplete list of options:
- Earthship — Michael Reynold’s designs for this earth-bermed home use rammed-earth tires as the main building material — making it accessible to anyone who can roll a tire and wield a sledgehammer.
- Rammed Earth — More suitable for drier climates, the soil from the building site itself becomes the raw material for making floors and walls.
- Straw Bale — Maybe the Three Little Pigs actually had some sense after all — straw bales can be used to make solid, stable homes when treated appropriately.
- Underground — Rob Roy championed the underground life, but he’s not the first to look down when it comes to finding home.
- Stone — For millennia, humans have been using local stones to make homes. You can continue the tradition, especially if you have suitable stones on your land.
- Earthbag — Another take on rammed earth, earthbag construction makes gracefully curved walls for cozy, round homes.
Power
Solar panels are the first thing folks think of when it comes to generating their own power, but they’re not the only option, and in some cloudy areas, they’re certainly not the best option. Here are some ideas for generating your own electricity:
- Wind — Small wind turbines are available for homeowners who want to harness wind power and turn it into electricity or water-movement.
- Methane — With some DIY ingenuity and research, you can turn organic waste into an energy resource with a methane digester. Properly managed, you’ll reap burnable methane gas and digestate (an energy-rich fertilizer).
- Water — Those who live near natural flowing water can harness the energy of a river or waterfall, or the ebb and flow of the tides to power water turbines.
- Solar — Of course, solar panels are a good option for those in sunny areas. They’ve got a learning curve, so practice with installing a small array and learn how to be resourceful with your power.
- None — Considering everyone lived without power for the vast majority of time, it’s still completely possible to live and thrive without depending on electricity at all. Your lifestyle will just need a total overhaul — and honestly, most of us could use one.
Heating
Having heated my home with wood-fired heat for the past decade, I’m in favor of this renewable, sustainable resource. It’s not novel — fire has been man’s friend since the beginning of time, after all. Firewood can be continually harvested from your land with proper forest management, making this essential resource self-sustaining. How you burn that wood, however, is up to your own interpretation:
- Woodstoves are a great choice, as they’re easy to install and easy to run.
- Masonry Heaters and Rocket Mass Heaters are both extremely efficient wood-burners built into the home’s structure itself.
- Passive Solar Heating is a home design where the sun’s low rays can be captured by strategic window and heat-soaking placement.
- Finally, though it’s pricey, Geothermal Heating and cooling can use the earth’s temperature to passively moderate a home’s climate.
Water
Life isn’t possible without water, so securing an independent source of water should be one of your primary concerns. I strongly implore you to secure as many different sources of water as you can — that way, if one fails due to drought or freezing temperatures, you’ll still have this precious resource.
- Rainwater — Humans have always collected rainwater when it comes so they can use it when it doesn’t. Storage containers can range in size from a 55-gallon rain barrel to a multi-thousand-gallon cistern.
- Spring Water — Many old homesteads were blessed with a natural spring. If you have access to one (or discover one), you have a huge gift of freely available, (mostly) clean water.
- Surface Water — Ponds, rivers, and lakes are excellent reservoirs of water if you have access, but you’ll have to have a good filtration and purification system to use it for human consumption.
- Underground Water — A well gives you access to clean ground water, especially if you have a manual well that gives you the power to get it without electricity.
Sewage
Freedom from the grid also means responsibility for handling your own waste — and, yes, that means your personal waste, too. With some careful handling, your waste can become a source of important fertility — check out Joseph Jenkins’ The Humanure Handbook for more on how waste is actually hardly something to waste. Art Ludwig’s Create an Oasis with Greywater is also an important manual for handling this underused source of water.
- Septic — This go-to for rural folks seems like a no-brainer (until it fails, that is). If you have an existing septic system, I recommend considering alternative ways to manage waste to lighten its use.
- Composting — You can purchase a prefab composting system for a pretty penny, or you can build your own system for pennies (like we did) and turn your waste into compost. (Read more at An Earthy Guide to the Best Composting Toilets)
- Incinerating — Those in arid climates may benefit from an incinerating toilet, when composting (which requires moisture) isn’t a viable option.
- Greywater Management — The water that’s left over from washing hands, bodies, dishes, and laundry is “greywater,” and it can be useful in the garden when managed appropriately.
Find a Mentor, Even if You Don’t Totally Agree
There’s so much more to share when it comes to living off-grid, but I hope this unfinished list gives you lots to think about. If you’re serious about going off-grid, you might also consider finding and learning from someone who already lives off-grid, so you can see their specific systems in action. You don’t have to agree with their philosophy to learn — goodness knows we all have our own motivations and means of accomplishing them that are as individualized as we are. But it can help you discover what might work or not work for you. That said, I humbly offer my own articles on living off-grid for your consideration as well.
I wish the best for you on your journey. I can attest — it’s worth taking!
Wren Everett and her husband quit their teaching jobs in the city and moved back to the land on 12 acres in the Ozarks. There, they are learning to live as modern peasants: off-grid, as self-sufficient as possible, and quite happily.
Originally published in the July/August 2025 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
