Important Things to Consider Before Moving Off the Grid!

Over the past year, a rapidly increasing number of families have bid their city lives farewell in favor of off-grid living. Although there are without any doubt countless benefits to off-grid living, it does take a considerable amount of planning to ensure that the transition is as stress-free as possible. Let’s have a closer look at some of the most important things to consider before waving goodbye to your current life and starting your new off-grid adventure.

Identify a source of fresh water

A clean and reliable source of fresh water is of the utmost importance regardless of whether you live in the city or off the grid. With the options available to you being largely location-dependent, you may want to make looking for a water source your very first priority when considering off-grid living. Luckily, there are various sources of off-grid water that can be utilized. Water wells are by far the most prevalent off-grid source of fresh water.  Although they aren’t very easy to find, you can also make use of a natural spring as your water source.  Depending on where you are going to live, you may also decide to store rainwater for everyday use. While it is completely free to collect, you do want to store your rainwater in suitable containers to ensure it remains fresh for as long as possible. 

Decide on your food requirements

Before moving off the grid you need to decide to what extent you want to source your own food. If you want to be completely self-sufficient, you will have to farm your own fruit and vegetables and consider raising livestock. While this is a superb way to provide food for yourself and your family, you need to be aware that it will take some time before you have any produce ready for consumption. Even fast-growing vegetables take, at the very last, a few weeks to grow which means you will have to find alternative food sources until your farming efforts provide a steady stream of food. Many people who live off the grid buy or barter food from nearby farmers or visit local markets and stores to top up their supplies.

Don’t forget about a reliable source of power

You can’t expect to live off the grid and still enjoy the exact same convenience you did while living in the city.  Before embarking on your off-grid journey you need to determine your electrical needs so that you can make sure you have enough time to put the relevant systems in place. There are various ways you can generate power when living off the grid. The use of solar panels is particularly popular and while the initial investment may be rather steep, your upkeep will be minimal. Other effective power-generating systems worth investigating include batteries, generators, and wind turbines.

A sound heat source is always a must

Depending on where you decide to settle after moving off the grid, you may very well be faced with very cold conditions during winter. This will undoubtedly necessitate you to find a quality and reliable source of heat. Wood stoves are also a very handy addition to an off-grid home as they can be utilized both as a heat source and cooking implement. Even a mini wood stove can bring you much joy during the colder months as they are not only easy to install and operate but also produce very little smoke and can even remove humidity from your home.