/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Ironically, you have to be rich or have a decent chunk of cash to blow.

>how much would it cost to live off the grid independent in a shack?

nothing, if you know what youre doing

also experiment alot with the stuff around you

>>315904
I'd plan on saving up a few thousand dollars over a period of years working and living in a cheap apartments. I'm not a material person so I could live with a mattress and a floor for however long I need to save up.

>>315905
I've always been a tinkerer, and have been pretty handy when it comes to building. Farming not so much but I'm sure I could get in the swing of things given the time. I plan on starting off slow sort of growing for myself while living in an apartment working then sort of wean myself off structured life and go off the grid. The only issue would be the money needed for the land and building supplies

>>315903
>60sq ft.
You realize a jail cell is typically 54sq ft. - right?

Where do you plan on pooping?

>>315911
I don't mind small spaces, I've always loved them even since I was atalented /diy/er When I was 7 I lived in a card board box in my room for half a year.

>>315912
Probably a small outhouse.

>>315912
Also probably convert it into compost for farming

>>315910
just remove any and all utilities except for the very basic

this will save you money, but get you prepared as well

also, practice farming now. may seem like a cakewalk but you dont want to fuck up while its your only source of food

>>315915
I was planning on growing some things this spring and I would have a saved up amount or emergency fund if you will if things go sour for a growing season or such

>>315917
good, and practice different ways of storing things as well

wouldnt want you to starve in the middle of winter now would we?

another word of advice, seems odd but textiles; see how to make different fibers and such out of them

>>315918
I never put much thought into textile, but I've always been fine with sewing and knitting, I used to do them with my grandma.

>>315919
textile or leather, youll need to clothe yourself

either bring a shitload of pre-made stuff or learn to make your own

>>315922
How would one go about making clothes from scratch? Cotton?

>>315923
tedious work, woull need to separate the fibers, then turn them into string, then weave them into fabric

ever seen those wheels where they spin wool? its like that

honestly it fascinates me, i would like to know how to do it, tanning leather too

>>315928
That does sound interesting, but very difficult I'm sure I'd need a lot of practice

>>315913
How...erm...how do you plan on sustenance farming on a 60sqft plot, with a shack on it?

Also, the cost of a well, the cost of land, the cost of property taxes, all vary by state, and even from county to county, significantly. Lousiana has by far the lowest property taxes in the nation, followed by Hawaii and Alabama. Also, many states, you have to check into them, offer property tax relief for low income property owners. Anything from lower rates to, as in my state, locking in the current rate even when your assessed value goes up (but when you SELL your property at the higher value, you have to backpay the taxes)

The land must have fertile soil and be free of roots, stumps, and rocks. It would be best if you bought a large plot of farm land with adjacent woods. Depending on where you will be located, you may be able to purchase this quite cheaply.

You will need a small barn to store your produce A good water tight storage option is an old broken deep freeze, you may be able to keep it outside. Get some canning jars. Get an old metal bath tub for your front lawn that you can light a fire under. Dig a wood lined pit and build an outhouse over it, downhill from your well.

An old hand drawn plow, shovels, metal rakes, an axe, a large bow saw, rope, a sled. Learn how to mix the concrete stuff that goes in between the logs on your cabin. Get some seed potatoes, potatoes rarely fail. Carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes with cages - the classics that produce in large numbers. Apple trees for the future.

Get lots of blankets, lots of them. You can make one of those rope beds. A nice big fire place. Leave room for expansion.

>>315931
Give or take, I haven't yet worked out the full details or area, and I'm sure I could find means of raising roughly 200$ yearly. And I would have been saving for a while before moving out there, so I have plenty of time to work within

>>315934
I had originally planned on the farm to contain potatos, carrots, beans, possibly wheat, cabbage and lettuce and some fruits like watermelon, and an apple tree for the future. I wasn't sure on the design, but I will probably install some sort of insulation.
How much would it cost to have a well built?
Also I planned on storing things in mason jars and possibly building near a creek and using the creek to keep things cold. Otherwise a small solar pannel and a mini fridge for my produce. I might also plan on hunting small game in the area, rabbits ect.

Also thanks for the useful information

>>315903

First question: What climate are we talking about?

Snow...regular seasons. -40 C?

That is your first question to living off the grid.

The second question is how would you support yourself. You have to pay taxes on land. That capital has to come from somewhere.

And to do it in a winterized climate. You could buy a piece of scrub somewhere. in Northern Ontario or Montana...you'll need about 45k for fifty acres which should be enough for you to farm and hunt on.

Don't bother with chickens. Over breed rabbits and release them into the wild. They know what to do.

Build a bow and arrows and fletches (more important that the first two if the arrow isn't controllable.

Plant Manitoba maple on the north side of your property. They grow fast and are fucking impossible to kill. With 60-70 of them you can harvest enough dropped wood to harvest for heat all year. Over time trim the lower branches. Build a trail basically, that invites deer.

>>315914


Out house technology...been around for thousands of years. The secret weapon is lye.

>>315943
Why have a mini fridge when you can have a cellar? Old farm houses have a "cold room" in the basement. A rock lined room that is naturally as cold as a refrigerator. Potatoes don't need to be kept cool, just dry and out of the sunlight. Refrigerators require huge amounts of energy - one of the most consuming appliances in a household.

60sq ft isn't enough land to grow much on. This is the point the others were making.

There is a type of bread called hardtack that comes in large heavy sacks. Stock up on it if you can.

>>315948
I had only planned on a budget of 10k so 50 acres is out of the question. I had only planned on a small plot maybe 10 acres to 15 acres. It would only be me so I wouldn't need that much space.

>>315959

I have a root cellar at my place. Stuff stay cold. Dirt is an excellent insulator.

Louisiana has a homestead exemption from property taxes.
If your home is worth less than $150,000.00 then you are exempt from property taxes, but only on one home at a time.
You can't have 9 houses all worth 149,000 and not pay taxes.

Op, seriously, you need to correct your original post. Sixty feet is obviously a typo. How much land are you looking to buy. Plots don't come any smaller than 1/4 acre, and that's only in developments, so it's expensive. Rural land is usually sold in anywhere from 5 to 10 acre lots at the minimum.
A quarter acre isn't enough for subsistence farming. You'll need a place that get's plenty of rain as well as a well. Digging a well is a couple of thousand.
What you want is doable, but you sound like you need to do a lot more research before your plans are even remotely reasonable.

>>315964
Really? That is perfect, and it would only be one home not even worth more than 100k. Also this is only a rough idea, I had planned on making plans over a period of years, I just came here to ask how doable it is and how much it would cost. 15 acres would be fine.

>>315964
Also my apologies on the 60sq ft, this was a mistake and I later corrected it to 15 acres max in a reply

>>315960
Plots for farming or homesteading aren't sold that small.

10 acres even in my end of Ontario runs 90k for people that build cottages or giant monster homes.

Farm land sells for 10k an acre now. It is very costly to clear lots. I'm guessing you want to live away away from people. Louisiana isn't a place you want to live. Dirty, farms don't sell because they've been managed poorly for fourty years.

If farming the soil you'll want lab work done on the soil to see what you are up against. Not all soil is good for growing in, not by a long shot.

You'll also need a well dug. It's about 100 dollars a foot to drill one. you could dig it yourself, take you a while. If you core it wrong, hit a rock, you'll break the machine if thinking of rental of a machine.

I don't think you've got the money handy to go off the grid.

The land costs alone should be your first starting point I think...after you answer the other questions.

>>315967
Something I would like to add:
Screw aesthetics. Always go for functionality over vintage charm. Having handmade clothing, leather soled boots or something may have a cool image, but it sucks ass in the real world.

Get insulated rubber boots, the best modern jacket money can buy, gloves with fingers etc. Get well sealed plastic containers and bottles. You are not trying to recreate the life of early settlers here. Remember: many of those guys died or abandoned their land.

>>315964
Sorry, you posted that while I was typing. 5 acres is probably plenty for subsistence farming. Land around me is going for about 1500 an acre for unimproved land, but nobody's selling less than 20 acres. It's all farm land around her.
5 acres will eat up most of that 10k you're talking about.
Check out the book "Country Wisdom and Know How" as a good introduction to the subject of modern homesteading.

>>315964
>>315967

Find an assessed piece of land that is developed and under 200k.

http://www.landandfarm.com/search/Louisiana-land-for-sale/

Not fucking likely. Cleared and working farm land that won't turn into a sand pit is a premium.

You would really have to figure out where you can afford.

http://discussions.agweb.com/showthread.php?14427-8-654-Dollars-per-acre-for-South-Dakota-Farmland

South Dakota...ten years ago, couldn't give it away for 5 bucks an acre. Seriously.

All commodities have gone up in price.


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/homest/msg011501598164.html

Some people talking about the budgeting and land placement.

OP Here:
Basically the consensus I've gotten is that it's not possible unless you're loaded already.

>>315989

Yup. Every American lost the right to live on their own after the property crash.

You could homestead in Detroit. Buy a city block and make a farm down town out of it. Again takes capital or ALOT of good friends to help you bust ass to get it done.

If your friends aren't doing anything ask them in on the thing. TO be blunt OP, it would be easier to buy a house with a piece of shit house on it.

And yes. I have a hundreds of acres, 12 years ago I was eating dirt. Today I can sell it all for around 25.6 million, which I'm planning to do and move further North in Canada.

I don't like what happening here and I'm fucking off into the top end bush. That's takes millions to do quickly.

But like anything, when the big world war starts on Monday and shaves 4-5 billion off the human race. Then land...good land will be cheap.

Just make sure you have some silver handy to buy it because it'll be a certainty that no government will exist for a while and you'll be dealing on a country basis.

Good luck OP. You could always look into squatters rights and do guerrilla farming (plant where ever and over plant)...like with weed.

>>315989
pretty much, your best bet is a commune

though itd be hard to find one thats full of decent people

>>315989

You don't have to be "loaded" but you need to have a nice chunk of savings for any emergencies you encounter. Most likely you'll need health insurance and without that if you get sick or have a bad injury you're going to be unable to pay for any medications/doctor visits.

You're going to need money for food and initial investing into land and crops.

You need to do a lot of financial planning before attempting this kind of thing and unless you make decent money yearly (Assuming you don't because of the 10k savings idea.)

It's a lot more you need to set up before attempting this.

>>315960

>budget of 10k

OK, you need at least 2-3 times that amount to homestead. As another anon said, rural acreage is often sold in larger plots. I've seen some small 8-10 acre plots for 20-30k, but those are far from civilization. I've seen land with mature trees and water go for $800/acre, but that is usually in a plot of several hundred acres. Generally, the smaller the plot the more expensive.

You need to garden at least a half acre to produce enough produce feed yourself for a year. If you keep some animals you can get by with a lot less land though.

There's really too much knowledge that you need and don't have. I'd strongly recommend getting a part time job as a farm hand on the weekends or whatever. Offer to work cheap or even volunteer if you have to. That's probably the best way to learn the skills that you will need and you may also meet people and make connections that will help you later.

Thanks /diy/ I suppose it was a nice thought, but I'm just destined to be a lonely poorfag.

A lot of people here are suggesting you buy a pre parceled piece of land. Why not make your own opportunity?

Go to a rural town and ask around, explain what you are doing. Chances are that someone has some land that they could sell you. It may not even be parceled off yet, but you could have it surveyed.

It is just a matter of being friendly. Attend a church service. Go to that local coffee shop in the morning where all the farmers hang out. Everyone knows everyone and word gets around quick.

Leave your number with a few people, tell them what you are looking for and willing to spend, and eventually you will get called. Also, fucking Canada, lots of cheap farmland here.

>>316031

If he isn't blood and he hasn't bribed the right people nothing will come from that. I live in the country and I can tell you one thing. He'll do better though.

OP look for farm hand positions. Believe me, the guys on my farm get a house with high speed sat internet and heat covered. I pay them each 45k a year before taxes.

Good dependable help...any help is hard to find. If you asked about learning farming, even an old dick head like me would give you a crack if you were serious. It's hard work, your body gets used to it though.

Never mistake "meanial" labour with cheaply paid. Ever. In strawberry season a good picker can make 900 a day. An average one 350. A three year old, if they worked longer than five minutes and didn't eat everything lol...actually did the math once...would make 70 a day after 12 hours of picking/bending/packaging/loading.

We are always looking for good help. But don't expect land out of a family unless you marry their daughter.

>>316021
One hint: That inforgraph mentions some veggies take more room than others. Potatoes can take up a lot less room if you build potato towers. They can be built using old tires!

My grandparents had 5 acres of woods in the mountains and my brother and I built a small shack type house on it during summer break.

They bought us a cabin kit from Lowes. It was simple but time consuming. We stayed weekends and took us about a month to finish. We kept our guns and little lanterns up there but never stayed all night.

I don't think I'd ever live "off the grid" but I'd love to buy a few acres of private land and build my own house in a few years. If I keep my budget I'm on now, I could have $130,000 saved in 2 1/2 more years. I plan to use that to buy land then get a construction loan since they're much cheaper than mortgages.

Is it possible to frame a house all by yourself with certain equipment? Engineering graduate and I learned quite a bit of CAD and structural engineering. I can do all the designs and stuff. Designing a timber frame Spanish style house. It's about 3,500 sqf including the garage.

>>316065
For the love of god, don't use fucking tires. It's as retarded as using pressure treated lumber. So many toxins, heavy metals, and so on in that shit.

Take four cedar 2x4's. and a mess of boards the right size to screw on. Make a box, and every time you go up a row, just screw on four more boards.

>>316072
Aside from the fact that the heavy metals in tires are so heavily bonded into the rubber that the wont leach into the soil, yes, you are correct. Also the first thing to to start leaching out when the rubber begins to degrade, is zinc. If you replace your soil every five years or so, you would be perfectly fine. From the U.S. Green Investment Network on using tires in gardening: "The chemistry of tires is such that they break down slowly even when exposed to the full force of the sun. Because they break down slowly, the amount of leeching you would expect would be very little. Chemists like to use the term "stable" for the chemistry of a tire."

I too have the same plan for myself someday Brother.
Recently found out and was able to download the following e-book off The Pirate Bay
Travel-Trailer Homesteading by Brian D. Kelling
I highly recommend it

>>316119
Will look into it, good luck to you friend and I hope to achieve the same