How to start living off grid was a question that started on our porch—coffee in hand, chickens scratching at our feet, and that quiet evening hum that only happens when the world slows down.
I remember leaning back in my chair, looked at the land in front of us, and said, “What if we didn’t have to depend on anything but this?”
That single sentence planted a seed.
Not one born out of panic or fear, but from a deep longing for simplicity, freedom, and resilience.
I’d been through enough life-altering events—my health challenges, Joe’s corporate burnout, and watching systems we rely on feel increasingly unstable—to realize that the “normal” way of living wasn’t giving us peace.
Going off-grid felt like coming home.
Everyone who steps into this lifestyle has their why.
It was a combination of personal health, wanting to live more intentionally, and recognizing that the more complex life gets, the more we craved something real.
Some people choose this path to lower costs. Some want to reduce their environmental impact.
Others want to build resilience—to not panic when the power goes out or when supply chains get shaky.
For us, it was all of the above, wrapped up in one clear vision: a life we didn’t need to escape from.
Here are a few common reasons people start living off-grid:
Before you pick up a shovel, order solar panels, or install a rain barrel, it’s crucial to get clear on your vision.
Ask yourself:
This step is often skipped, but it’s vital.
Your vision will shape every system you build later—power, water, shelter, food, and even income streams.
Joe and I spent many evenings talking out our ideas. Not Pinterest boards (though those came later), but honest conversations about what really mattered.
For us, it meant building slowly, in layers, and letting the land guide us.
Where you choose to go off-grid is as important as how.
Our 3.5 acres in West Virginia gave us enough room to experiment, grow, and build gradually.
But before we bought, we made a checklist:
👉 Pro Tip: If you’re still searching for land, bring a simple solar pathfinder app or compass with you. It’s a great way to check how much sun a property actually gets before you buy.
The biggest change wasn’t external—it was internal.
When you choose off-grid living, you stop outsourcing your basic needs to corporations and municipalities. You become the manager of your own mini-ecosystem.
Instead of assuming the lights will always turn on, you start thinking:
And surprisingly, this doesn’t feel restrictive. It feels empowering. You trade dependency for awareness.
This shift also means embracing imperfection. Not everything works perfectly the first time.
Some systems take tinkering. Some seasons teach you more than manuals ever could.
The beauty is: you’re learning to live with the land, not just on it.
Here’s something we learned quickly: off-grid living isn’t about buying every gadget under the sun.
It’s about building foundational systems first.
When we started researching, we were tempted by flashy composting toilets, high-tech wind turbines, and prepper-worthy battery banks.
But in reality, the smartest place to start is with the essentials:
Everything else—greenhouses, barns, root cellars—can come in layers.
When we started figuring out how to start living off grid, I quickly realized that it’s not about doing everything at once — it’s about building the core systems that keep daily life running smoothly.
Power, water, shelter, heat, and food are the backbone.
Once those are in place, everything else—like greenhouses, orchards, and fancy root cellars—becomes easier to build on.
We decided to take a layered approach: build what we could now, invest wisely, and always keep flexibility in mind.
Here’s how we broke it down.
For us, solar power was the obvious first step.
We loved the idea that the same sun warming our garden could also keep our lights on and our freezer humming during a storm.
In the beginning, we didn’t rush into a full permanent install.
Instead, we plan on starting with a portable solar system like the Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro paired with a couple of Jackery SolarSaga 100W folding panels.
Why this will make sense for us:
For those looking at permanent setups, DIY solar kits like the Renogy 400W Starter Kit can be an affordable way to learn while building a fixed system over time.
And if you prefer a turnkey approach, professional installs—though pricey—can give you a plug-and-play lifestyle from day one.
👉 Pro Tip: Oversize your panel capacity by 25–50%. Even if you don’t need that extra wattage today, cloudy weeks and future expansion will make you glad you did.
The next major system to consider when learning how to start living off grid is water.
We set up rain barrels early on to support our chickens, rabbits, and garden. It was a simple but powerful step toward independence.
It started with a few rain barrel placed under the barn eaves and a gravity-fed hose system that watered the raised beds beautifully.
For drinking and cooking, we are still trying to figure it out but we are thinking it could be paired with a gravity-fed filtration system that removes contaminants while keeping essential minerals.
Key considerations for water systems:
Long term, we’re exploring adding a well with a solar pump to create redundancy. But starting with rain catchment let us ease into water independence without a huge upfront cost.
A cozy home is more than comfort—it’s survival when you’re off-grid in winter.
West Virginia winters aren’t brutal, but they’re cold enough to make heat a priority.
Joe’s plan (and I fully support it!) is to install a propane gas stove as a reliable backup heat source.
When the power goes out, we will still have warmth.
Over time, we’ll look into wood heat, both for coziness and because it’s a sustainable fuel source we can gather ourselves.
For beginners, a portable propane heater like the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy can be a game changer for small spaces or emergencies. Just make sure to use proper ventilation and follow safety instructions.
As for shelter, make sure your home—or future home—has:
Building or retrofitting your shelter with energy efficiency in mind will reduce how much power you need to produce.
Food is the heartbeat of homestead life.
When you think about how to start living off grid, it’s easy to picture lush gardens and shelves of home-canned goodness — but the truth is, it starts small.
We began by expanding our vegetable garden, planting fruit trees, and experimenting with huckleberries (which, by the way, make the most heavenly jam 😍).
Next year, we’re adding elderberries for their immune-supporting benefits.
Alongside growing, we started building a resilient pantry. This includes:
👉Pro Tip: Don’t wait until you’re fully off-grid to start stocking your pantry. Each jar you can today is one less thing to worry about later.
Though not essential for every off-grid beginner, adding animals can deepen your independence.
We started with chickens—lots of them. (Sucker for the $1 chicks - lol)
We are close to having 70 laying hens and two ducks provide us with fresh eggs and endless entertainment.
If you’re just starting, a small flock of 6–8 dual-purpose chickens (for eggs and meat) is plenty.
A simple solar coop door kit and a low-wattage heater can keep your flock comfortable through the seasons.
Next year, we’re adding honey bees to support pollination and give us another sustainable food source.
Bees are low-maintenance but require learning, so starting with a beginner beekeeping kit can smooth that first season.
When we started mapping out how to start living off grid, one thing became crystal clear: this is not an overnight transformation.
It’s a journey, not a sprint.
We didn’t wake up one morning, flip a switch, and disconnect from the grid entirely.
Instead, we’ve been easing into this lifestyle in thoughtful phases—learning, adjusting, and building layer by layer.
That’s what makes this sustainable, both financially and emotionally.
The first phase is about observation and foundational action.
Before you invest thousands in solar or dig a well, spend time understanding how you currently use resources.
A few things we did early on:
This phase is about learning how your household operates without the grid doing all the work for you.
You don’t need to spend a fortune—small, smart investments here will shape your larger systems later.
Once you understand your patterns and priorities, start layering in the systems that matter most to your lifestyle.
For us, that meant focusing on:
The key here is intentionality. Don’t chase the latest gadget. Focus on systems that will have the biggest impact on your daily resilience.
👉 Pro Tip: Every system you add should either save you money, give you more independence, or improve your quality of life. If it doesn’t do at least one of those things, it’s probably not essential right now.
For some families, the end goal is total disconnection. For others, it’s a hybrid lifestyle—grid-tied with robust backup systems. We’re personally leaning toward a hybrid model at first: our own power and water, but still connected for emergencies.
At this stage, you’ll:
This phase often takes years—and that’s okay. Off-grid living is about building something lasting, not rushing into burnout.
One of the most common questions we get is: “How much does it cost to live off grid?”
The answer is: it depends on your vision, location, and how much you DIY.
But here’s a rough starter budget we created during our planning:
|
System |
DIY Estimates |
Turnkey/Pro Install |
Notes |
|
Solar Power |
$2,000 - $5,000 |
$15,000-$30,000 |
Start with portable (like Jackery) and scale up |
|
Rainwater & Filtration |
$500 - $2,000 |
$3,000 + |
Depends on storage capacity and filtration setup |
|
Heating |
$300-$2,000 |
$5,000 + |
Propane stoves, wood stoves, or hybrid setups |
|
Pantry & Preservation |
$300 -$1,500 |
- |
Canners, dehydrators, shelving, freezers |
|
Chickens, Rabbits & (soon to be) Honey Bees |
$300-$1,000 |
- |
Depends on scale and housing setup |
👉 Pro Tip: Don’t try to do it all in Year 1. Spread investments over 2–4 years. Start with what gives you the most resilience per dollar—often that’s water and a reliable backup power source.
If gear is the skeleton of off-grid living, skills are the beating heart.
We’ve spent the last couple of years slowly learning:
No one is born knowing how to do this.But once you start, you realize these skills are deeply empowering.
They connect you to generations before us who lived resiliently long before “off-grid” became a trendy keyword.
A few affordable ways to build skills:
Once your systems are in place, something beautiful happens: your daily rhythm changes.
Instead of mindlessly flipping switches or turning on taps, you start syncing your life with natural cycles.
You run your dehydrator during sunny afternoons. You check water barrel levels like you’d check a weather app. You notice the sun’s arc and how it affects panel output.
It’s not restrictive—it’s grounding.
And honestly? It’s a kind of freedom that’s hard to describe until you’ve felt it.