How do you start a homestead? Many people dream of starting a homestead with a self-sufficient lifestyle, but don’t really know how to get there from where they are at – and end up doing nothing. Dan and I are here to tell you it is never too late! We are in our 50s and working on it.

How invested are you in starting a homestead?

And I’m not just talking money-wise. You have to be mentally invested and willing to do what it takes – whatever that may be. Starting a homestead can be a daunting task, depending on where you are at in life right now. For example, if you currently live in a city, it could mean selling your home and buying a property in the country – although you can have an urban homestead if you get creative and have a decent lot or backyard to work with. Either way, you will also need to navigate transitioning to providing for yourself both physically and financially, perhaps without a full-time job off of your homestead.

There are so many different scenarios possible with starting a homestead, that giving one catch-all plan isn’t going to cut it. So, we have come up with a general list of MUST DOs that everyone should consider before taking the leap to homestead – but ultimately only you can assess your situation and plot out what it would take for you to get started.

6 MUST DOs Before You Start a Homestead

Have a Plan for Transition

This is the most important one. For goodness sake, if you are working full-time right now with limited savings, and/or have debt – you need a plan. Plan early on and then plan more. Give yourself a goal – how many years/months before you can reasonably be homesteading full-time? How are you going to get there? What can you do each year/month/week to move you closer to the dream?

Take a look at our general plan to start a homestead (and get a bonus property walk through!) with this video from the Our Sufficient Life Youtube channel:

Guess what? Even if you are financially secure enough to drop everything and start a homestead tomorrow, there are still other considerations that need a hard look.

Learn Homesteading Skills

You are going to need a mixed bag of tricks to make it all work! Raising goats, chickens, rabbits, pigs, cows, building projects and fixing equipment, greenhouses, gardens, preserving food, cooking food, butchering livestock, bartering, efficient heating/cooling for your home, off grid ideas – there are a myriad of skills you are going to need depending on your plan and what you want to do.

Dan and I were both raised on a farm and have many of the necessary skills, but there is still SO MUCH to learn! Gain all the knowledge you can before taking the leap to having your own homestead – then start out small and keep building. Do searches on Youtube for what you want to learn, buy books, talk to people and experiment with the needed skills – even if it means just canning some veggies from the grocery store.

Learn to be Frugal

Be happy with less. Find personal satisfaction in that small garden in your backyard. When something breaks – can you figure out how to fix it instead of just buying another one? Do you really need another one? Get to know the local thrift shops and secondhand stores and start buying there. Even just buying small appliances at the thrift store will save you money. And who doesn’t love a good bargain? Sometimes you can get items like a cast iron frying pan for dirt cheap!

Another idea is that when your birthday or Christmas rolls around, ask for a gift that will help in the future. For example, I have a Kitchenaid mixer. There are several useful attachments that I can definitely use in the future. One is a meat grinder/sausage stuffer kit and another is a grain mill – perfect items for gifts.

The more you learn to live with less and save money, the better your chances at starting a homestead that will be a satisfying success. And yes, unfortunately, that could mean getting rid of your shoe and purse fetish (looking at the ladies) or gadget and tech fetish (looking at the guys). If you don’t really need it now and won’t have a use for it in the future, don’t buy it.

Establish a Network of Local People

Maybe they are like-minded homesteaders, or maybe they are just people with supplies and skills that you might need later on. Maybe they are someone you could barter/trade with in the future. Look for a local agricultural co-op in your area for farmers – chances are there are homesteaders mixed in there, too! What about the people who sell at farmer’s markets? Who around you advertises that they are selling farm fresh eggs/chicks or maybe hay – or wood chips? Who advertises skills like tree removal or tractor repair? Those are probably people you want to know.

Dan always “knows a guy” when we need something – whether it be a supply or a skill. Get to know a lot of them. Establish relationships now that will help you in the future.

Identify Ways to Generate Income

You will still need money – even if it is not as much as prior to homesteading. You will still need gas for vehicles and equipment, possibly propane, phone service, home maintenance/repair, maybe feed for livestock depending on your plans, etc. Figure out the best possible ways for you, in your situation, to generate an income.

Are you going to have chickens? If so, will you sell eggs and/or hatched chicks? Do you have a skill that people need – like carpentry or mechanics? What can you make that people would buy? Perhaps you know how to butcher – could this be something others would pay you to do? Maybe becoming a vendor at the local farmer’s market is also an option. Be prepared with multiple ideas. Multiple streams of income can be very helpful, because when combined it could mean a nice overall income. Or perhaps some of your ideas are seasonal – then you will likely need other ideas for the off-time.

Note of caution:  If you are going to do anything that regards selling/distributing food or food products, be sure to check out any federal, state or local regulations regarding facilities and food packaging/labeling.

Start Collecting Homesteading Supplies

What can you collect/purchase now that would be useful on a homestead? Dan and I have been collecting for 6 or so years in preparation. He is an expert in bartering and trading and often gets items for little to no money, but we are also purchasing items in a frugal way here and there while we are still working full-time. Tools, building materials, 50 gallon drums (a lot of uses – for example, rain water collection to water animals & gardens), small appliances for food processing and preserving, parts needed for future homestead projects, and the list goes on.

Determine what you want to do on your homestead and keep your eye out for someone who is getting rid of things you might need later for free or low cost. That will prevent you from having to shell out cash in the future when it might be tight.

Learning how to start a homestead before you actually take the leap is a wise course of action. With some planning, strategy and forward-thinking, your future homestead will not only be a success, but will bring you personal satisfaction and freedom for years to come.

For more ideas on how to plan for a homestead, see Self-sufficiency Plan in 5 Steps.