Posted in Homestead or Bust

Dreaming of endless blue skies, rolling fields of green pastures, the soft bellows of cows in the distance, farm fresh eggs and honey suckle breezes?  Are you wondering how to make the “moove” to life in the country?

Well, welcome to Homestead or Bust! Where we’ll be talking about doing just that!

Each Wednesday I will be posting about searching for housing, land and making the journey to homestead living.  It is the goal of this feature to include everyone here at Homestead Blogger.com who have already made the move to more rural and independent living to join in the commentary and share their experiences – both trials and successes – that will provide some workable suggestions and encourage others who still yearn to and are working toward making this move!

Whether you are single, a young married couple, a growing family or empty nesters looking to retire to your dream hobby farm – our common bond is wanting to live where there are fewer cars, more grass and open skies and a bit more space between our neighboring boundaries.  For some families, making this move was quick and easy, for others (like my own), it was a long, and at times, a frustrating process.  But with all seasons and experiences in our lives, all things happen in His perfect timing and for His perfect reasons.

Start with a wish list.  Get a brand spanking new (about 500 blank pages) spiral notebook.  Begin listing what you are looking for in a home, the surrounding landscape, natural water accesses and the like.  The wish list can be later expanded into a larger binder style notebook becoming as specific as you deem necessary.  Know that a wish list is just that – BIG wishes.  Wish for the moon but make sure you keep in mind that you may need to make compromises over some (if not many) of the things you are looking for in a home and surrounding property in a country setting.  Knowing this, star or highlight the characteristics and things that you and your family, without a doubt, really desire and do not want to compromise.  For example: the ideal land and rural setting that we were searching for held some pasture, some woods, a creek and we wanted to be on a dirt road.  The compromising points: for an existing farm or property to have a pond or lake, good fencing, existing outbuildings, an established pecan grove and fruit orchard, etc.  When we finally found and purchased our initial ten acres, our property had some pasture, a generous wooded area, a large creek and we are on a dirt road.  While the other items I mentioned were big wishes, they simply were not part of the package; we had to recognize the need to compromise those particular features in order to afford the purchase of our land.

REALITY CHECK:  Use your wish list notebook to list realistic options for your family’s circumstances:  financial budgets, personality considerations (what each spouse can and can not live with), job and employment situations, medical circumstances and needs.  These are all key components to realistically pursuing such a move and especially if you and your spouse have never lived rurally – ever!

To our fellow homesteaders here at Homestead Blogger – how did many of you prepare and search for your move to the country?  Please share your experiences by commenting here or blog about your move and leave a link to your post in the comments section!  We’d love to read about everyone’s experiences, so join in the discussion with your own input and how to's each week!

Future topics that will be covered include:  The Search Begins; Remaining Focused and Staying Organized; Goose Chases; Telling the Family: “You’re Moving Where?”; and more!

Blessings to all for a great week,

Harriette

Harriette Jacobs is wife to Alan and homeschooling “Mom” to their two sons, ages 14 and 12.  After three (very long) years of running up and down the back roads of rural Georgia, the Jacobs family moved in December 2003 from their native home of metro-Atlanta to their dream farm on (a final) 36 acres in East Central Georgia. They raise heirloom chickens and live with their four dogs and a herd of farm cats!

Visit Harriette at:

South of the Gnat Line

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/southofthegnatline

Or at:

Jacobs Academy: A Dirt Road Education

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jacobsacademy