Anything Rural | The Rural Homestead Solution(s) Site
Contemplating Buying a rural property or homestead?
Ahhhhhh!!! Rural housing, rural housing programs, rural development, rural development loans, rural land, rural land buying, rural land buying guides, rural home grants, rural health, rural healthcare….it can get to be a tad overwhelming. Each query can take you who-knows-where.
If you are contemplating moving to the rurals, choose the path that fits your situation and get the guidance that matches your real needs. Whether you opt to start from scratch on raw acreage or taking over an established homestead, dealing with sometimes on-demand challenges—like water systems, deer damage, internet down, or the every day stuff like DIY repairs, seasonal upkeep, distance to services, and the realities of rural living—comes with the territory.
The rural living / rural homestead lifestyle may not suit everyone, but here you are. If you are already living it, ask or answer questions in the rural forum.
Whichever path you choose, we hope to connect you with practical solutions and life experience from people following or having followed the same rural homestead or rural life road.
Start Here: Your Rural Two‑Choice Guide
Choose the path that fits your situation:
1. I want to buy Rural Land
2. I want to buy a Rural Home
I Already Own
Or maybe you have a rural property or rural homestead already, or you just want to know a few more details about rural development or rural maintenance. Scroll down to learn more about this site and see comments from others, pro or con, about a rural homestead or rural living. Head over to the forum to get deeper insight on what it takes to care for this lifestyle, or join Anything Rural community and ask or answer away!
The Realities of Rural Living
Having a rural homestead requires a lot of effort, period. It is often called rural living, country lifestyle, homesteading, off-grid living, or is part of a rural community – they all imply the same thing, not living in the city or its suburbs.
Most of us, especially in the rurals, either want to or are forced to care for things for ourselves. Our rural property may have or need off-grid systems requiring DIY rural skills so we can perform our own rural home build and maintenance. It requires rural tools, materials, farm equipment, rural problem-solving and off-grid challenges – most becoming homestead projects.
Our journey on our 3-acre rural “fixer-upper” homestead began with needing a lot of help with different things we encountered. When we found we had to visit many different sites, it became our goal to build a digital home for the rural community—a place where the focus remains on one meaningful topic at a time while making it easy to jump to another. Through our collaboration with one another, we have been slowly constructing this site that reflects a little of what we have been doing and still need to do. Tell us yours!
By sharing our rural living experiences, we are creating something that invites anyone asking question and others to help with what has worked for them in their rural homestead; there may be more than one resolution. From just slowing down and exploring why deer are no longer a favorite critter, to being in a rush because a 2″ water line blew out, caused by a water-seeking tree almost on top of it – it has happened to more than one of us.
We would love to move to the rurals. We are looking at land in northern California
Let us know if you have any questions! You are going to build or buy with a home onsite already? I was online and this message popped in, thanks!!
We hope to find property with a home and maybe a cottage. We have three children…there is a lot to consider.
You should consider joining the community Mary, there is a group started about moving to the rurals at https://anythingrural.com/forum/move-to-rurals/
We are also working on two pages, purchasing land or a home on acreage, but they are not finished yet. Ask a question where the information is incomplete!
Suburbs to Rural Land = https://anythingrural.com/rural-land-development/
Suburbs to Rural Home = https://anythingrural.com/rural-home-purchasing/
I do not see a lot of action in your forum, I would like to moderate an electrical portion, if you ever need a moderator! We have been in the Rurals seven years. The only thing I would do different is only have around an acre or an acre and a half. DIYing on SS income is tough as land expands. Oh, I should have deer proofed a large section day one, they eat almost anything that grows and the bucks break trees and scrape off tons of bark…we now sorta hate deer.
Thanks James, we have a long way to go. most will come from people asking and people answering in the forum, this is just a space to let us know how you feel about the rurals. If the electrical section gets busy we will keep you in mind. Or, if you want to send us you contact info via the contact form, we could discuss it further!
We have been in the rurals for 12 years with no intentions of leaving yet. We have 15 acres but most are trees and forest. Medical and shopping and such are maybe 30 minutes away, where the traffic is. The biggest car stopper here is a slow tractor or a bunch of turkeys crossing single file.
Sounds awesome! Don’t let the turkeys stress you out 🙂
I hate it out here, but I hate the city more. I would like to find something in-between
I have no desire to move to the rural, I do not see how that would be a good situation.
It sure is not for everyone Zoe.
We may have to move just due to the amount of work it takes and getting older and ona fixed income, forcing DIY. We will hate to leave
Sorry to hear that Larry. We have talked about just an acre or so as we get older, it is something to think about. We have friends with the money, one built an ADU just for a caregiver they plan on hiring, a great setup!
What is the ADU process where you are at?
We are in California, Placer County. What is neat is they have approved sets of drawings for, I think, five different ADU’s. So, no architectural design work needed.
We are looking at North Dakota, just wondering what others might think of being in the rurals there?
@ Caden – I hope you like cold
Are rural properties available in Hawaii?
There are many acres for sale out here, very inexpensive on outlying islands.
@islander, yeah, if you have a lot of money to transport ANYTHING, finding water, creating power, complying with laws, codes, and ordinances…or maybe just buy an entire island,,,
@jj you should try Vermont! Actually, I do not think we are that bad, but we do have something you do not, LONG WINTERS, contributing to mud and car rust. Not to mention loss of cell service, long way to health care, etc. But, we have awesome scenery, were are not just connected to but are part of the mainland, and we have great air quality!!
Ha, try the bureaucracy here in Italy. But we have an incredibly low cost of living!!
Where are the best rural areas in California, then the US? Are there any inexpensive rurals within 30 minutes of medical?