There are many reasons we decided to move from our comfortable Southern California home. I’ll dig in deep about the why soon but for now let’s look at the where.
For years I had been watching the youtube videos on homesteading, the whys, the hows and was so intrigued. BUT where do you go?
I signed up for a few real estate home lists in:
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Oregon and Arkansas.
After looking into these states a bit we ultimately landed on Idaho because it was familiar to us (we had lived there for a year when Christian was 1).
We looked at a ton of homes, fell in love with a few and nothing seemed to work out. Here are the two homes we fell in love and a few Idaho highlights.
Vintage Farmhouse //
Gah! I loved this house so much. It was old but it was on 8 acres and had all the out buildings we would need. The house needed a ton of work and there were things that didn’t feel safe about it like the bathroom with the electrical wires hanging down from it. I was willing to fix those problems and look past all the things the house needed because the property was amazing.
The previous owners had passed away from old age but you could really tell how much they enjoyed being there. The property had fruit trees (the biggest cherry tree I have ever seen in my life), a flower garden, a root cellar (I want one) and a barn. It was so cute and I could imagine lots of fun parties out there.
The property ended up being sold at auction and you needed cash to purchase it. I still think about this house often and am so inspired by the trees and flowers. I want to create a garden at our homestead with flowers and fruits just like this sweet home had.
Five Acre Beauty //
This home was hidden from the road and a little hard to get to – which we loved. It was also huge and had a secret room. It was on 5 acres and backed up to blm land. We visited this home so many times and had SO many ideas but we didn’t end up getting it either. Now, I think about it and I am thankful as it wasn’t the right home for us but it was a beautiful property.
Idaho Fun //
Idaho was a fun place and absolutely beautiful. We floated the Boise river, saw elk and deer, explored, and taught the boys how to shoot their .22’s in the mountains. We even lived close to a farmer that taught us a lot about farming. We saw a baby cow being born, got to drink fresh cows milk, learned about bees and more.
Idaho is a stunning state but it didn’t feel right for us. We felt like the house market was geared towards people moving from California and there wasn’t much under $350k.
So when I got a chance to check out Arkansas, where my best friend was living, I jumped at the chance! We ended up finding our farmhouse and jumped at buying it and the surrounding land.
Thinking of buying land or a homestead? I have learned a lot from our experience. Here are some of my tips
- Look at a few states before deciding on one. Visit them, check out the schools, checkout the elements if you homeschool. Join local facebook groups and ask all the questions. Then narrow them down with a list of the good and bad.
- Find flat land that is usable!
- Well, find a property with a well. After this Covid-19 thing, I have learned that we have to be prepared for it all. Find yourself a property with a well (or build one) so you have peace of mind about your water.
- Property with outbuildings is a plus. They can be super expensive so if you find something with buildings already that is a plus.
- Good soil! Check the soil to make sure it is good for planting
- Create a business plan if that is what you want to do with your property.
- Dream- this is one of the most exciting parts of homesteading
- Go to estate sales and farming auctions. It’s where we got a lot of our gardening and farming items
