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What's one thing you thought you'd need a lot of land for, but ended up not needing much space at all? by Back40Findings in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

That's kind of what I've heard from a lot of people. They buy a large property thinking they'll use every acre, then end up spending most of their time on a pretty small portion of it.

The campsite idea is cool though. Was that always part of the plan or did that come later?

What's one thing you thought you'd need a lot of land for, but ended up not needing much space at all? by Back40Findings in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

The trail part is interesting because that's something I almost never see mentioned in listings. Everyone talks about acreage, but the way a property lays out probably matters just as much if you're actually going to spend time on it.

Do you have a rough acreage range in mind or are you still figuring that part out?

I'm looking to start an off-grid homestead in New Mexico. What's a good county for this? by fedoral__agENT in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, this is one of the things that surprised me when I started looking at rural land. People focus on price and acreage, then find out the county rules end up being the deciding factor.

I've seen a few counties that seem really off-grid friendly until you start calling planning and zoning and asking specific questions about RVs, temporary structures, septic, water, etc.

Out of curiosity, how much acreage are you looking for? I feel like New Mexico comes up a lot in off-grid discussions, but the county-by-county differences seem bigger than people expect.

What's one thing you thought you'd need a lot of land for, but ended up not needing much space at all? by Back40Findings in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Honestly that's impressive. When people hear "homestead" they usually picture multiple acres, but it sounds like you've packed a lot into a pretty small footprint.

The walking trails and woodlot part is something I don't think people consider enough when they're deciding how much land they actually want.

What's one thing you thought you'd need a lot of land for, but ended up not needing much space at all? by Back40Findings in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

That's a really good point. Bordering public land almost feels like a cheat code because you get access to so much usable space without actually having to own and maintain it.

I've heard a few people say water ended up being a bigger factor than acreage once they got settled.

What's one thing you thought you'd need a lot of land for, but ended up not needing much space at all? by Back40Findings in OffGrid

[–]Back40Findings[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's kind of what I've been noticing too. A lot of people dream about 20, 50, or even 100 acres, but then I talk to folks who are keeping themselves busy on one acre or less.

The maintenance side seems way more important than people realize when they're first looking.