Off-Grid Laws · Septic & WasteOctober 26, 2026
Is It Legal to Have an Outhouse? Here's How to Check
Is it legal to have an outhouse? Usually your county health department decides, under state rules. Here's who to call and what to ask.
Sara Raymond
Staff Writer
Sara covers land research and buyer education for GoOffGrid. She wants buyers to get it right, for their sake and the land's.
Articles by Sara Raymond
Homesteading · Land & BuildingSeptember 16, 2026
The Best Off-Grid Accounts to Follow Right Now
Still dreaming of moving off grid, searching for property, or deep in a build? The best off-grid accounts to follow, matched to exactly where you are.
Homesteading · Land & BuildingSeptember 15, 2026
How Much Land Do You Need to Be Self-Sufficient?
How much land do you need to be self-sufficient? It depends more on a parcel's water, soil, season and sun than on its acreage. Here's what to check.
Cost · Land & BuildingSeptember 9, 2026
The Real Cost of Wildfire Risk When Buying Land
Wildfire risk can double your land insurance costs, or get you dropped entirely. Here's what buyers new to rural land need to know first.
Off-Grid Laws · HomesteadingAugust 26, 2026
What Your Zoning Code Says About Off-Grid Living
Zoning is written locally, county by county or town by town, and some rural counties have none. Here's what to look for before you buy off-grid living land.
Land & Building · Power & SolarAugust 21, 2026
Land Preparedness Checklist for National Preparedness Month
44,000+ wildfires, 38% drought, and record tornadoes in 2026. This land preparedness checklist covers what National Preparedness Month usually skips.
Land & Building · WaterAugust 20, 2026
How to Evaluate Soil Health Before Buying Land
The USDA maps soil data for 95%+ of U.S. counties free. Here's how to evaluate soil health before buying land, from soil type to septic viability.
Land & Building · CostAugust 18, 2026
How to Compare Two Rural Properties Before Buying
Rural land 10 miles apart can have completely different water, access, and wildfire risk. Here is how to compare rural properties before buying.
WaterAugust 13, 2026
Water Rights in the American West
Water rights in the American West usually transfer with the land, but not always. Here's what land buyers need to verify before making an offer.
Food · HomesteadingAugust 11, 2026
What Makes Land Good for Growing Food?
USDA has soil maps for more than 95% of US counties. Here's what actually makes land good for growing food, and how to check before you buy.
Homesteading · Off-Grid LawsAugust 6, 2026
How to Start Homesteading With No Experience
Nearly a third of US farmers have 10 years of experience or less. Here's how to start homesteading with no experience: what to learn, buy, and skip first.
Water · CostAugust 4, 2026
How to Research Well Data on Any Property Before You Visit
A home's well should give about 6 GPM, or feed a storage tank if it gives less. Here's how to check well data for any parcel before you buy.
Cost · Land & BuildingJuly 16, 2026
Where to Find Rural Land for Sale: A Practical Guide for Off-Grid and Homestead Buyers
Where to find rural land for sale in 2026: LandWatch, Lands of America, Facebook Marketplace, and owner-financed sites, plus what the listings don't tell you.
Cost · Land & BuildingJuly 14, 2026
The True Cost of Developing Raw Land: What Buyers Consistently Underestimate
Raw land development runs $30,000 to $120,000+ on top of the price. 2026 costs for a well, septic, road access, power, and site prep, and what drives them.
Water · CostJuly 13, 2026
Planning a Homestead? How Much Water You Actually Need on Rural Land
How much water does a homestead need? A family of four with livestock and a garden needs 1,000 to 1,500 gallons a summer day. How to check a property's supply.
Off-Grid Laws · Land & BuildingJuly 9, 2026
Rural Land Due Diligence: 12 Questions to Answer Before You Make an Offer
12 questions that decide whether rural land can support off-grid or homestead living, with a source for every answer. Work through them before you offer.
Land & BuildingJuly 8, 2026
Wildfire Risk for Rural Land Buyers: How to Check Any Property Before You Buy
What a wildfire score means for rural land, what counts as high risk, how insurance works there, and how to check a property before you make an offer.
HomesteadingJuly 8, 2026
Five Things Homesteaders Wish They Had Checked Before Buying Their Land
Five due diligence mistakes homestead buyers make before buying rural land, and how to catch all of them from public records before you visit.
Off-Grid Laws · HomesteadingJuly 6, 2026
What Would GoOffGrid.tools Have Told Pa Ingalls Before He Staked His Claim?
We scored the Little House on the Prairie homestead. Charles Ingalls got an 84 out of 100. Pa chose good land. He just built before it was open to settlers.
Homesteading · Land & BuildingJuly 4, 2026
What 19th-Century Homesteaders Got Wrong About Land and What Modern Buyers Still Miss
Little House on the Prairie is back. Here's what the Ingalls family really faced on the Kansas prairie, and what modern land buyers still get wrong.
HomesteadingJuly 2, 2026
How to Evaluate Rural Land for a Homestead: A Beginner's Guide to What Actually Matters
How to evaluate rural land for a homestead: the water, soil, growing season, access, and zoning checks that decide whether a parcel can feed and house you.
Homesteading · Land & BuildingJuly 1, 2026
What to Look for When Buying Rural Land for Off-Grid Living or Homesteading
What to look for when buying rural land for off-grid living: water rights, zoning, solar, hazards, soil, and buildability, all checkable before you visit.
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