Possibly one of the most important pieces in living sustainably and self-reliant is the home you live in. It is usually the biggest investment one will make and this is even more true when it comes to living sustainably. It is not just where you find shelter and comfort but it is where you share the wonderful experiences of this journey with your family and friends. It is where you will cook, store and maybe even grow your food. It is where you and your family will learn and where you will relax. Deciding on where you will live and what kind of place you will live in is as important as any decision you will make.
Before I go any further I want to make it clear that I am no expert. I am not an architect or a master builder. I have worked in the construction field in the past and that included some log homes and simple log cabins. I also have a lot of knowledge from many years of studying this subject so what I have to say is just an opinion. Always research and find for yourself the truth before you just take someone's word for it.
One of the first things a person must decide is whether you will make this journey in the city or embark on it in the countryside. There are advantages and disadvantages to both so don't discount one over the other just yet. Although city dwelling may not be for some it does offer some benefits. There is the closeness of the community and the ease of getting the supplies you may need. Many urban areas are seeing a big influx in the amount of people living sustainably so it is very possible to find a community already developed and filled with like minded people you can connect with. It's easily possible to grow large gardens and many cities allow chickens and other small farm animals to be raised with certain restrictions. Community gardens are very popular and even in the most inner of cities farmers markets are becoming common place.
Of course there are cons to living in the city. There are many more restrictions. More and more cities and passing laws restricting and even banning off-grid living, stating that for a house to be considered inhabitable it must be connected to utilities. There is limited space and limits on what kind structures can be built. Then there's the obvious things like noise, pollution and over crowding but even with the negatives, city dwelling can be successful for those wanting both the ease and closeness of a community and the freedom and health of a sustainable lifestyle.
Living out and away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities is what many dream of and seek. It can give you the quietness and closeness to nature and a little more freedom to live as you choose. You are typically more separated from your community which can also mean it is less convenient to travel to buy or trade your goods. There is also a little more responsibility on you to provide for your own needs. Neither choice is the right or wrong choice. Both can be accomplish with equal challenges and benefits. Researching each option and what is available with each option along with talking to family and friends will help you in this decision. Success is not always based on where you are or the circumstances around you but the amount of your heart and mind you put into this journey.
The next thing to think about is the type of structure you want to live in. What you can afford and where you choose live play a huge part in this. If your choice is an urban self-sufficient life then your options are more limited. Single family houses or apartments are about your only choice. It would be difficult and nearly impossible to find a town that would approve a natural structure you would build to be built in the city.
In the country there are less restrictions and in some places very little. There are existing and prefab homes or mobile homes. This gets you a place fast and sometimes this is the cheapest and easiest option. Then there are the houses that many dream of. The natural homes. Houses built either from using resources found around you in nature or ones specifically designed to be eco-friendly and self-sustaining. These are what many people dream of having but the reality is that many times their up front costs too high or the amount of physical labor and skills needed to build these homes out weigh the ability and resources of the individual or family wanting to live in them. Sure there are some that have the resources to just have this dream home built, see Trendy Self-Sufficient Living vs Reality, but for many the ability to come up with the initial cost may be too high to make this a reality. One of the reasons for this is because it is difficult and nearly impossible to find anyone that will lend money to build a naturally built home. It's really unheard of. Banks and lenders have very little understanding of these types of structures so they stick with what they know best and that is lending money on standard build homes whether new construction or existing. What many end up doing is living in a standard structure home while saving and building their naturally built dream home. I find this to be the norm more than anything else so do not be discouraged if this is where you find yourself.
There is also a third scenario for those on the journey to self-sufficiency. This may be the most common of all. You realize you cannot afford or do not have the skill to either move or build so you decide to carve out the best independent life you can right where you are now. I want to encourage this. Whether this journey eventually leads you to your naturally built dream home or not, begin now, where you are, in making these lifestyle choices that everyday, little by little, empower you and take you further down the road to a self-sufficient life.
Regardless of the choice you make you must always know that it is not where you are that dictates how earth friendly or independent you live, it is how you choose to live right where you are. Someone doing the best with the resources and knowledge they have can be no less independent than some one living in an off grid cabin in the wilderness. As I said in a previous article, this is a journey and each one of us have a different path that takes us on that journey. The biggest advantage we can have, whether in the city or country, is to build strong communities around us. Being able to help and depend on each other will become your safety net and help you with knowledge and the things you need along the way.
My next article will pick up where this one leaves off and we will look more in depth at the styles of homes available and help figure out which one might be the right fit for you and your family.
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