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Top Mistakes New Homesteaders Make? Homesteading is a wonderful idea for many reasons. It allows you to learn how to live a self-sufficient lifestyle while saving money and becoming crafty. You’ll get better at doing things you once didn’t know how to do.
While it has its benefits, there are some homesteading mistakes that people make throughout the journey. If you’d like to avoid these mistakes and have the most success possible with homesteading, check out this list of the top five homestead mistakes and what you can do to prevent them.
The 5 Top Mistakes New Homesteaders Make
Let us just dig into the list –
1. Trying to Make It Too Homey
Some people try to make things too homey. It’s all about making it feel like home. Instead, it’s about having a shelter and safe haven to go to in an emergency. You want to have all the right things on your land, including a comfortable and quiet place to sleep, good spots to hide if it comes down to that, and plenty of storage space.
The goal is to have enough room for everything you’re planning on storing and saving for emergencies, such as foods that you’ve canned and other items you’re stocking up on, including bottles of water, batteries, flashlights, candles, and other essentials. If your space doesn’t feel too homey, don’t stress it because it’s not that big of a deal.
2. Poor Maintenance
Unfortunately, not everyone keeps up with the maintenance involved in running a homestead. If you’re not putting effort into its upkeep, it can get broken and overgrown, leaving you without a safe and resourceful place to stay when you need it the most. Put effort into keeping your homestead in excellent condition.
If you notice something wearing down or getting dingy, put work into fixing it until it’s back in excellent condition. Keep an eye out for pests and anything else that could potentially cause damage to your homestead. You don’t want to allow anyone or anything to damage the homestead you’re working hard to build.
3. Over/Under-Planning
Some people make the mistake of over-planning or under planning. So, how does that happen? Some people get so into it homesteading that they start creating this elaborate shelter with extra things they don’t need. While it might make the place look nice, it might not provide the comfort you’ll need if an emergency occurs.
It might not be practical for you to stay there for lengthy periods, which has the potential to cause problems for you if you need to stay there for an extended period.
Don’t Over Plan or Under Plan
While over-planning is a problem, so is under planning. Some people fail to prepare for what could potentially happen, which puts them at risk. For example, if you’re not putting effort into building your homestead, it might not be safe enough for you to stay in for a while due to a lack of protection against possible intruders.
All you need to do is the right amount of planning. Please keep it simple, but put effort into making sure you’re creating a safe and sound homestead for your family. It would be best if you had this to turn into your safe haven in times of need.
4. Top Mistakes New Homesteaders Make: Lack of Familiarity
A lack of familiarity is a top homestead mistake often made by beginners. The last thing you’d want to do is get lost on your land. Not only is it embarrassing, but it’s also got the potential to get you into some serious trouble. Instead, take the time out to explore the land that you’re using for homesteading.
Don’t Forget the Map
Use a map to get around, in the beginning, to become more familiar with the land and how far it is from any other properties in the area. Use different things to help you remember where you’re at, such as trees with a unique appearance or specific plants that only grow in certain spots. As you explore your land regularly, you’ll become more familiar with it, and you won’t have to worry so much about a lack of familiarity causing you to get lost.
Get Familiar with the Land
If you’re lost and end up on someone else’s land, they might think that you’re an intruder. If that’s the case, things might not end up well. Avoid that problem altogether by getting used to your land as much as you can. Don’t forget to make sure your loved ones become more familiar with the land, too.
5. Poor Location Choice
When you have serious homesteading goals, you need to choose the ideal location to run it. You don’t want to select a spot known for its bad weather. The poor weather conditions could make it difficult for you to keep your homestead thriving.
Besides the bad weather, you don’t want to choose a spot that’s too far from home or too close to the city where you’ll have limited resources available to you in an emergency.
Careful Where You Choose to Live
It’s also not in your best interest to choose an area with too much wildlife. While you want to have access to some nature, especially if you end up having to hunt for animals for meat, you don’t want to have too much wildlife roaming around to the point that it becomes dangerous for you.
While you’re the predator for most animals, you can become the prey to other animals, such as bears and wolves that roam around. When you want to take homesteading seriously, research the areas that are best for homesteading. Choose land in one of those areas that can meet your needs more than others.
Homestead Mistakes to Avoid
Homesteading is a fantastic idea because it helps you prepare for emergencies. It’s the best way to make sure you’re fighting for survival in challenging and dire situations. However, there are some mistakes that people tend to make, and now that you know about them, take steps to avoid them!
Get familiar with your land, don’t worry about making it too homey, and choose the right location for homesteading. Don’t forget to plan accordingly and take measures to keep up with the maintenance involved in running a homestead. Then, you can do it the right way and have a safe haven for your family.