# Tell me what I need to know to build an (off grid) home
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 1, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035 "2022-01-01T14:07:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7
### Author:  [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/121 "2022-01-04T15:09:57Z")
I have a snow blade, blower, loader/bucket, forks so it’s a forklift, and will get a mower. The blade gets the most use. I went with the LS because of price point, local dealer and 6 year warranty.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/122 "2022-01-04T15:14:48Z")
I’m sorry - I have no idea what you mean by “LS”.
I can see the need for a snow blade, but not the need for loader or forklift, but if you think we’ll need one or could use one feel free to elaborate. As I said, we’re not looking to run even a hobby farm, no livestock, small garden, some lawn mowing.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/123 "2022-01-04T15:25:33Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Also not entirely clear on some of the terminology - loader? Is that a shovel attachment on front? Box scraper?!? I’m sure I’ve what’s being mentioned, I’m just not up on the terminology. I’m not the person with background in industrial machinery/forklifts/tractors/etc. in the mix, that’s a different person.
Yeah the loader/bucket is on the front to pick things up. I use it to move piles of snow that my plow truck pushes up. Sometimes I need to make more room. I also use it when we have a load of gravel delivered for our driveway. The loader can be used in a pinch to plow as well.
Lots of other uses as well of course.
A box scraper hooks on the three point hitch in the back. This also helps when I have gravel delivered for the driveway. The teeth helps dig it in and level it.
[Example pic of Box Scraper](https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200325921_200325921?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Farm%20%2B%20Acreage%20%3E%203-Point%20Category%201%20Implements%20%3E%20Category%201%20Blades%20%2B%20Scrapers&utm_campaign=King%20Kutter&utm_content=256071&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_c-OBhDFARIsAIFg3ewAa_a7FRBpV-qvO0eig-e6nJSbwD7xrYikgeAp0sw9iend3gkgCcMaApYcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/124 "2022-01-04T15:31:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> I have no idea what you mean by “LS”.
I presume it’s a reference to their tractor:
> **[MT352PCT/PCTC - 52HP - LS Tractor USA](https://lstractorusa.com/tractor/mt352pct-pctc-52hp/)**
>
> The MT352PCT/CPCT – 52HP from the MT3 Series features a premium quality ergonomic design making this a truly premium tractor.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/125 "2022-01-04T15:49:02Z")
Googling, LG (the same conglomerate that makes appliances, cell phones and flatscreen TVs) once had a tractor division but it’s now separately called LS Tractor.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/126 "2022-01-04T16:00:46Z")
We live “in the country” on a private road with two neighbors. We are not “off the grid” other than the fact that the road is private, therefore not maintained by the town. Even that small amount of “off the grid-ness” can be work.
When snow begins falling, I drive our lane back and forth as every few inches of snow falls, creating tracks. When an overnight snowfall occurs, I have to use 4 WD to power through. Once a decade or so we get a big enough snowfall to require us to hire someone to plow.
I love not having neighbors. I love never having salespeople cold calling us. But realistically even our amount of off the grid living is becoming difficult as we age (I’m 63, gf is 62, one other couple is our age, one is in their 80s).
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/127 "2022-01-04T17:36:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> I love not having neighbors. I love never having salespeople cold calling us. But realistically even our amount of off the grid living is becoming difficult as we age (I’m 63, gf is 62, one other couple is our age, one is in their 80s).
Same here. Sit on the deck in summer with no noise or distractions. Taking our dogs for a walk in National Forest starts at our property line.
It’s not for everyone though. Everything we order has to be picked up in town (UPS box). Mail is at our PO box in town. Garbage and recycling takes a trip into town. Any kind of food delivery is right out. I do kinda miss just saying, lets order a pizza.
Satellite dishes have helped a lot. So we do have TV and internet.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/128 "2022-01-04T18:01:37Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> I have a 4x4 Kubota loader with a box scraper that is invaluable to me.
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Is there a ballpark figure on cost for such a thing?
Get a used one. And get one made for farm work, not one made for suburban people to mow their lawns with. (Even large farms use small tractors, as well as their large ones.) I know you’re not going to be farming, but the ones made for farmwork will hold up a whole lot better and will do the work a whole lot easier. Even very old farm tractors may still be in good shape – I’m running two from the 1950’s. They do sometimes need some ingenuity to get parts for, but that’s partly because they’re of a make less common around here.
Cost and availability of decent used ones is going to depend a lot on where you are. And figure out which of your neighbors knows how to judge conditions of farm equipment, and take one of them with you.
And yes, make sure there’s somebody in your area who fixes the make that you buy – whether it’s an official dealer, or an independent repair place catering to local farmers, or a really good shadetree mechanic. Again, your neighbors will probably know.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/129 "2022-01-04T18:47:11Z")
OK… thanks… but rather than general guidelines for how to purchase used equipment I _really was_ looking for a dollar range.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/130 "2022-01-04T19:25:10Z")
That really may vary significantly depending on where you are.
In some areas there may be quite a lot of used equipment of that sort available; in others there may be almost none. That’s going to affect the price; as is the age of what’s available.
I just checked the online list for one place in my very general area and they had a number of possibilities in used equipment ranging from about $15,000 to $29,000. But again that may not be an accurate guideline for your area.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/131 "2022-01-04T21:48:13Z")
That’s OK - we don’t need super accuracy right now, just a general idea. It does seem that something of this sort of equipment is required, or at least really greatly useful. Cost will need to be considered and we have to start somewhere.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/132 "2022-01-04T22:22:35Z")
I think you said earlier, that this property is in Michigan? Maybe I’m confusing you with someone else.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/133 "2022-01-04T22:31:06Z")
Yes, Michigan, near the Canadian border. Which, I realize, is darn near half the state.
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### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/134 "2022-01-05T00:39:47Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#):
>
> > [@thorny\_locust](#):
> >
> > Was Misty using straw or hay?
>
> I thought they said hay. Mrs. L saw it and ran with the idea.
I asked Mrs. L. She said we bought this straw:
> **[All-Purpose Straw Bale, 10-Lbs.](https://www.truevalue.com/product/all-purpose-straw-bale-10-lbs/)**
>
> EZ Straw 10 lb. All-Purpose Straw Bale. This clean, processed straw is ideal for gardening, pet bedding, crafts, and around the home. It features a convenient handle for easy carrying and can be used as seeding mulch or pet bedding.
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> I watch a show like that for the same reason I’d watch a show about prepping - not because I want to be a prepper but to make me think about situations in ways I might not otherwise, and to glean things appropriate to my own life.
Yes, it could be useful for spotting general trends and precautions. But even if someone lent me heavy equipment, I still wouldn’t have the skill or experience to use it.
I’ve heard many times that water is most critical resource. Without a secure supply of that, you’ll fail. Other things may have workarounds.
This episode was interesting. IIRC the used a toilet mechanism to water the greenhouse plants regularly.
> **[Fire and Ice](https://www.discovery.com/shows/homestead-rescue/episodes/fire-and-ice)**
>
> The Raneys create their first-ever self-automated homestead in the fierce Alaskan wilderness to function while firefighters Kim and Casey Boespflug are away on duty.
> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> I saw a video on some guy making an off-grid cabin and was thinking the same thing. And if there are no inspections, etc. then how do you get insured for when your wood stove burns your cabin down?
If you’re really off grid, there’s a good chance the place will burn down before anybody can get to you anyway. There was an episode where they were talking about wildfires potentially reaching a homestead…they set up a sprinkle system around the perimeter and put a metal roof on the house IIRC. Maybe that episode or maybe not, they talked about that thing where you scorch the wood, then attach it to the structure—whether you think it looks good or not, that’s actually a safety feature. Apparently once you do that, you’ve burned off the most flammable part and the “inner” wood won’t burn as easily.
One little tidbit I picked up touring an old home in South Carolina: back in the day, the kitchen of the home was a separate building. Kitchen fires were a common thing, and it’s better to rebuild a kitchen than an entire house.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/135 "2022-01-05T01:50:06Z")
Have you considered something like an earth-berm house? If you are going for energy efficiency, they can work quite well if the site supports it.
A small tractor isn’t hard to learn. You can get used acreage tractors for $5,000 for an older one. How many acrers is it? On a smaller acreage you might instead choose a quad or a small utility vehicle, which looks like a quad with a little truck bed on the back.
Here’s an example from Polaris:
> **[Explore Off-Road Vehicles for Property Maintenance | Polaris EN-CA](https://www.polaris.com/en-ca/off-road/shop-by-use/utility/property-maintenance/)**
>
> Own the land with Polaris. From getting around your property to knocking things off your to-do list, Polaris is there to help make the land yours. Canada
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/136 "2022-01-05T02:46:47Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#):
>
> I asked Mrs. L. She said we bought this straw
I’ve never bought or even seen straw packaged that way; but then, I’m in farm country. But that shouldn’t have been seedy. If it had a lot of seeds in it, I’d complain to the store; it’s clearly described as being straw.
Of course, if this happened years ago, or even back last spring, it’s kind of late to bother.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/137 "2022-01-05T11:08:37Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Have you considered something like an earth-berm house?
Yes, we’ve thought about it.
It would likely be a more expensive due to either the need for blasting/digging through a lot of rock or having to bring in a lot of material. Also, earth-berm houses are best suited to dry climates and the site we have is not dry, humidity is a problem for the warm part of the year, so moisture control is another complication. That’s even before we know if the local soil is suited for this. A partial berm system might help with insulation of the building but it’s not really a good location for this. If we were moving to a drier location out west, sure, but it’s not a good location for that.
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/138 "2022-01-06T21:51:51Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#):
>
> In the Santa Cruz Mountains and other parts of the mountainous West there are a lot of off-gridders.
As you said, there are a lot of little enclaves in the Santa Cruz mountains. About a week after the Loma Prieta earthquake there was a story about how it took the Red Cross a couple days to make their way in there only to find them just fine. Everybody had generators of one sort or another because the power is intermittent in the best of times. “They seemed a little miffed we didn’t need rescuing and instead offered them a cold beer.”
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### Author:  [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/139 "2022-01-06T21:58:32Z")
Yes, earthquakes – if you build to California codes – aren’t very destructive, compared to fires. Unfortunately California has a lot more of the latter.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-what-i-need-to-know-to-build-an-off-grid-home/957035/140 "2022-01-06T22:37:48Z")
There’s considerable you can do to reduce fire danger, but it’s not always what people want to hear. Just like a lot of people who move to a dessert (like in Arizona or New Mexico) find out that maintaining a lawn like back east is difficult and expensive at best. Xeriscaping makes a lot more sense in that context. Adobe makes a lot of sense there, too, but not so much back east where wood is not just abundant but is better suited to water/humidity levels in the area.
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