For people out there who are thinking of tumbling down the same rabbit hole as we are at the moment, or for those who are just curious, we create a series of posts in an attempt to explain how we intend to live off the grid in a sustainable dwelling and produce (much of) our own food.

In the first episode I’ll explain our process of elimination for land, or rather the criteria we set and why. We have a few basic criteria to which any piece of land should, preferably, abide to. These are, in a slightly specific order:

• South Facing
• On a Slope
• No Utilities
• Quiet
• Not in Town
• No more than 3 hours away
• Big Enough/Affordable
• Pretty

Some are more important than others and we can put a value on them and then simply run the numbers.., or the process of elimination.

South Facing is imperative and belongs at the top of the list. If it the lot would lie on a north facing hill the sun would be behind the hill for the better part of the year, leaving us cold and powerless (except when you live on the southern hemisphere of course). On a flat piece of land a clear view to the south would be needed.

On a Slope is just really nice. Our architect absolutely likes that. One can use the earth as walls when digging in and a multi level house is easier to build. Also the rain (capture and irrigation) or sewage is easy to direct (downwards). Gravity assists and saves power needed for pumps.

No Utilities is pretty much a must. I wouldn’t mind having them, especially electricity, we could make the meter run backwards if we have plenty and maybe even earn a bit of cash. But the site is more expensive with utilities.., although a telephone line would be nice…

Quietness is something we yearn for. We now live in the city and it’s just never quiet, well maybe in the middle of night it is, we do live in a more quiet part of the city, but still.., the neighbors, the tram, the cars, you name it and it makes noise.

Not in Town, a bit related to all of the above, but this is about people in general. While building we don’t want to bother too many people, it might take a while. When we’re done it comes back to peace and quiet.., mind you, we don’t want to shunt all human contact. We just don’t want to draw curtains to have privacy.

Driving distance is just a personal favorite. Anybody can determine where they’d like to live and at what distance form where they are now. We just need to drive up to Holland regularly, so minimizing the distance saves on frustration.

Big Enough is more in the line of what we want to do, rather than just status, or keeping your neighbours at bay. There are a few things we want to achieve for which we need space. Our own vegetable garden, chickens, a bee hive and maybe a goat or two, for this one needs space.

1000m² is a very bare minimum. The bigger we can get the better. But, every square meter costs money, so there has to be balance. And for the region we’re looking at, 15€, or so, per square meter seems reasonable and 2000m² or more is preferable.

Pretty, well, quite obvious. We want a nice living environment and the surroundings are as important as the building we live in. So it has to feel right.

Mind you, living out in the country is also very beneficial for ones health. We live in Rotterdam and I can tell you, it’s not the healthiest city in the world. Add growing your own organic vegetables and you prolong you life.., at least we hope we will.

Any questions or comments, please let us now…