Planning your Homestead
Dream Big, Start Realistic
When it comes to planning your homestead, it’s easy to get swept away by big dreams. Maybe you’re imagining a sprawling vegetable garden, a chicken coop full of clucking hens, a goat or two grazing in the yard, and jars of homemade pickles lining your pantry shelves. That vision is important. Hold onto it. But the key is to ground your dream in a plan that works for where you are right now.
This chapter is all about helping you take your vision, and turn it into something actionable, no matter the size of your space or your budget. Whether you’re working with a small backyard, a few acres, or even just a sunny balcony, good planning helps you make the most of your resources and your time.
Assess What You Have
Start with an honest assessment of your current space and lifestyle. Walk your property (or your apartment!) with fresh eyes. Where does the sun fall throughout the day? Is there any shade? How does water drain after it rains? What’s your local climate like? How much time do you really have each day or week to tend to your projects?
Also think about your skills. Are you comfortable with tools? Have you gardened before? Do you have neighbors who might lend a hand or share advice? Knowing your starting point will make your goals much more achievable.
When I bought my property, over 75% of it was so overgrown with buckthorn that I couldn’t even walk through it. The dense thickets made it impossible to assess the land on foot, and I had no idea what kind of terrain I was working with. What helped immensely was using Google Maps satellite photos to get a top-down view of the space. From that vantage point, I could start developing a basic long-term plan, while I slowly tackled the buckthorn in the areas I wanted to begin improving. Each section I cleared revealed more about the land, where the sun hit longest, how the soil drained, and what might be possible in each zone. It was a slow, physical process, but that work laid the foundation for everything that followed.
Map It Out
A simple layout plan, it doesn’t have to be too fancy!
Even a rough sketch of your space can be a powerful tool. Draw the layout of your property and note where the sun rises and sets, any existing structures, trees, fences, or utility lines. Think about how you move through the space and how you want things to flow.
Group related activities together. Keep your compost near your garden. Put water sources within easy reach of animals or plants. Think about accessibility in every season, will you be able to get to your chicken coop in winter? Will you have to haul out buckets of water?
Mapping things out now can help prevent future headaches and allow your homestead to evolve with purpose.
When I first started planning my garden, I was so excited to get things going that I jumped right into building raised beds at the far end of the yard. It seemed like the perfect sunny spot. But as the season went on, I realized I wasn’t walking out there as often as I thought I would. Weeds crept in, pests went unnoticed, and watering became a chore. Eventually, I moved the beds closer to the house. That small change made a big difference. With the garden just steps away, I was more likely to notice issues early and take care of them right away. It taught me that convenience matters just as much as sunlight and soil when it comes to garden success.
Prioritize Your Goals
There are so many exciting directions to go in—gardening, livestock, food preservation, natural building—and it’s easy to want to do everything all at once. But spreading yourself too thin can lead to burnout.
Ask yourself what matters most to you right now. Do you want to grow some of your own food? Do you want fresh eggs every morning? Do you want to reduce waste and compost? Choose one or two focus areas to begin with. Once you have those dialed in, you can expand.
Make a list of your top priorities and break them into bite-sized projects. If chickens are on your list, maybe your first goal is simply to build a coop. If gardening is the focus, start by building one raised bed and planting a few easy crops like lettuce or radishes.
Be Budget-Savvy
You don’t need a fortune to get started. Some of the most rewarding homesteading projects can be done with reclaimed materials, DIY skills, and a little creativity. Keep an eye out for sales, community swaps, or online marketplaces.
Make a list of supplies and tools you think you’ll need and organize them into “must-have,” “nice-to-have,” and “someday” categories. That way you can focus on what you really need right now without getting overwhelmed.
Build In Flexibility
Your needs and ideas will change as you learn more and gain experience. Leave room in your plan for that growth. Maybe you’ll discover you love keeping bees and want to add a hive. Maybe a neighbor gives you some berry bushes. A good plan has wiggle room.
Planning your homestead is about building a foundation for your dreams. Start simple, be realistic, and enjoy the process. The most important thing is to begin. Every great homestead started with someone who was willing to just start where they were.