Want to learn earthen plaster?
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When you learn how to create gorgeous clay plasters from the earth around you, you begin an amazing journey into natural building.
Want to learn earthen plaster?
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If you’re planning to move off-grid, or even build yourself a little mud home, what should you look for in a piece of land? It’s important. Your land is the ultimate make-or-break factor in whether you thrive off-grid or not. The trouble is, if you’re coming from an on-grid set up, you probably won’t realise just how important some elements are, or which things are deal-breakers, and which aren't. Below is my list of top six crucial things to look for when choosing a piece of land to live in. 1. Water Water is life. Without it you can’t grow anything, wash your clothes, shower, or clean your dishes. You need it for building, for living, and for growing. And you need a lot more than you realise. You want to have at least one (and preferably two) water sources on your land. Don’t trust any agent or seller who says, “Oh I’m sure you could connect it to this or that source.” People always say this. Water is simply too important to take a chance on. You want to see it with your own eyes actually on the land.I’ve already written an in-depth guide covering this, so take a look if you haven’t already. Where does the rain water flow? It’s not all about finding water though. Sometimes it’s about getting rid of it. When the rains come, you need to be sure you’re not going to be sitting in half a metre of water. So study where the water flows. Sometimes there are gulches or ditches that will give you a clue. Lots of clayey soil around the living area is also a bit dubious. Obviously, if your land is basically a swamp, then it’s going to be tricky, and there’s only one way to be really sure, and that’s to visit it during or just after a big rain. 2. Sunlight It’s a common mistake for those who’ve come from an urban setup. The off-grid life is very outdoors, and the elements impact everything. If your land is north-facing in the Northern Hemisphere or south-facing in the Southern Hemisphere, you risk having very little to no sunlight hitting your land in winter months. The direction your land faces can cause drastic micro-climates, even within a matter of metres. Without sun hitting your land you will struggle to grow vegetables, you risk more severe frosts, and won’t be able to use solar power adequately. Not to mention the impact on your mood. Always south? In Spain my land was actually east-facing, but I was on the top of a mountain, so I still got plenty of sunlight, even in winter. However, the west-facing plots opposite me were sunless and frozen for three months in winter. Why? There was a mountain in just the wrong place that blocked the sun from them. So do note that it’s not always about the angle of the land. 3. Wood Many people forget this one. Unless you are on the equator and cooking using gas (not the most self-sufficient idea, but an understandable way to start off), then you’re going to need wood. The colder your climate, the more you need. It can be pretty staggering how much wood you burn in really cold climates. So, make sure you have some sort of wood source either on your land or next to it. Wood is heavy. You don’t want to be carting it miles up hill if you can help it. I like things like ash, willow and hazel copses or backwoods. If you are using things like hazel, willow, or ash, it’s actually amazingly sustainable, because these trees love to be pruned and regrow very fast. Those woods also burn very hot when properly dried out. Another option is to be positioned close to a wood yard. They always have off-cuts you can use. 4. Soil/Clay/Rocks Almost no one checks this, because no one values the earth beneath their feet. They’re about to start though, seeing as we’ve rendered half of it lifeless. Your land is made up of a treasure trove of elements, and if you take the time to look, you could be sitting on valuable resources. So dig below the surface a little and see what’s there. If it’s just sand, and you have dreams of food gardens, you might want to reconsider. Fertile soil: If your land was used for light pasture, you may be lucky enough to find fertile soil. This is soil that hasn’t been degraded by intensive agriculture, so it’s still full of the microbes needed to grow healthy food. It can be peaty and rich to touch. Clay: Gardeners hate it, mud builders love it. If you want to build a mud home, do yourself a big favour and buy land with clay in it somewhere. Clay isn’t a scarce resource. It’s everywhere. If you see hard, cracked ground on a dry day which turns slippery when wet, that’s almost certainly clay. Rock: Check what kind of rock is on your land. It’s a very valuable resource. My barn and two huts were made entirely from the limestone rock of the land, not to mention all the perimeter walls. There are many kinds of rock, and I'm not a geologist, but here are some common ones to recognise: Limestone: One of my personal favourites, because hey if it’s pure enough you could potentially make quicklime out of it. It’s also a good hard rock for building. Granite: Granite has been used for a very long time in construction. This tough ancient rock can be polished and turned into worktops, window sills, and much more. Slate: This flat black rock is very useful. If you’re in a slate area, you can use slate for roofing tiles (see Galicia in Spain). It’s also wonderful to repurpose it for plates, shelves, flagstones, and more. Sandstone: Softer than limestone or granite, sandstone is easy to work, so you can carve it into shapes. In times of old it was carved into oil lamps, statues, bowls, and more. It’s also used today for flagstones and building blocks. Other good things about rocks: If your land is rocky, you’re less likely to have flooding issues. Peat can potentially create bogs, and clay holds water, so it can create sludgy, water-logged areas. 5. Access Last but not least. Most people know they want to drive to their land, and access is one of the first things they check. It isn’t impossible to create a house without a road, but you’re opting for a fairly hardcore adventure if you choose do that. I personally don’t think you need the road running up to your house, and am happy to ferry materials 100 metres or so. But you have to know yourself on that matter. 6. Good energy. "I guess land with good energy sells fast." This is what an Qi Gong practicing estate agent said to me after I sold my barn in two weeks. He's right. I personally wouldn't give a damn if a piece of land had all the physical attributes above if the place didn't give me that special feeling. Land isn't dead and static. It's alive and connecting, and it definitely calls in (or repels) people. If you want to know more about this aspect, you might like my Earth Whispering course. Extras The next things are not necessarily dealbreakers, but things you may not have considered: Sloping or flat? If your land is sloping (and you put a home at the top of said land with drainage channels) you’re unlikely to suffer flooding, because the rain water runs down and away. The disadvantage of sloping land depending on the gradient is you may need to terrace the land for growing. Flat land has more potential to become bog-like, but is easier on the feet. Trees: Most people who come to this website are the kind of people who like trees, and are probably going to care which ones are on their land, so I'm probably preaching to the choir here. Trees are for me some of the most important beneficient beings to grace a given spot of land. They offer fruit, nuts, wood, shelter, shade, homes for birds and other animals, beauty, and if you can hear them, an awful lot of wisdom. Of course, some beautiful generous souls are going to reforest the land. It takes time, but it's a great thing to do. Wind: Wind is an invisible but powerful force. If you live high in the hills or in an exposed position, the wind may or may not drive you nuts. Wind can rip off roof tiles, break tree branches, and prevent you from lighting a fire, so it’s worth considering. The plus side is, you could use it for wind power. Altitude and snow: Is your potential land buried under a lot of snow in the winter months? Snow is beautiful, but just know what you’re letting yourself in for, because it’s hard work navigating the off-grid life in the snow for months at a time. Considering going off-grid? If you’re considering moving off-grid, then take my free off-grid prep course and ask yourself a few important questions before taking the plunge. If you’re serious about going off-grid, then I’d advise enrolling in my off-grid roadmap, which guides you through the first stages of setting up your off-grid world and may well save your sanity, marriage, and health in the long run. Two Options: You can choose between the Full Off-Grid Roadmap with 15-Part Video Series which takes you step-by-step round my off-grid world in Spain. It comes with an in-depth 117-page PDF. That option costs $80 USD plus tax. Or, if you have a limited budget, you can just buy the 117-page PDF without the videos, which is currently $45 plus tax.
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