So, you’ve officially drank the off-grid Kool-Aid and have decided to purchase/lease a plot of land to start a homestead. Not any kind of homestead, though – a homestead with raw land. Raw?! How the heck can land be raw, you may wonder.
Raw land means that the property is completely undeveloped, as well as completely devoid of utilities (such as sewer, water, electricity, etc.). Think untouched and pristine!
Many people prefer to buy raw land so that they can build their house exactly how they want it to be built. Or perhaps they want to build other homestead structures first before they build the house. Whatever their reason is, and especially whatever your reason is, it’s vital to have a well-researched plan about where you will be living while you build your structures on the land. Moving on to a homestead without an actual house to live in can be difficult, but it is not impossible!
Our family is currently in the midst of planning our house build on our 1/2 acre homestead in the rural mountains of Baja California, Mexico. I would love to share with you how our family has set up living quarters on the land while we build our dream home. In addition, I will share alternative options for housing so that you can find the right fit for your future homestead.

Before we get started, I want to make sure you’re prepared financially for all of what homestead has to offer in terms of draining your pockets! Head over to my blog post Homesteading on a Budget, this resource will help you understand how to budget your money so that you can live a comfortable life of ease on your homestead.
Alrighty then! Now that we have the money topic squared away, let’s talk housing options on or off the homestead. I am going to start with living in an RV because that’s how our family of 6 is living while we plan and complete our home build. Let’s dive in!
Option 1: Live in an RV on your property
There are several types of RVs on the market to purchase for your living quarters while building a house on your off-grid property including:
- motorhome (an RV that is a vehicle)
- trailer (an RV that gets pulled by a vehicle)
- van conversion (while technically not an RV, vans are a popular way for individuals or smaller families to live) or a
- school bus conversion
All of these vehicles usually come with kitchens, bathrooms, and living/sleeping spaces. For cooking, most RV’s use a propane tank so you will need to be prepared with the tank, a place to buy the propane, and the know-how of hooking up the propane tank to your RV.
Additionally, propane is typically used for heating the vehicle, heating the water in the shower, and running the fridge. In our Class C motorhome, the fridge can be run on propane and electricity.
There are two main ways to obtain electricity on an off-grid homestead – with a gasoline powered generator and with a solar powered panel set-up. Here at our ranch, Finca Tierra Libre, we use a solar electricity set-up from the brand Eco-Worthy. We have 6 panels, 2 batteries, and an inverter to power our little RV and it works great!

Option 2: Live in a Canvas Tent
Now, you may be internally freaking out with the thought of living in a tent/yurt full time, but let’s keep a positive outlook here, folks.
Our family was generously gifted an amazing canvas bell tent from the company Life in Tents last year. I was pregnant with my 4th child, and we realized we needed more living space (6 humans in a 30-foot motorhome is no joke!). The tent gave us a whole extra room for storage, as well as for sleeping.

The benefits of living in a tent (as a temporary living situation) are expansive. This housing option is:
- relatively low-cost (the tents from Life in Tents range $1,290 to $1,915)
- a fast and easy to set-up
- accommodating in cold weather (the tent comes with a hole in the roof for a wood stove access)
- protective against rain and snow (within reason of course)
- a relatively large size (it can sleep 1-4 people depending on comfort levels)
Let’s keep it real, though! The negatives of living in a tent are:
- it gets stifling hot in the summer without a fresh air source
- it may not feel as safe as a house or RV because it’s walls are flimsy
- it doesn’t do well in extremely windy weather
- it has low hanging walls around the perimeter, so it may feel claustrophobic at times.
The company selling these tents do state that the tents are not intended to be lived in full time, so that is something to take into consideration. When planning your home build, make sure you are realistic about how long the home build will take.
All in all, a sturdy canvas tent or a yurt is a great option for temporary living quarters while you build your dream off grid homestead. For a longer home build (more than 6 months), I would advise you to consider living in an RV or checking out this next living option.
Option 3: Rent a Living Space Close to Your Off Grid Property
This option is a great choice for any homesteader who has extra monthly income to spend on rent. Remember, if you’re leasing the land or paying a monthly mortgage, that means you will be paying rent on top of that. Throw in the cost of building materials, food, and all the other living costs and you will be paying a pretty penny!
If you choose to homestead close to family or friends, you can ask to live with them rent free while you build your off-grid property. While this is not the most viable option for everyone, it could be a great way to save money while building the off-grid homestead of your dreams.
There you have it – three solid living options to help you choose where to live during your off-grid home build. Whatever route you take, remember to do your budgeting so that you can stay stress free on the financial side of things!
Happy off-grid building!