Thank you! I have since decided to hold onto it and see what I can make of it!
No structures or utilities. There is a single pond and a nice creek that runs through the property. Would say half field and half wooded. In the Appalachian mountains so fairly hilly. It does freeze; normal Nov - March winters and hot summers that northern Appalachia experiences!
Wow, that sounds ideal!
I guess it really comes down to your interests and lifestyle goals- like do you want a homestead that you live on or just a cabin to get away to occasionally and rent out as a short term rental?
Sorry for more questions but I figured I'd spare you homestead ideals if you were thinking of the latter?
You are spot on with what my wife and I are sorting out now. We’ve spent a lot of time, energy, and capital to make our current place great. We live in a national park and are already pretty wooded but only have ~4 acres.
The inherited land has no visable neighbors, is off the beaten path, and is ideal for homesteading. A cabin is happening at the very least. But building and moving is on the table as well!
Nice! If it were mine I would:
1. First spend a good amount of time on the land and ask what the highest use is and what can you do to be of service to the land (yes I know that sounds crazy- but i recommend it)
2. Once you have a decent picture of that in your head, focus on access- improving roads, laneways and trails with proper grading (crowning them and putting in proper culverts for drainage, etc)c
3. Think about either bringing in utilities or DIYing it with a well/rainwater catchment, solar or hydropower, septic or composting systems
4. I'd plant trees around the perimeter of the property, maybe leaving openings for wildlife for viewing and/or hunting. You can create "living fences" with species like osage orange or other less thorny trees and shrubs (you can buy in bulk as seedlings from a state nursery like Missouri)
But since you aren't worried about blocking sight lines to neighbors- regular fencing may be worth it if you want to have animals (its pricey though)
5. I would lay out the contours of the property and see if any earthworks are needed to hold more water and improve the banks of the stream (normally with rock armoring if erosion is a problem) and see if the pond needs any enhancing (sedimentation and being too small are the main issues typically). Making it beautiful is also important whether its a rental or for you
6. Figure out your building site and then work out from there using permaculture zones as a guide..
Gardens as close to the house as possible, then animals a bit further, etc
7. Take it all one major project at a time. Make some sort of progress each week and it'll all add up.
I'm probably forgetting a bunch of obvious stuff but hopefully something in here is helpful or food for thought
Holler if you need any clarification or anything..
I've done garden, edible landscaping and permaculture consultations for the last 12 years and am getting into larger acreages and larger water body projects, so the more data points the better
Thank you so much for the thoughtful response. Let me digest all of it for a bit and I will be in touch!
