Homesteading: first steps towards self-sufficiency, in a house or a flat
What self-sufficient living really involves: power, water, food, preserving, heat, tools and sanitation. Realistic steps for a house with a garden and for an apartment, in the order worth taking them.
Part of:Homestead
In short
- Self-sufficiency is not all or nothing: every step makes you a little less dependent on the shop and the grid.
- The order that pays off: water, food and preserving, power, heat, then animals and tools.
- In a flat you can start with a balcony garden, a rotating pantry, a power station with a solar panel and stored water.
- Skills (preserving, repairing, growing) matter as much as equipment.
A homestead is a household that produces part of what it consumes. You do not need a farm to move in that direction. Every step, from a pot of tomatoes to a solar panel, makes you a little less dependent on the shop and the grid, and in a long crisis the difference shows.
1. Water
- The basic reserve: bottled water or jerrycans for at least 2 weeks, see how much water to store.
- Rainwater: a barrel on the downpipe covers watering and washing, see collecting rainwater.
- Treatment: a good filter and disinfection methods, so you can use any source, see making water safe.
- In a house: a well or borehole, tested regularly by a lab, is the biggest single investment in independence.
2. Food
- Grow what you eat often: greens, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beans. In a flat: a balcony garden.
- Plant fruit trees and bushes if you have a garden: an apple, a plum or a few currant bushes produce for years.
- Small animals (hens for eggs, rabbits) are the next step in a house, if local rules allow.
- Wild edibles (nettles, wild garlic, rosehips) are a bonus, but only pick what you can identify with certainty.
3. Preserving
A harvest spoils quickly if you do not know how to keep it.
- Jars, done properly to avoid botulism: home canning.
- Drying and dehydrating fruit, vegetables and herbs: dehydrated food.
- A cellar keeps potatoes, apples, carrots and cabbage for months without power.
- A rotating pantry: eat the oldest first and top up, see the emergency pantry.
4. Power
- In a flat: a portable power station and a folding solar panel, see portable solar panels.
- In a house: rooftop solar with a battery, so you have power during an outage, see alternative energy.
- Light: LED flashlights and lamps with rechargeable batteries.
5. Heat
- A wood stove or closed fireplace, with the chimney checked every year, gives you heat and a place to cook without power.
- Store firewood dry, a year ahead.
- Insulation is the cheapest “source” of heat.
Without a stove: heating your home without power.
6. Tools and skills
- A basic toolkit and some hand tools that work without power: saw, axe, spade, rake. See essential tools.
- Learn one skill per season: preserving, sewing on a button, fixing a tap, sharpening a knife, first aid.
7. Sanitation
- Soap, detergent and hygiene products for a few months.
- A plan for the toilet when the water stops: hygiene without running water.
- Washing clothes by hand: a large tub, a washboard and a clothesline.
Where to start
| You live in | First 3 things |
|---|---|
| A flat | Balcony garden, a 2-week rotating pantry, a power station with a solar panel |
| A house in town | Rain barrel, vegetable garden, wood stove or solar with a battery |
| A house in the country | Tested well, garden and cellar, hens and a winter’s firewood |
What is worth having wherever you live: the home emergency kit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to become self-sufficient?
You can start for almost nothing: seeds, jars, an organised pantry. The big steps, such as rooftop solar, a well or a wood stove, cost thousands and are best done gradually, often with help from local energy-efficiency grants.
Can I keep chickens in town?
It depends on local rules and your neighbours. Many places allow a few hens in a garden, with conditions on distance and hygiene. Check with your local council or city before you start.
Do I have to move to the countryside?
No. Full self-sufficiency is hard anywhere. The realistic goal is to be able to go a few weeks without the shop and the grid, and that is possible in a flat.
Sources and further reading
Preper is for general education and does not replace instructions from your local authorities or advice from a doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.