Aspiring Homesteader Seeking Advice re: Buying Land in NS or NB

Hi!

Several years ago I was sitting in an office behind a computer and reached one of those personal moments that so many of us homesteader/permaculture/back-to-the-land types have: the moment of, "I hate this, I need to change my life and live in a cabin in the woods."

I did change my life, deeply. I quit my job, spent a year travelling and doing WWOOFing-like things on natural building projects, dove deeply into eco construction online, I bought books, and even changed my line of work to working in construction so that I could build things full-time, even if I was in the world of 'normal' construction.

But I've done all this without ever buying land or really making any concrete steps towards living that dream. The biggest reason is just that I got deeply spooked by the number of people I'd met who bought land, went into debt, and then failed to set up a viable life, usually because they knew little about building and/or hadn't worked out a way to make a living. The number of half-completed projects I'd seen that were so similar to my own caused me to pull back and resume a regular life, though I now work in construction full-time and not in an office.

I'm posting here because I'm getting impatient again and I'm wanting to move forward somehow with this thing. I've got savings, but I've never bought land in my life and it's daunting. I've researched a lot of eco-building techniques, but most of the things I want to do are fairly unconventional by the standards of building inspectors, and things like building permits and inspections give me the willies. I really like the idea of earth-sheltering, but that automatically means that the usual code-dodging trick of making a 'temporary building' on wheels won't work.

I'm feeling discouraged and overwhelmed at all the problems attached to this thing, so I'm reaching out hoping for positive examples of success, specifically in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. (I'm from Nova Scotia and have no ties at all to New Brunswick, but land is often cheaper there and I've heard the inspectors are more favorable to us permie-types). Anyone out there living the off-grid dream? How did you get set up? How problematic/expensive is it to deal with the government? Anyone making a viable living doing this, ie, not constantly going into debt?

Above all - how did you get land to do it all on, without running into any traps?



Thanks for any and all replies. I'm really hoping to make this kind of lifestyle my future.

I'm a long way from the Maritimes (lovely place and people though), but I seem to recall that the climate of NB is substantially different from NS due to the ocean currents.

Anyway, thought I would bump the thread. Hope you find what you're looking for!

Hi Douglas,

It is different, and I'm aware of that and I'm fine with it. When I was growing up in NS, winters were colder and snowfall was heavier, it's not a climate I'd find unbearable. Plus, my original plan for doing this was to do it in Cape Breton, the northernmost part of NS anyway. Before it became known internationally as a great place to have a summer home, and the price of land took off.

Thanks for the bump. I gotta admit it's a little discouraging to ask 'hey, is anyone winning out there?' and to hear nothing but crickets.

i am fairing well in eastern cape breton - i can give you some tips not to get burned if you are still looking.

check out viewpoint - great site - overlay of every single PID on top of google maps, for sale properties indicated :

https://www.viewpoint.ca/map

cheers!

Look at the online soil maps; soil quality varies wildly over small distances.

We have family land in Cape Breton that we’ve been considering improving. 158 acres of spruce, 2 cleared acres currently containing a formerly 2 story house that has mostly crumbled to the ground (a common sight in Cape Breton) and a couple of trailers. It also has an ungraveled steep road that’s impassable after heavy rain (also common) and a brook that needs a 20’ span bridge to get to the clearing.

Now all of that sounds just about manageable under the right circumstances but we live a 42 hour drive away in Houston, and my hometown of London is only halfway.

And the real pinch point? The fact that my grandmother’s will was never executed in Canada, the land has been in her estate for 33 years, and it is therefore jointly owned between my mom and 3 siblings. We have been going in circles over whether to do some thing with it or buy our own chunk.
As you said, prices have gone up significantly just in the last 2 years, and I expect they will go higher if high speed internet ever gets there.

I think there are still deals to be found as long as you stay away from the Cabot Trail. They seem to mostly be the eastern part of the island. I don’t know how good the soil there is for growing. Our spot is pretty rocky. We plan to raise sheep if we ever get there.

Best of luck to you
Ali

Hey there,

I'm in NB, and I'm looking for people. I've changed my life radically a few times, and it is always positive, with ups and downs, but positive. I'm clearing the land right now, but before I continue, let me explain something.

I was looking for a piece of land to do some research and build in there, and then a friend told me that he had all this land and wanted to do something with it (I don't know why he never mentioned it before); that's when the idea of building a community came to mind. The best part is that he registered an NGO to perform multiple projects or research (keyword) on the land, so I don't have to worry much about codes and stuff. However, I'm continuing to look for good land nearby, and there is no rush; I can stay here as long as needed.

So, I'm looking for anyone ready to act. Construction skills are super welcome and needed. I'm renting a little house (there are more around), 20 min walk from the land, and working remotely doing e-learning development: high-speed internet, but no cellphone reception. 35 min drive from Oromocto.

Do you want to form a community?
Do you want to practice permaculture and electroculture?
Do you want to build?

We can do whatever we want with any level of commitment we choose, and if it works, we make it better.

Here is the plan: https://www.vitalpyramid.store/africadia

Let's talk.