Well here we are - another week on our off grid homestead land in Portugal! The weeks are flying by and we have been super busy building our new life off grid in nature. Our homesteading journey really has started, as we continue to landscape and garden, prune, burn, clear and get more settled.

Last week we had construction works taking place, so that we were able to move onto our off grid land, working hard to get everything ready (minus the dramas) - but we are now living full time off grid in Portugal. As you'll know, this is a whole new way of living for us, having moved from city life in the UK, to start our off grid living journey in rural Europe. As each day passes, we realise our dream of creating an off grid life which is sustainable, we can see the potential in the land which will allow us to grow our own food, be financially independent and to live sustainably.

This week we finally get our multitool back so we carry on with landscaping, clearing and gardening - which allows us to access two entirely new lower terraces. We knew they were part of our off grid land, but weren't entirely sure until we got down there! So this week we open it, up, clear the land, and discover this fantastic addition. This is where we will be putting our sun lounging deck, along with our off grid plunge pool/ swimming pool (all in good time!). The Portuguese weather has not disappointed this week; with it hitting the mid 20 degrees, so we've been super hot for March!

As we are always 'in for a penny, in for a pound', we start building the outline of the steps/ walkways between the Terraces, and what starts off as a quick job, turns out to be a major project! Do we get the first stage finished....watch until the end to see if we do!

We have a lot of projects all happening at the same time at the moment - from finishing the caravan/ car park terrace, completing the rendering/ cementing on the shed, and starting to build our outdoor, off grid seating areas, kitchens and bathrooms! Let alone our off grid geodesic dome - which we will be living in! Don't even talk about our off grid solar and off grid water system!

We aim to be living off grid fully in the next few months;, with an off grid well water system, back up systems from the Roman spring; plus water storage tanks. Our off grid solar system installation will follow soon and much much more.

We have 6 terraces in total. so we have been focusing on getting as much land clearing done as we can. We have some hand tools and a petrol Stanley multitool to enable us to do the work. It's hard graft, but we are bulls to a red rag so crack right on! Our living off grid homesteading dream is now feeling extremely real, and we are attacking the task at hand at full speed. Trying to stay focused is going to be challenge but we hope that with your support and encouragement, we'll be able to do it.

Be sure to watch until the end to find out about our exciting news for some big landscaping works we have coming up, which will completely up-end our current living situation, but also enhance our off grid homestead living.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for some before and after footage. There's a few hick-ups along the way, but as always we come up with solutions and there's always a million other things to be working on; so we won’t be deterred.

Over the coming weeks we will be finalising our three off grid water systems - the natural well as the main source, a second back up from an ancient Roman spring, and a third redundancy system from water storage tanks. We have a LOT of trenches to dig and a huge amount of pipe work to install to create our off grid water system - all starting in the coming weeks. Our off grid solar system will follow next - any help and advise please let us know! Oh yeah, and of course we need to build an off grid house. Not much to be getting on with really!

***

We are Scott and Driss, a gay couple from the UK and France, and a few months ago we left our conventional life in the UK and hit the open road, to start an new off grid homestead life in Portugal. After our initial travels, we made our way to central Portugal and began our search for our off grid land where we can build a homestead from the ground up.

Join us every Sunday and follow our journey and become fellow, Citizens of Our World.

***
For all the latest daily news and updates, why not follow us on Instagram @citizensofourworld

It's going to be exciting. It's going to be scary. It's going to be fun!
Over the coming weeks and months we will be clearing our land to make way for our off grid water systems, off grid solar power system, building an eco geodesic dome and starting a glamping business from scratch. So make sure you Subscribe and never miss out on our future videos.

свернуть