Living a self-sustained life has become more and more popular in recent years. Many people want to live a self-sufficient lifestyle, but do not know how to find a house that will accommodate their needs properly. Use the guide below to learn how to find a house to purchase if you want to reduce your carbon footprint as much as you possibly can.
Consider the Livestock Regulations for an Area
Living self-sufficiently often means that you are able to grow and raise your own food for sustenance. There are many city and county ordinances regarding having livestock at a residential dwelling. There are some areas that strictly prohibit livestock of any kind, while others limit the types or amounts of livestock that are allowed within the confines of the city or county. The real estate agent will be able to easily find out what the regulations are for the areas you are considering.
Consider the HOA Regulations for a Neighborhood
Once your agent has narrowed down the areas that do allow livestock, he or she will have to dig into HOA regulations for any home that you may consider purchasing to find out what the regulations are regarding homesteading. You will need fenced in areas for your livestock, rain barrels to store water, and you may even want solar panels to cut down on your energy consumption to lower your carbon footprint. There are some HOAs that restrict all of these items because they feel that they would be an eyesore to the neighborhood and could lower property values. The real estate agent will take the time to find out what is and what is not available in the particular neighborhoods you are considering.
Consider the Landscape Around the Home
Finally, before choosing one home or another, you need to consider the landscape around the home. You do not want to purchase a home that has a lot of very large trees around it because you would need to have many of the trees cut down to ensure that you have ample sunlight shining down onto your roof-mounted solar panels. Cutting down huge trees can be quite a hassle and will not be helpful to the environment.
When you hire a real estate agent to help you with the search for your home, he or she needs to know what your plan is so that they can narrow down the selection of homes to those that will actually fit your needs. They will know what options need to be taken into consideration to ensure you can purchase a home that suits your needs now and in the future.
