Interested in developing a 1 acre farm? Check out our 1 acre homestead layout and some FAQ’s that people ask about our little homestead in Idaho
Do you ever wish there was a “House Hunters” style show for homesteads? I would tune into that every week.
Maybe I’m just nosey, but it’s always incredibly inspirational and educational to see how people have designed their homesteads.
I’ve always been a bit of a design junkie. I absolutely love learning about graphic design, landscape design and interior design. So when we bought our homestead, I was very picky about it having a good basic layout.
We’ve changed a lot of things over the years, but I knew that the layout of this property would allow us to create a functional, and efficiently laid out, homestead.
So, let’s pretend this is an episode of “Homestead Hunters” and you can come snoop on our homestead and learn how we get the most out of our 1 acre homestead!
![Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (1) Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (1)](https://i0.wp.com/rootedrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Copy-of-title-images.png)
Our Homestead Stats:
- Location: Nampa, Idaho
- USDA Growing Zone: 6B
- Size: 0.81 acres (It’s not even a full acre!)
- Date purchased: We bought our homestead August 2016. It needed some renovations to make it livable, so we didn’t move in until October 2016
Update! We sold our Idaho homestead in 2020.
Check out the final before and after homestead pictures to see the progress that happened in our 3.5 years of developing the property!
Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout
Our property was a fixer-upper, but it had “good bones,” as they say!
The layout of our property is one of the things that made me instantly fall in love with it. It had the potential to be a fantastic homestead property, with a lot of love and hard work. And, oh how we worked over those 3.5 years!
I made this super-sweet graphic by taking a screenshot of our property on Google Earth. Since the photo was at least two years old, I plugged it into Microsoft PowerPoint and used the picture as an outline. That way, the dimensions are all pretty accurate.
There’s nothing that I hate more than those totally mis-proportioned “1 acre homestead layout” pictures that you see online! If you are trying to plan out your own 1 acre farm, I highly suggest doing it this way since it’s an easy way to get fairly accurate dimensions.
Feel free to click on the layout image to see it enlarged.
You can also get a better look at our pasture layout in this Behind the Scenes post.
1 Acre Farm Layout FAQs
Do you own or rent your homestead?
We own our homestead. We wanted to buy so that we could really settle down, make it our own, and build equity in the property.
Also, Lindy is a realtor, so buying a home is something that is familiar and “easier” for us than it is for most people.
![Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (4) Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (4)](https://i0.wp.com/rootedrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/5-1.png)
Did you buy your homestead debt-free?
I would love to say yes, but that’s just not the case for us. We used a conventional housing loan to buy our home.
Since the property and home were not in good condition and since it’s a very basic home (no HVAC system, no garage, etc.), the purchase price was very low (like, unheard of low!) for our area at $124,900.
We got a good interest rate and put as much down as we could which helped reduce our mortgage payment.
![Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (5) Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (5)](https://i0.wp.com/rootedrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/6-1.png)
How do you fund your homestead?
We work very hard! We both work formal jobs in Boise, which is a 45+minute commute from our home. We live very practically and are very thrifty.
About a year ago, I went down to part time hours so that I can be home more to work on the homestead and the blog. We also find as many free or cheap supplies as we can which allows us to continue building our homestead even when funds are tight.
All renovations that have been done on the home and homestead have been paid out of pocket, so we haven’t acquired any new debt from the property.
Why did you choose a small property?
Once upon a time, we thought we wanted a million acres in the boonies. Land is very expensive in our area right now, so that definitely limited us because we didn’t want to incur a lot of debt from buying a property.
We also realized that what we actually wanted was a small, cozy and well-kept property that we could make our own while still being able to enjoy all aspects of life. Our 1 acre farm layout was perfect for this.
We have some physical limitations, especially with Lindy’s multiple sclerosis, so a 1 acre homestead is much more ideal for us. I also believe that learning how to sustain ourselves on a smaller property is a very vital skill as the future of commercial farming is so shaky.
Imagine the change that could happen if more people felt empowered to start growing a portion of their food, regardless of how much land they live on. You don’t have to go big to have an amazing homestead garden layout!
![Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (6) Our 1 Acre Homestead Layout + FAQ's - Rooted Revival (6)](https://i0.wp.com/rootedrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/3.png)
Why did you buy an established property instead of bare land?
We almost bought bare land before we bought this property. And every day, I thank my lucky stars that we didn’t!
Since our property was in pretty rough shape, the amount of time and work that we’ve put into this property has been huge. We work on it pretty much non-stop.
But when I think about how much more work it would have been to develop a homestead on bare land, I am soooo grateful we chose a property that already had so many existing features and amenities.
Read more about our experience buying a fixer-upper.
Is an acre really enough space to grow your own food?
Absolutely. But when you are considering how to start a 1 acre farm, layout is super important! You have to make every nook and cranny of space functional.
Even with less than an acre, we still have so many plans to expand our food production space, including more fruit trees, a berry hedgerow, and an aquaponics space where we can grow prawns and tilapia!
We can also convert the pasture to growing space instead of having dairy goats. But, if you are still skeptical, check out exactly what we grow on our homestead and what we still have to buy from the grocery store.
Have you done all the work on your own or do you hire out?
We have done almost all of the projects on our 1 acre homestead ourselves. We did hire out for the following projects: rewiring some of the rooms, wiring for kitchen disposal installation, quartz countertop installation and replacing all the plumbing pipes.
Everything else, we’ve done just the two of us. Some projects are pretty easy but others have been a challenge… yeah, looking at you, hay barn! I swear we almost died at least 5 times while building that beast! ?
Is your homestead out in the country?
Kinda yes and kinda no. If you’ve seen pictures of my garden, you’ve no doubt seen that there’s a bunch of houses right behind the fence.
We are backed by a neighborhood (isn’t that what people call them now instead of subdivisions? ?) so there are 3 houses that we share a property line with along our back fence. Even with those houses, I’ve always felt a great sense of privacy here.
We live down a little unmarked dirt road that we share with 3 other houses which all have anywhere from half an acre to 5 acres. Our neighbors are amazing and also live a homesteading lifestyle.
And even though we are all quickly getting surrounded by subdivisions (err… “neighborhoods”), I still feel like we have our own space. The houses surrounding us are in the City limits but our little dirt road is grandfathered as county land for the time being – thank goodness!
We actually really love our location because it feels like we are in the country as soon as we turn down our little road, but we are still super close to amenities, walking paths, etc.
What else would you like to know about our 1 acre homestead? Let me know in the comments!
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Kaylee Vaughn Kaylee is the Founder of Rootedrevival.com. She has set up and run two homesteads, a one-acre in Idaho, and her current two-acre dream homestead in the Pacific North West. Her qualifications include a Permaculture Design Certification from Oregon State University, and she is a Gardenary Certified Garden Coach. Kaylee currently produces at least 80% of her own food. She contributes to our site through articles, training and coaching to our clients. You can read more about her at rootedrevival.com/kaylee-vaughn View all posts
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or the ability to browse the internet in real-time. However, I can provide you with information based on my pre-existing knowledge and the search results available to me.
The article you mentioned discusses a 1-acre homestead layout and provides some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the author's own homestead in Idaho. While I have access to the specific content of the article, I can provide general information related to the concepts mentioned in the article.
1. Homesteading:
Homesteading refers to a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, often characterized by living off the land and engaging in activities such as gardening, raising livestock, and preserving food. Homesteaders typically aim to reduce their reliance on external resources and create a sustainable and resilient living environment.
2. Homestead Layout:
A homestead layout refers to the design and organization of a homestead property. It involves planning the placement of various elements such as gardens, livestock areas, buildings, and infrastructure to maximize efficiency and productivity. The layout may vary depending on the size of the property, the goals of the homesteader, and local conditions.
3. Acreage:
An acre is a unit of area commonly used in land measurement. It is equivalent to 43,560 square feet or approximately 4,047 square meters. In the context of the article, the author's homestead is described as being on a 0.81-acre property, which is slightly less than a full acre.
4. Property Purchase and Renovations:
The article mentions that the author purchased their homestead property in August 2016 and moved in after some renovations in October 2016. The author also mentions that the property was a fixer-upper, requiring significant work to improve its condition.
5. Funding and Work:
The article briefly touches on how the author funds their homestead and mentions that they work formal jobs in Boise, which is a 45+ minute commute from their home. They also mention living practically and being thrifty to make the most of their resources. Additionally, the author mentions going down to part-time hours to have more time for the homestead and blog.
6. Small Property and Sustainability:
The author explains that they chose a small property (1 acre) because they wanted a cozy and well-kept property that they could make their own. They also mention that a smaller property is more ideal for them due to physical limitations and the belief that learning how to sustain themselves on a smaller property is a vital skill. The author emphasizes that one doesn't need a large property to have a successful homestead garden.
7. Developing a Homestead:
The article mentions that the author and their partner have put a lot of time and work into developing their homestead. They mention doing most of the projects themselves but hiring out for specific tasks such as rewiring, plumbing, and countertop installation.
8. Location:
The author's homestead is located in Nampa, Idaho. They mention being backed by a neighborhood and having a sense of privacy despite being surrounded by subdivisions. The location provides a country-like feel while still being close to amenities.
Please note that the information provided above is a general overview based on the concepts mentioned in this article. For specific details and insights from the article itself, it would be best to refer to the original source.