2014 Can't Come Soon Enough!

[sshenry]

2014 Marks a very exciting time for my husband and I - We've already decided that we will be moving to the Western coast of Puerto Rico (below Myaguez) in 2014 after our youngest daughter graduates from high school, and I've finally convinced him that it would be an ideal time to also go off the grid. Something we've been talking about for the last five years.

We've chosen Puerto Rico for two reasons. First, because we lived there for three years in the late 90's and so are familiar with the culture and language and secondly, because land and housing prices are such that if we sell our current house at even a reduced rate we can not only pay off the remainder of our mortgage but have enough to pay for a house there outright.

From what I can see, the location is ideal from many perspectives; year-round sub-tropical temperatures, lots of sun - and lots of rain.

We plan to wire whatever house we build for solar power and install gravity cisterns for rainwater collection in addition to any well or water supply that the house or property already has.

It is also an ideal climate for gardening, with much longer growing seasons that allow for a wider variety of produce.

While both my husband and I have done a good bit of research into sustainable and off-grid living, I am open to suggestions and pointers from those of you who have more experience in this area than we do.

Thank you in advance!

[ZuLiZ]

Hi sshenry, this seems to be such a common desire at this time. We are also hoping to sell our home and move and build a more sustainable off the grid house. We live in Indonesia and the power here is very unreliable and expensive. Power surges are common occurences which interfere constantly with the electrics ....... oh my gosh it might sound weird but as I was typing this the power went out and then came back on again! A regular occurence and extremely annoying! Anyway it got us to thinking about what it would take to get off the grid, not just for the saving of money but as an environmental concern and a future survival concern. I have been researching a lot on the internet and trying to gain as much information as possible. There is a lot of really good information out there but some of it I find confusing. Hopefully someone will hook into this thread with loads of knowledge they wish to impart. As for the gardening we are also wanting to have fruit and vegetable gardens, chickens for eggs and fresh fish ponds. The house we are in atm was not designed with all these things in mind, so we're moving on to a new adventure too. Good luck with yours!

[9eagle9]

Sounds perfect. I love PR but have only been there once but I think you're going into it for the right attitude. More of a lifestyle choice rather than running into sustainability in a panic becomes the ptb are going take the grid away. If I were you I think first off you need to install your own personal holistic healer (plug plug hint hint) .Before all other considerations. I know one that is free all of 2014 ..ha ha .

There are some really really good ideas in the living off the grid forums, large to small (don't forget the creature comforts) and I've picked up ideas just from people's casual posts from growing potatoes to about everything.

[JDM]

That sounds like a great idea,

If there is a flowing stream nearby you make a small water wheel to turn a motor and generate some power.

I think you can even go even make a small steam engine using boiling water from a small fire.

[PHARAOH]

2014 Marks a very exciting time for my husband and I - We've already decided that we will be moving to the Western coast of Puerto Rico (below Myaguez) in 2014 after our youngest daughter graduates from high school, and I've finally convinced him that it would be an ideal time to also go off the grid. Something we've been talking about for the last five years.

We've chosen Puerto Rico for two reasons. First, because we lived there for three years in the late 90's and so are familiar with the culture and language and secondly, because land and housing prices are such that if we sell our current house at even a reduced rate we can not only pay off the remainder of our mortgage but have enough to pay for a house there outright.

From what I can see, the location is ideal from many perspectives; year-round sub-tropical temperatures, lots of sun - and lots of rain.

We plan to wire whatever house we build for solar power and install gravity cisterns for rainwater collection in addition to any well or water supply that the house or property already has.

It is also an ideal climate for gardening, with much longer growing seasons that allow for a wider variety of produce.

While both my husband and I have done a good bit of research into sustainable and off-grid living, I am open to suggestions and pointers from those of you who have more experience in this area than we do.

Thank you in advance!

The pearl of the carribean!..... Ahhhhh....... was there just 2 yrs ago looking to do the same on the westside since it is more quite and serene. Goodluck maybe one day we'll be nieghbors.

[sshenry]

Sounds perfect. I love PR but have only been there once but I think you're going into it for the right attitude. More of a lifestyle choice rather than running into sustainability in a panic becomes the ptb are going take the grid away. If I were you I think first off you need to install your own personal holistic healer (plug plug hint hint) .Before all other considerations. I know one that is free all of 2014 ..ha ha .

There are some really really good ideas in the living off the grid forums, large to small (don't forget the creature comforts) and I've picked up ideas just from people's casual posts from growing potatoes to about everything.

LOL - 9eagle9, I've already had offers from others to come with me- if I were to take everyone up I would have a cook/gardener, a housekeeper, an IT specialist, an engineer, a mechanic and with you I'd have a holistic healer - my husband's in education, and I'm a writer. Add a carpenter and someone who knows there way around a septic system and we'd be entirely self-sufficient:D

It IS a lifestyle choice. Another reason we chose PR, and that particular part of PR, is the laidback lifestyle/attitude. Very non-rushed. Get too close to San Juan and you get more of the city pace. The Western side of the Island is very laid back.

Creature comforts....indeed! One of the difficuclt things to sell my husband on is the concept of either a septic system or a self-composting toilet. He's having a hard time coming to grips with either - having known people with septic systems who have told horror stories and not wanting to take the chance of the smell with a self-composting feature. He doesn't want to have to thinnk about where it's going - or that it's still there, lol.

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The pearl of the carribean!..... Ahhhhh....... was there just 2 yrs ago looking to do the same on the westside since it is more quite and serene. Goodluck maybe one day we'll be nieghbors.

It really IS a pearl :) The whole Island is only 100 miles long and 35 miles wide (though it can take hours to get from one end to the other thanks to road conditions). But still - if we DO feel like a trip to the city, it's only a few hours away - no matter which way we decide to go :)