3 Things to Know Before Buying Land for a Homestead

3 Things to Know Before Buying Land for a Homestead

Author: Wendi Bergin March 10, 2026 Duration: 19:15
Dreaming about a homestead someday? Chickens, gardens, fruit trees, maybe even goats? Before you fall in love with a farmhouse or a piece of land, there are a few important things to think about. In this episode, Wendi Bergin shares three simple principles that can help you choose property that actually supports the homesteading life you want to build. Wendi also shares stories from her own move from New Jersey to Florida, including why it took nine months to find the right property and how surprising restrictions on acreage can limit what you are allowed to do on your own land. You will learn why zoning matters more than most buyers realize, why the land itself is often more important than the house, and why starting with skills and living within your means can create a more joyful and sustainable homestead. If you have ever dreamed about owning land for a homestead, this episode will help you think through the foundation before you buy.

Wendi Bergin hosts Homesteading Made Simple I Joyfully Prepared, a space where the romanticized idea of off-grid living meets the reality of a busy schedule. This podcast is built on the understanding that building a self-reliant life happens in small, consistent steps rather than dramatic leaps. You'll hear conversations that dig into the tangible skills of gardening, food preservation, and kitchen efficiency, all framed around integrating them into the life you already have. Wendi’s approach is notably calm and practical, stripping away the overwhelm often found online. Episodes serve as a guide to building a pantry, understanding food storage, and cultivating a resilient mindset without requiring a hundred acres. The focus is always on the achievable, emphasizing that homesteading is less about a location and more about a set of purposeful, daily choices. Tune in for a common-sense companion on the path to preparedness and greater self-reliance, wherever you happen to be planting your roots.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Homesteading Made Simple I Joyfully Prepared
Podcast Episodes
Gardening Feels Hard Until You Do This [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:08
This episode is a gentle pep talk for anyone who thinks gardening requires land, money, or perfection. It does not. I walk through container gardening from the ground up. Literally. One pot. One seed. One window is enoug…
How Homesteading Builds Confidence Through Failure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:39
In this special 200th episode of the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, Wendi introduces her word for the year: anti-fragile. Through stories of baking bread that sometimes feeds the chickens, building a fence the hard way, lear…
How to Start Homesteading Without Land [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:37
You don’t need land to be a homesteader. You need skills. In this episode, Wendi gently reframes what homesteading really is and who it’s for. Drawing from her childhood, her mom’s garden, and her own journey learning an…
How to Make Space Before You Start Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:18
In this final episode of 2025, we slow down and do a gentle homestead reset together. Instead of racing into a new year with pressure and perfection, we take a calm moment to figure out what we want to keep, release, and…
What I Learned From Not Reaching My Goals This Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:35
This episode is a gentle truth-telling moment. You didn’t hit all your goals this year. And yet… your life changed in ways you never planned. You walk through the power of keeping a simple Transformation Journal and how…
How to Make February 1 Your Real New Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:25
This week on the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, we’re doing something a little rebellious but honestly… kind of necessary. We’re moving New Year’s Day to February 1. January is now officially our recovery month. A whole mont…
If You Spent More Time Surviving Than Homesteading [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:02
This week on the Joyfully Prepared Podcast, we’re taking a gentle, honest look at the goals we didn’t quite get to this year and the little wins we might’ve forgotten about. I’m talking about what held many of us back, w…
Simple Way to Reset Your Mind Quickly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:52
This episode drops you straight into gratitude mode. You walk through why gratitude isn’t just a nice idea but a real skill you can build, the same way you’d learn to bake bread or plant a garden. You share stories about…
How Beans Make Healthy Eating More Affordable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
Beans don’t get much attention, but they should. In this episode, we take a calm, simple walk through why beans matter, how they help your health, and how they stretch your grocery budget in ways most people don’t realiz…
How Homemaking Can Help You Feel Grounded Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:06
Wendi shares a favorite meme about “bread rising, soup simmering, and jars cooling” and explores why the quiet work of our hands steadies us. She tells the story of bartering fire cider for plants, reflects on being a “m…