5 Things We Learned After Buying Our Land

We had dreamed of buying land for years with wide stretches of rolling hills, maybe 50 acres or more, where we could raise our kids, plant roots, and build a homestead from the ground up. But when it finally came time to buy, the market had other plans. Prices were climbing by the day, and every property we looked at sold within 24 hours… usually before we could even make an offer. We were still living in Minnesota at the time, trying to shop for land from over 800 miles away, and it was defeating to say the least.

Thankfully, we had family who could go look at properties for us when something promising popped up. And looking back now, I’m grateful for every hiccup, setback, and “almost bought it” moment because they taught us things we never would’ve known otherwise.

Here are the five biggest lessons we learned along the way.

1. Always, always get a survey done.

The first property we tried to buy looked perfect on paper: 5 acres nestled in the Kentucky countryside. Except… it wasn’t 5 acres. When we had it surveyed, it turned out to be barely 2 acres.

The deed was old, the description was vague, and the real estate company simply misinterpreted the boundaries. If we hadn’t paid for that survey, we would’ve spent a very high price per acre and ended up with far less land than we thought.

Our current property was already freshly surveyed and clearly marked in both the deed and on the land itself. After the first fiasco, that peace of mind was worth everything.

Lesson:
If the boundaries aren’t clearly marked or the deed is old, get it surveyed. It will save you money, stress, and a whole lot of heartache later.

2. Research zoning, exemptions, and local rules before you buy.

One huge selling point of the land we eventually purchased is that it’s zoned for agriculture. That means fewer building restrictions, fewer inspections, and less red tape when we add structures.

We also learned that in Kentucky, buying 10 or more contiguous acres allows you to qualify for the agricultural exemption which is something we knew we wanted since our goal was to farm.

If you’re considering land in Kentucky, your county’s PVA office has all the info you’ll need. Other states have their own rules, so it pays to look into zoning and exemptions early.

Lesson:
Don’t overlook zoning. It affects everything from what you can build to what taxes you’ll pay.

3. Make sure you can live on the property while you build.

This one was surprisingly tricky.

Some properties we toured had clauses that specifically said no RVs, no trailers, and no temporary living structures. For us as people planning to live in our RV while we built our house, that was an immediate dealbreaker.

Our land does allow it, but getting our very large RV up to the property was another adventure. The easement that accesses our land is long, narrow, and runs up the side of a neighbor’s property. Before finalizing anything, we contacted the neighbor directly to confirm the exact placement of the easement and to make sure we could widen the path enough for the RV.

Lesson:
If you’re planning to live on your land during construction, make sure your deed and local regulations allow it—and make sure the access to your land can physically accommodate your setup.

4. Understand your easements, utilities, and access points.

The property we ended up purchasing was part of a large farm being divided into smaller parcels. Two were left: 12.5 acres and 20 acres. We couldn’t afford the 20, but the 12.5-acre parcel was close to our budget. After researching the benefits of owning 10+ acres in Kentucky, we knew it was the right move.

Our deed includes a clearly marked easement running through our neighbor’s land. This easement is how we access our property and how utilities will eventually be brought in. It took about a quarter-mile of gravel (and a whole lot of smoothing) to create our driveway—but having that legal access is invaluable.

Our land also has power lines on the far side. That means utility companies may need access from time to time. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something every land buyer should know upfront.

Lesson:
Study your easements, utility access, and rights-of-way. Know who might need to cross your land and what responsibilities you’ll have.

5. Factor in the real costs of owning raw land.

You don’t truly understand how fast nature takes over until you haven’t visited your land for a couple of months and your grass is over six feet tall.

One of our first major purchases was a used tractor with a bush hog because there was no way we could do anything on the land until it was mowed. Renting one would’ve cost almost as much as buying used.

Since then, we’ve also:

• Rented a skid steer to build a foundation for our garage/storage building
• Scheduled a perk test for our septic system (permit + fees = around $500)
• Budgeted for a mini excavator rental to dig the test hole and do future driveway work

These expenses add up quickly, especially in the early stages when the land is still wild.

Lesson:
Expect to invest in equipment rentals or in some cases, equipment purchases in the beginning. Raw land takes work before it becomes usable.

Bonus Lesson: Get to know your neighbors (and their future plans)

Originally the property in front of ours where our easement runs was going to become a wedding venue. Fortunately, those plans fell through as we weren’t too comfortable having such a large venue next to our property. The structure has since sold to new owners, and we are so grateful to have amazing neighbors near us.

We still plan to grow additional trees and shrubs for privacy. We are also hoping to get into contact with our neighbors who own the 20 acres beside us to see if we can purchase additional acreage from them when we are financially able to do so in the future.

You also have to think long-term:

• Will future owners timber the land next to you?
• Will someone build right on your fence line?
• Will traffic increase?

Rural land can change hands quickly, and what you see now may not be what you live next to later.

Lesson:
Talk to your neighbors, learn their plans, and think ahead. Your future peace and privacy may depend on it.

Final Thoughts

It’s been just three years since we bought our land, and already we’ve learned so much since then about surveys, zoning, equipment, neighbors, and what it really takes to build a homestead from scratch. There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears shed and we aren’t quite done building yet as we have plans for a garage and barn.

There will be challenges ahead (probably a lot of them), but there will also be joy, excitement, and a whole lot of gratitude. Buying this 12.5-acre slice of Kentucky is the best decision we’ve made, and getting to put down roots here is a dream we’ve carried for years.

We’re beyond excited to keep sharing this journey: every lesson, every success, every muddy boot step along the way.