Preparing for Change: My 2025 Homesteading Goals

Hello, and welcome back to the Vandemonian homesteader. I hope the first week of 2025 has gotten the year off to a great start for you.

As I mentioned in the last post, 2025 will mark a year of changes for myself and the blog. And today’s date, the 6^th is a fantastic day to mark the beginning of it all. I’m not just saying that to be dramatic; typically, here in Tasmania, I’m not sure about other places. The 6th of January is usually when many businesses and trades reopen after the holiday period. True to form, this morning, the builders arrived to complete the renovations to my house, and the shed company (touch wood) began erecting the shed out on the bush block.

The shed company believes they will have everything completed on January 13th. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that’s the case. As soon as their job is done, I can go out and begin mine and finish everything up, ready to move in. This will then kick off a series of huge changes, many of which I most likely hadn’t even thought of, let alone considered.

Frankly, though, this is what makes it so exciting. After years of thinking, planning, dreaming and working, my goals will finally be reached. And this year, it will all come together. It won’t get easier; far from it. But I know I’m one of those weird people who find hard, dirty and difficult work more rewarding and enjoyable.

What to expect

If I learn anything from 2024, it’s that having plans is excellent, but having flexible plans and not getting hung up on dates is better. As I mentioned in my last post, there were delays, and this happens, it can’t be helped. Unfortunately, I hadn’t considered them when planning, as I probably should have.

This year, I will change that; an example is my move-in date. Ideally, I would like to move in by the end of April. However, I suspect that getting solar installed and an electrician out there to hook everything up to power will push that back to mid-year, so I’m planning to move out there by the end of July instead as a worst-case scenario.

But regardless of when I move in, there is a tonne of work that will need to be done irrespective of whether or not I’m actually living there.

• Fencing will need to go up to help contain Natasha.
• Outbuildings will need to be constructed so I can have workshops and somewhere to store firewood so it remains dry.
• Land will need to be cleared for a vegetable garden and orchard, and a garden will need to be prepared for spring.
• I will need to protect said garden and orchard.
• More gravel needs to be laid on the driveway to help prevent it from getting boggy as we drive on it during winter.

 These are just a few. Everything will be from scratch, which is exactly what I want as it means I have the chance to learn more and, in turn, share it here. So that, hopefully, others can learn from my mistakes and be inspired to have a go.

And even though these, and a few other more significant projects, will take up most of my time, I will be throwing in plenty of other smaller projects that can be done anywhere, regardless of your situation.  

As renewable as possible

Straight off the bat, there are some parts that I will be purchasing brand new, like the solar setup, gas water heater, kitchen cabinetry, and some newer energy-efficient appliances. My decision is that these are non-negotiable items that will have a massive impact on my quality of life. As rough as living out there is, I still want some comforts to look forward to at the end of a long day. A cold beer from the fridge and a long hot shower after a day’s work. Those two combined do wonders for your morale and soul.

However, as far as everything else is concerned, my drive to recycle and repurpose as much as possible will continue with the upcoming work. As I type this, my shipping container/workshop is full of used timber from various demolition work that I’m currently trimming, cleaning and pulling the nails from, and I have a mountain of used shipping pallets ready to be put to use when the time comes. As much as possible, I will try to use second-hand or salvaged materials wherever possible.

In fact, I have made it a part of my daily routine. Sitting with my morning cup of tea, I quickly browse the Facebook marketplace, looking for materials I know I will need for upcoming projects. At the moment, I am looking for some old-style red bricks that I can use to make a stand for the wood fire stove and some old corrugated tin sheeting that I can use to critter-proof my gardens.

Something to be mindful of

I have, however, noticed a bit of a trend when it comes to salvaged building materials. And it is always worth considering before you buy something. The days of people posting their leftovers or demolition waste online for free, attempting to get rid of it quickly and without tip fees, seem to have passed. It looks like more and more people will add a price to anything, hoping to make a few dollars.

I have seen rotting weatherboards that looked like they were just pulled from under a bush advertised for $3 a metre. People are asking $35 for a pile of broken bricks. Some even attempt to sell timber shipping pallets, which are usually left on the roadside in the hopes they get taken by anyone passing. The local tip shops and salvage yards also seem to be getting in on this trend and increasing their prices as well.

While it’s frustrating, I understand builders and salvage yards are businesses, so they must keep up with costs. And people can do as they please; it’s a free world, after all. However, when getting salvaged materials, there is usually more work involved than newer products; nails have to be removed and bricks cleaned.

This brings us to time and money. Yes, the salvaged bricks may be cheaper, but do you have the time and tools to remove all the old mortar so you can reuse them? You need to think about this when browsing for used materials. Another angle is whether or not the rotten section of the timber weatherboard counts in the cost per metre. Are you paying for the length you will have to cut off, or is it free?

Suppose someone on marketplace asks $3 a metre for old weatherboards that need to be de-nailed and sanded, and my local hardware store has brand new ones ready to go for $5 a metre. You can bet your bottom dollar on which one I’m going to choose.

Even though I want to reuse as much as possible, and I encourage others to do the same. Do your homework and shop around. It may be great to sit back and look at a completed project made from reclaimed materials, and it may have a level or character you don’t get from new materials. But if you ended up spending a similar price and twice the work, you wouldn’t have saved anything.

 As I stated at the beginning of the post, 2025 will be a year of changes. Everything is going to change: employment, living conditions, responsibilities, and demands on time, everything. And I know this will affect me as well. And as much as I want this, I also have to acknowledge that part of this also means my goals will have to change to keep up. My goals have been a huge driving force motivating me to keep going, and considering my main goal was to start a homestead, and I’m less than six months away from living that goal, what’s next?

My 2025 Goals shortlist

What’s the point of going through all that trouble and making all those sacrifices If I were to stop now with just a cabin in the bush?

With my new goals set and in mind, I will have to break them down into smaller bite-sized goals or sub goals, and then I can start doing what needs to be done to achieve them.

And there it is my goals for 2025. As stated earlier, there will be changes, but by keeping this momentum going, they won’t be challenging to reach. Besides, with all the bargain hunting on marketplace and breaking down/cleaning of materials, I have enough to keep me distracted and busy.

Finally, knowing that My move-in date is at least a few months away, I thought I had better prepare for it. Mainly because there will no doubt be a little celebration or party of sorts once I’m in there, and I will need a drink to celebrate when it finally happens. Because of this, in my next post, I will demonstrate some ways you can make your own mead and apple cider at home. I have made a simple mead several times in the past, and it has quickly become a favourite of mine, especially when you start to experiment by adding different fruits and spices. As for apple cider, this will be a first, so I am curious to see how I get on. Both recipes I have selected are easy to make, and if I get started now, they will be ready to enjoy when it’s time for the housewarming. So please stay tuned for that.

But as always, thanks again for dropping by today. Until next time, have yourself a good one, and I will catch you later.