Step 3. Decide if you want or need to be close to population centers

This is also a crucial factor. If you have fantasies about going off-grid way out in the wilderness, make sure you spend some time in the wilderness before selling everything, upping stakes, and moving there. What might seem like idyllic seclusion to you now could end up as lonely isolation.

Also, if you have children or plan on having them, consider the impact on their lives of living far from schools, friends, and activities that might benefit them.

If you don’t need or want to live close to town, you will find land prices are often much cheaper farther out from towns.

Many find that the benefits of living in remote areas outweigh the drawbacks… but this is a highly personal decision.

Do you need access to…

• Markets?

• Schools and shops?

• Amenities and entertainment?

• An airport and/or other transport centers?

• Medical attention?

Make sure you take all these factors into account before deciding on a location.