12 Things New Homesteaders Always Regret Doing

When we first started homesteading, we made a lot of decisions with more confidence than experience—and paid for it later. It’s part of the process, but looking back, there are definitely a few things I wish we’d done differently from the start.

Most people don’t talk about the parts they regret until they’ve already learned the hard way. So if you’re new to all this, here’s a heads-up on the most common mistakes new homesteaders make—and what you can do to avoid them before they cost you time, money, or your sanity.

Starting Everything at Once

It’s easy to get caught up in the dream. One minute you’re planning a garden, a chicken coop, a milk cow, and a greenhouse—all before you’ve unpacked a single moving box. Then you realize you’re knee-deep in projects with no time or energy to finish any of them.

Start small and build one thing at a time. Get chickens settled before adding goats. Learn to grow food before you try to preserve a year’s worth. Homesteading takes time, and doing it all at once usually leads to burnout.

Not Putting in Proper Fencing

Fencing feels like one of those things you can skimp on—until your goats are in the garden or a raccoon gets into the coop. New homesteaders often regret going cheap or rushing the setup, and it always costs more later.

Take time to figure out what animals need what kind of fencing, and plan for predators too. Good fencing isn’t exciting, but it’ll save you a lot of stress, vet bills, and repairs down the road.

Buying Animals Before You’re Ready

Those baby chicks and cute goats are hard to resist, but if your setup isn’t ready, you’re asking for trouble. No shelter, no fencing, no plan for feed or water? That turns into chaos real fast.

You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration (and money) if you get the infrastructure in place first. Know where the animals will live, how you’ll care for them, and what happens if something goes wrong. Animals should be the last step, not the first.

Not Budgeting for Repairs

Something always breaks on a homestead—fences, roofs, hoses, tools, you name it. New homesteaders often forget to leave wiggle room in the budget for the stuff that wears out or fails when you least expect it.

Keep some cash set aside for repairs and maintenance. Even basic things like screws, wire, or lumber can add up when you’re scrambling to fix something in a pinch. Planning for breakdowns isn’t pessimistic—it’s smart.

Underestimating How Long Things Take

Homesteading tasks always take longer than you think. Gathering eggs turns into mucking out the coop. A “quick” garden weeding ends up being a full-on overhaul. And you’ll burn through daylight faster than you’d expect.

New homesteaders often stretch themselves too thin and wind up stressed or behind. Make peace with slower progress, and give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. It’s better to finish one thing right than juggle five half-done projects.

Overplanting the Garden

A big garden sounds great until you realize you’ve got hundreds of plants to water, weed, and harvest all at once. New homesteaders often plant too much, too fast—and then get overwhelmed trying to manage it all.

Start with a few beds or rows of your staple crops. Learn what grows well in your area and how much your family will actually eat. You can always scale up next year, but pulling back once it’s all in the ground is a lot harder.

Ignoring Drainage

Poor drainage can ruin just about everything. Wet gardens rot. Muddy runs make chickens sick. Barns flood. But a lot of new homesteaders don’t realize it’s an issue until the first big rain shows up.

Walk your property after a storm and see where the water pools. You may need to build up animal areas, redirect runoff, or add gravel paths. Fixing drainage early saves you from soggy messes and expensive cleanups later.

Building Without Permits

It’s tempting to throw up that shed or tiny house without dealing with permits—especially if you’re out in the country. But if the county finds out, they can fine you, shut the project down, or even force you to tear it out.

New homesteaders often assume no one will care. But it’s not worth the risk. Always check the local rules before you start building. It’s annoying, sure—but not as annoying as redoing everything after the fact.

Buying Cheap Tools

Cheap tools break when you need them most. You’ll end up buying replacements, wasting time, and wishing you’d spent a little more the first time around. It’s one of those lessons almost every new homesteader learns the hard way.

You don’t need top-of-the-line everything, but invest in the basics—shovel, hoe, wheelbarrow, pruners—that’ll actually hold up. Good tools make your work easier and last a whole lot longer.

Forgetting About Winter Prep

Winter hits harder than expected, especially the first year. Water lines freeze, animals need extra feed, and you realize your coop doesn’t block wind like you thought it would. A lot of new homesteaders wait too long to get ready.

Start prepping in late summer. Stockpile feed, fix drafts, and make sure you’ve got a plan for keeping water from freezing. Once the cold sets in, everything’s harder—so get ahead of it while the weather’s still on your side.

Not Having a Compost Plan

You’re going to have food scraps, yard waste, animal manure—and if you don’t have a compost setup, it turns into a mess. New homesteaders often forget this part until they’re knee-deep in material with nowhere to put it.

Set up a simple compost system early on. Even a few pallets or a trash can with holes can get you started. It cuts down on waste and gives you good soil down the road. Win-win.

Thinking You Have to Do It All Alone

A lot of new homesteaders try to do everything solo—and it wears them out. Whether it’s pride, stubbornness, or thinking you “should” know it all, it’s one of the biggest mistakes people make.

Ask for help. Join local groups. Watch someone else’s setup. Trade chores with neighbors. You’re not less of a homesteader for leaning on your community. In fact, that’s the way it was always meant to be.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.