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Costs

Two kinds of cost, funded differently. Get the structure right and the numbers follow from your site and tier.

Setup (one-time)​

  • Land: usually the largest item, and the most place-dependent (see parameters/).
  • Somewhere to live: a house or shelter, the second big item.
  • Power and water systems: sized to the site and the way you live.
  • Tools and equipment.
  • First plantings.
  • A reserve: a few months of running costs as a buffer.

Running (recurring, small)​

Seeds and materials, travel, admin and accounting, insurance, modest repairs. These never stop, but they are small next to setup, and they are what income and founder capacity need to cover.

Tiers​

The same choice runs through most setup items:

  • Minimal: DIY, used and salvaged gear, the leanest setup that works. Lowest cost, most labour, least margin for error.
  • Standard: a mix of new and used with some paid help. The sensible default for most items.
  • Comfortable: mostly new and professionally installed. Highest cost, least hassle.

You can mix tiers across items, for example a comfortable water system and a minimal workshop. Keep the choice deliberate rather than drifting.

Honesty​

Land and the dwelling dominate the budget; everything else is small by comparison. Resist over-specifying the small items. The figures themselves are specific to a site and belong in the case, not the model; the model gives the shape.