Most videos of this subject are US based. Thanks for doing something UK relevant and congratulations on your success.

There is something about a man minding his own business that really pisses people off.

I have a job I hate. I work for money I only ever see 30% of. They tell me if I buy their cars and buy in to their dreams I’ll be happy but it’s a lie! I’m 34 and I’ve had enough! If this is the only shot we get at this and if this is truly the only thing there is between us and oblivion. I’d like to say I spent my time happy and doing the things I wanted to do! You’re an inspiration and I appreciate your knowledge.

Great video, I've just bought a site here in Ireland and my solicitor was very worried about the neighbours and what they'd think of my plan to live off grid. She was telling me they could set up barricades to stop me accessing the site etc. I met the neighbours and went out of my way to be extra amiable. Now I have keys to my closest neighbours house and know everyone on the road. If you're going to do this kind of life then you have to be realistic, you can't hide away in your site for years until you get planning, so introduce yourself to the neighbours and reassure them your not a troublemaker.

I like the story on radio 4 of the guys who lived in a caravan in a field he purchased, but being smart he found on with a parish council boundary running across it and lived one side of it, the when the parish he lived in managed to do all the paper work to make him move he just moved to the other side of the field into a different parish, after a few try's they gave up lol.

Its lovely to see us English heading back in the direction of our ancestors. Healthier living, always an adventure and the freedom to be who and what you want to be. Hats off to you sir, you have my respect.

5 years later,i stumble upon this. I work away from home all week,with a wife that loves the money, just doesnt like me. I was thinking sneaky foxhole with a fireplace dug in for 2 nights a week. This has been very informative

Hi, even though this Vlog is a few years old I’ve only just come across it. It’s one of the most interesting and informative I’ve seen and have been inspired by it, so thank you. I actually own and live on a 55 foot narrowboat, and have done for over 7 years now! But want to buy my own piece of land, to do exactly what you’re doing, to ‘quietly’ live on it, keeping chickens, bees, grow my own veg and weave my textiles ( this is how I make a living now), So that’s my plan for 2022. Interestingly, I had already thought about seeking out the land myself rather than going through the normal land agents and auctions, so thank you for confirming that, your comments give confidence to try it that way. Any more hints and tips would be very welcome. I will check out all your other videos now 😊 Happy land dwelling and all the best for the coming year 2022. 🐓

15:50 is my favourite bit - "the Royal Mail will deliver to anywhere they can find.... you know, if it's got an address on it that the postman can understand, they'll deliver it. It's quite an amazing service really, so take full advantage"

In August of 1854 Soho, a suburb of London, was hit hard by a terrible outbreak of cholera. Dr. John Snow himself lived near Soho, and immediately went to work to prove his theory that contaminated water was the cause of the outbreak. The men who worked in a brewery on Broad Street which made malt liquor also escaped getting cholera. The proprietor of the brewery, Mr. Huggins, told Snow that the men drank the liquor they made or water from the brewery’s own well and not water from the Broad Street pump. None of the men contracted cholera. Maximus I have contributed to your beer fund in the interest of public safety. Great video, keep going.

Well, now, this is inspiring. My great-grandfather emigrated from Scotland to Kansas in the U.S. where he bought some acreage and built a lovely 2-story house. Of course then, in the 1870s, it was all off-grid. He married a widow with 2 children and they had 4 more children. My grandfather then built a second house where my father and his 2 brothers and sister grew up, and where, in turn, my 2 sisters, brother and I grew up. It was a beautiful place, lots of trees, and a creek running through it.

Thank you for this video. I have found it really interesting. I am 80 and have no plans to do this at my age but I admire you for doing something different and achieving something so special. I also have not had a TV for some years and do not want one. I prefer my laptop with programmes like this. Congratulations and looking forward to your other videos.

I’ve almost no interest in doing what you’ve done. But.. “Have a go at doing something even if you fail, because the alternative is to never have a go at anything.” A quote for everyone for life, I think. What a guy!

good to hear from someone off grid here in the UK. I learn a lot from the videos from over the pond but get disheartened thinking it can't be done here, you've given me hope Max

Man you are an inspiration to me. For many years I’ve wanted to break free from society and you are the push I needed.

I’ve craved living like this for years. Didn’t realise that it was actually a possibility

You are very humble .. massive respect to you. Now you land is worth well over £200,000 .. Good luck

YT is full of lovely looking off-grid dwellings and owners conducting proud tours of their living spaces... but this is one of the best in-depth discussions of the how's and where's I have come across, top marks and well done. I envy your practicality.

Thrilled to see almost all the comments are so positive. Faith in humanity is being restored 😊

Videos like this make KZfaq actually useful.. That's just my humble opinion. .

What’s inspiring in this, is that you started from £0 and still made something brilliant there mate

"As soon as I got the Postman trained"......!! So funny Thumper, nice-one man....

I love this guy. He is so no nonsense straight forward and super practical. He connects to life and is a natural survivor. He inspires hope and life into doing stuff for yourself. He has true strength of character ability and substance. He is gorgeous looking too and his warmth of person wins your heart for him. An amazing man that commands respect. I love watching his videos

You're inspiring - in your determination and perseverance and also in your humility. Thank you for challenging me to know what I want and commit myself to it.

Great story, great information and very inspirational. It's my dream to get on the land and having lived on farms in the past i know it's where i want to be. Ill be getting that booklet. Cheers

The Royal Mail address section was interesting. I'm liking your videos. Thanks

Nice one Maximus, very clearly put and very helpful to those of us (the vast majority) who can't afford to just buy into off grid living.

It’s actually amazing what you are doing mate! I wish everyone else thought the same about self sufficiency. Top bloke!

Thank you again for such useful and inspiring info. It is so impressive how you persevered without any money to start up with. GIves us all hope! Blessings on all you do from Western Australia x

It's partially underground and it's got a camo net over the roof, but it's not concealed.

Thank you so much Maximus! It is a great job that you are sharing your experience. It must surely help and inspire many people to change their lives! That is such a valuable thing to do, inspire others to live their lives the way that makes them feel happy and gives purpose to their lives. You are a very nice man. Bless you, Maximus!

Second great blog I’ve watched of your series. I’m in Worcestershire myself and hope to be living off the grid ASAP too. Thank you again for these stories of truth.

Well done you! I loved listening to your story and I agree wholeheartedly with what you say about taking a first step towards a dream. Independence is so important for healthy mind body and spirit. Thank you Maximus Ironthumper - great name for a Viking and you have the beard! ;) Good work, good life, may you go from strength to strength.

as an architect of many decades my best advice on planning is: everything in life is negotiable and especially the law. Stand up and say your piece and then do it again and again. The system can't afford to keep that up and will cave

Thanks for these videos, I'm currently looking to move to a field somewhere in the middle of nowhere and it's nice to see a similar path which someone has taken before. Relieves some of the anxiety to know it's not impossible to pull off.

Really appreciate you taking the time to put these together. This is my first delve into your work, I'm guessing I'll be working my way through them this weekend. Cheers!!

Hats off to you. Well done! 👍

Thank you very much, you're a decent man for helping others who aspire to live as you do. Respect to you max, regards, John

I love your line of thought and reasoning - a man after my own heart. It's looking great

Dear Maximus, Thank you so much for sharing your story and the tips; exactly the info I was after. I find your words of encouragement very valuable. And the DIY Planning Guide you recommend sounds like the book I need in my life right now. So once again, thank you! I'm off to chase the book now, so I can be off grid sooner than later 🙂

Great advice about the neighbours and it’s always good to help them out if you can.

Great instructional video. Cuts through some of the misconceptions around off grid living. Cheers

First video I've watched of yours... and mate... good on you sir. What an inspiration. I hope you carry on having the success you clearly deserve. What a nice guy

Stumbled upon..... What a gem! Massively inspirational, many thanks.

What an excellent video, so well explained, fair, honest, down to earth, and extremely helpful!

Thankyou so much for this video...I've been struggling to get my head around where to start and you've made it very understandable and clear.I hope one day to be able to live like this myself.Inspirational video,thankyou.

Pure gold! I could not even bring myself to research the idea of off grid living for fear of being told "no you can't" and would have done it the hard way but one video and all my questions answered. Brilliant!!!!

Thank you for sharing. This is really inspiring! I don't imagine it's been easy, but you've given hope to a lot of people

good luck, and i look forward to your autobiography when you get round to writing it! this stuff is genuinely inspirational.

Wise words and well presented. Hats off to you Sir!

Watching you from Colorado and the bit about the "my land, I can do what I want" made me laugh because it's so true.

I would live there in a heartbeat. Well done mate, well impressed...

Well done on what you have achieved and thank you for passing the knowledge on. We need more genuine people like you in this world. Good luck.

Well done you for getting round the planning laws and making this work for you. Unfortunately the vast majority of people in the UK do not get such a smooth ride. Whether or not your neighbours are tolerant, almost all local authorities have a default position. They DO NOT WANT anyone living off grid or circumventing their desire to stuff everyone into soulless, expensive, housing estates which they grant planning for IN COLLUSION with giant developers and favoured builders. Local Councils have immense discretionary power and usually apply it to do everything they can to stop anyone opting out of the system. This includes mobile homes which are nowadays made to high standards but local authorities only offer residential licences to "park homes" which are an appalling rip off, and the park home industry is presided over by layer upon layer of collusion, price fixing, exploitation, closed shop deals and back handers. The whole UK planning system rewards those who already can afford expensive rural homes who then fight tooth and nail to shut out everyone else. These homes are then bought and sold at perpetually spiralling prices while so-called "affordable" homes are not at all affordable and in any case end up back on the open market at unaffordable prices. Local planners grant permission to monstrously ugly developments but make it almost impossible for individuals to buy or rent a small plot and build on it. Your situation is great and I wish you luck, but you are a very rare example. 99% of those desiring a similar thing will never achieve it.

thanks for taking the time to make these videos.. very informative.. and interesting to me.. for the last two years I've been living out of my transit van.. even more strangely and worrying to some people, im enjoying it.. at 50 years old.. no money really.. free though

what a sincere, humble and interesting video thank you. I like how you leave the viewer a bit to work out themselves I suppose that determines if they really want it or not Cheers

Just love what have achieved and your articulate ability to educate us out here in the world. I live in Western Australia but I am guessing from your neck of the woods - ish originally. THANK YOU!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Inspiring, helpful, encouraging, and a real hope for the future of our planet. Keep it up. Love it. X

You went balls to the wall in something most of us are fantasising about! Cheers for the detailed video!

Fantastic to have an English off grid pov, thank you! And well done I’m quite interested in doing an earthship/cob house maybe, a blend

Lovely story,you seem like a really nice person and I wish you all the best.

Whether or not I'll use this info - it's simply great; PHANTASTIC!!!! Thank you so much for doing this and being encouraging, inspiring and making others think in more realistic and possibility-ways. Xxxxxxx

Awesome, open, interesting and with your real world advise just like all videos. Thanks so much for sharing.. Where there's a will, there's a way... definitely agree!

Found it!!!!! I wathree a different video and asked about planning etc. Well, now i found it. Thanks for taking the time to help others.I am jealous of your way of life. Enjoy all you do 😀

The best off grid videos I have seen! Thanks for making it all seem possible to do in the UK! Keep uploading!

The no caravans part is very important, besides the 10yr part caravan(s) pulling on to a bit of land will get your nearest neighbours on the phone to the council instantly and they've almost always got a few quid spare to shift travellers.

absolutely amazing and goddamn inspiring if i may say. congrats and thank you for uploading. i’ve been researching and haven’t quite found a video describing my ideal situation, but this entire video is an absolute dream for me. i want to live alone, with a couple of dogs and cats, in a home i’ve built by myself.

Yes indeed, that was worth a beer! Just bought my little space and started building. Lucky for me the farm nextish to me is the chairman of the parish council and loves what I'm doing. Just trying to get hold of the rural planning book you suggested, so many thanks for your video, I'm subscribing now. Happy days

Brilliant video mate....I totally get the ability to 'get around' certain restrictions without being on the radar in that living peacefully and in harmony with your surroundings. People will always appreciate those with value, whether it be in skills or advice. I will have my 5 acres soon and have been trying out the solar and wind generating systems. Above all else I am looking forward to peace and quiet, getting my own wood for fuel and growing a big veggie patch with chickens and goats.

massive respect to you for sharing this, i know it cant be easy to give away hard earned knowledge. many of us would love to live an uncomplicated sustainable lifestyle in this way. me most of all, i have so much knowledge and skill that would be well used and shared if i ever do get to live off grid. i think we would become good mates if we knew each other. thank you for the time it has taken you to share your knowledge.

Max, Brilliant informative video. Cheers

Excellent Vid. I too have been looking for land, and unless you have a lot of dough and want 100 acres, it seems to be tricky, but I will continue my search. You have encouraged me!

Thanks for your time and video. I'm looking to do this myself. See what happens. Its nice to see someone talking about this, as it's a pretty grey area. Again thank you.

Great video, thankyou. Live long and prosper off grid.

Just came across your channel. Awesome vids. Less is more. I think many more people than you think want to live "off the grid". A friend is quitting his government job as of today and choosing another path towards being self-employed.

Thank you for this video, it's very helpful in many ways, not just as a brief guide to planning laws and your personal acheivement to live off grid, but as a well presented video with great tips as how many people would like to live too. Thanks.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how much faith in my plans you have restored. Myself and the wife have decided that going off grid is definitely in our future and have started to genuinely educate ourselves on the matter. I was aware of the 10 year rule but his 4 year rule seams like it can genuinely work and gives me so much hope. I feel excited for our future

Hi Maximus! Thanks for all the info you have given those who also want to live off-grid. It's not about most of us being sneaky to get what we want but there is untapped potential in rural Scotland that can bring in fresh people, ideas, green eco-homes and small businesses. I wish they would help those who would like to live off-grid in nature and in beautiful Scotland and hopefully earn a living too. It isn't for everyone it takes special people and should be helped. So thanks for breaking down all the dross for us.

Good stuff, Max.. I'm in the States, so not all of it will apply. But I live in the country in the Southeastern U.S., and at 63, I'm having a desire to do this. My house is almost paid off, and we may down size even more when I retire at 66. I'm enjoying all the knowledge you can receive off these "Off-Grid Videos"', and yours are truly helping me. Thanks.

What an awesome and interesting bloke and what a fantastic video. I love how this video doesn't make any of this process look easy. Your thick fingers are symbols of all the hard graft that you've had to put in and your words about the whole process only confirm that. But at the same time I do not feel put off by them. If anything quite the opposite. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this

Great work, good advise. I look forward to learning more especially on your plumbing and wiring.

Well explained Maximus.great advice.thank you so much for sharing this posting.much appreciated. Somerset.

We are lucky in this country to have Post men and Post women that will go out of their way to deliver a letter for you, it's one of the few institutions that still have a bit of Pride in the work that they do.

Great insight and advice, I’ve always been bit anxious about planning permission rules but this does give a boost to confidence. thanks very much!

This is a brilliant video Max (and I mean by general KZfaq standards not just off-grid topic - well composed and prepared and you're very engaging, authentic and thorough). Very much subscribed!

Official planning is not to protect the people however, it is to restrict their freedom. Not saying that some benefits might not be achieved, but the purpose is to limit the poor and average person from thriving in a world run by dominators.

Very clear and really interesting, just like all your stuff so far - thank you once again!

Great advice all round, especially the last minute....do it don’t regret not having a go! Nice one Max!

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! Simple but very honest and informative. Hats off to what you did. 👍

Awesome - thanks for sharing. Been looking for this kind of information for a while now - very useful. Cheers.

You are a huge inspiration! Thank you for these videos.

Really well put together, thoughtful and inspiring...gives me hope to move back offgrid. Thank you.

Very interesting video, even for somebody like me who isn't planning on buying land or living off grid. Thank you and best luck to you.

Excellent video, thank you for going into such detail.

Good info Max, it would appear that you have not only worked hard but struggled hard as well. You are inspirational and all the knowledge you have to share will help a lot of people get out of this rat race. Thankyou for your info.

Thank you so much for your video. Your help and advice is invaluable as my family and I are hoping to live off grid

I am delighted to hear your story....I hope your videos inspire more to do as you have done.

I watched this video about a month back now, before I come across this I really struggled to wrap my head around it and always wanted to move off-grid. Thanks to this video I have bought the Rural Planning Handbook and am about 3/4 my way through it! Great book! Off your advice and the knowledge gained from this book, I am purchasing some land next week and leaving it vacant while I serve the rest of my time in the RAF then move onto it with all the loans paid off and legally build my own dwelling out of reclaimed materials! And start my farming business/homestead truly can't wait! Thank you so much Max, you've genuinely nudged me and my family towards the future we've always wanted! And with all your other videos I feel far more confident in myself that it really is possible. Side note, you've given me inspiration to also finish writing my book that I'd put down for a while. So you really have given me the push I needed. Who'd have thought a few short videos on KZfaq would do it aye, amongst all the other rubbish on here there's a diamond in the rough. Keep it up!

I award you with the title 'Champion' Well done!

Great video, I've just watched the one so far, but I've subscribed and will tune in again. You've a very nice concise way of imparting knowledge/experience, not waffely or self absorbed. Kudos! 😄

THE most helpful video on the internet about this topic, thank you for posting this.