“There’s no way to describe it.”

An increasing number of people are opting for an off-grid lifestyle in Maine.

Real estate agents are selling many off-grid properties in the state as residents seek simpler, more self-sufficient lives.

As Boston.com reported, there are many ways Maine residents are making off-grid living work for them. Northern Maine, near the Canadian border, is a prime area for off-grid real estate.

Residents are willing to give up modern conveniences and put in substantial work in exchange for peace, quiet, and a sense of self-sufficiency. To comfortably live off the grid, residents grow gardens, heat their homes with wood, and even build their own houses.

A successful off-grid lifestyle requires having a plan and typically acquiring new skills that are useful in the wilderness. Yet it’s possible to have plumbing with well water and composting toilets, as well as electricity powered by solar energy.

Some Maine residents learning the ropes of off-grid living have started YouTube channels to document and share their experiences and lessons learned with the world.

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Living off the grid is also an excellent way to save money on household and utility costs while reducing your pollution output and lessening your strain on the environment.

“It’s a lot of work to live off the grid,” said Mooers Realty’s Andy Mooers, per Boston.com. “Some people couldn’t pull it off. It’s a way of life where you’ve got your garden, you’re heating with wood. It lowers your expenses. You don’t have to worry about the price of oil or electricity.’

The off-grid lifestyle is gaining popularity well beyond the Maine borders as well.

Many other communities are embracing this type of simplicity and sustainability to save money on power bills and be more energy-independent. When you aren’t reliant on a public power system, you take control of your own resiliency, which is especially crucial when extreme weather occurs.

Reading and listening to the stories of people living off-grid helps dispel myths about the lifestyle and inspires people to make sustainable changes in their own lives.

Even if you’re personally not ready to move to the outskirts of civilization, there are small practical ways to reduce your own energy consumption and live more efficiently where you are.

In Maine, one off-grid resident told Boston.com: “It isn’t work. This is a lifestyle, and it’s incredibly rewarding. If you really want to find out, you have to try it yourself. And I honestly believe most people will find it incredible being so self-sufficient. There’s no way to describe it.”

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