Duhamel bought his property -- which is about an hour-and-a-half drive away from Fargo, N.D. -- more than a decade ago.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actor, 52, opens up about why he decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles behind for a quieter and different way of living in Minnesota.
"I make movies and TV shows, and I love it, I truly do love it, but I had this calling to go and really do things with my hands again -- fix things, make things and just do the basic things that we take for granted," Duhamel explains.
"I'm really more of a guy who wants to stay true to my roots, get back to the basics, hone whatever basic skills I need in this world of massive technology, to do the basic things to provide for my family," adds the star. "That's really what it's about for me."
Duhamel bought an empty half-parcel of land -- about an hour-and-a-half drive away from Fargo, N.D. -- more than a decade ago.
He slowly built a rustic cabin there himself, and the actor later expanded the space with more land in the years to follow. The off-grid lakeside property -- which Duhamel refers to as his "doomsday cabin" -- didn't have electricity, running water or other amenities for a long time.
"We're at a place now where it feels done. It's completely livable now," says Duhamel, who has partnered with CarGurus for the company's new video series, The Big Deal Show.
"It's so back to the basics," he adds. "We get so accustomed to all these luxuries and these amenities that we have ... and I think that's what this is for me -- it's an opportunity to get back to the basics and really enjoy the simple things in life, and that's family, that's friends, that's making memories."
Duhamel tells PEOPLE he especially loves spending time at the home with his family, which includes wife Audra Mari and their 18-month-old son Shepherd, plus his eldest son Axl, whom he shares with ex Fergie.
"We're deep in the woods out there, so it is fun. There are bald eagles everywhere; there are otters swimming with their little babies all over the place," he explains of the exciting aspects.
On the flip side, there are also some not-as-fun parts of living so deep in the wilderness and miles away from other humans.
"We are constantly fighting the mice from getting into the cabins. That's a constant man versus nature struggle we deal with," Duhamel says with a laugh.