Yep it is always best to wait and watch to see if it is viable for a large installation. Unless of course you can get a solar survey done by a solar installer.
Plenty of cheap panels are available these days which makes it less of a financial hurdle than it once was. I agree about the batteries having a long way to go but some of those power banks (just for solar) are really nice and maybe a better investment because they can have the charge controller, inverter, fuses and breakers all built into them.
Currently I have a small solar panel (for battery maintenance) and a large panel that I have used extensively in the past to get me by. It is just enough to keep a phone charged and provide me with lights at night but it sure beats no power. I gotta get new batteries though because mine are all trash.