Reaping profits by YouTube and discarded materials: This couple built 2,500-sq-ft home for $40,000, sold it for $290,000

A New York couple built their own 2,500-square-foot home for around $40,000 using online tutorials and materials rescued from local dumps. After selling the property for $290,000, they made an unexpected move to Florida without having jobs or permanent accommodation lined up, according to an interview with Realtor.com.

Jessica Patrzyk, 34, and her husband left their life in rural Worth, New York, where they had operated several businesses, including a coffee shop, retail shops and a tarot reading service. The couple decided to move south to be closer to the ocean, selling both their home and businesses before setting off.

The move marked a major change for the family, who had spent years building their life in upstate New York.

Couple built home with online tutorials

Patrzyk and her husband had no professional construction experience when they decided to build their four-bedroom, three-bathroom house.

The two-acre plot on which the home was built had been given to Patrzyk by her grandfather in exchange for a 55-inch television.

The couple relied heavily on YouTube videos to learn construction techniques and completed much of the work themselves. They also installed the property's water well and septic system to keep expenses under control.

Patrzyk sourced several items for the interior from local waste disposal sites, including used doors, windows and kitchen cabinets. The finished property featured lofts in every room and a 17-foot climbing wall stretching between the ground and upper floors.

Despite its remote location, the unusual home found a buyer within 90 days of being put on the market.

‘Get in the car’: Sudden move to Florida

Selling the property gave the family the money they needed for their move, but the decision to leave New York was made relatively quickly.

“My husband was so scared. We had lived in one place for so long. He thought the idea was crazy—I said, 'Get in the car,'” Patrzyk told Realtor.com.

“We had been talking about it for a while, but ultimately, it was a last-minute decision. I told my family about the move pretty shortly before we started driving to Florida.”

The family packed their belongings into a rented moving truck costing $5,000 and drove south. They initially stayed at a hotel near Tampa while searching for somewhere to live.

65 homes, a yacht and an 18-month lease

Over two weeks, the family viewed more than 65 rental properties across coastal and inland areas of Florida.

At one point, they considered buying a three-storey motor yacht in Stuart for $275,000 and living on the water. However, marina costs and concerns raised by their pre-teen daughter led them to abandon that plan.

Their search eventually brought them to San Antonio, Florida, where they met a landlord with properties near the Mirada Lagoon development. They eventually signed an 18-month lease on a newly built six-bedroom house for $3,200 a month.

From business owners to diving instructors

Neither Patrzyk nor her husband had employment arranged before leaving New York.

Patrzyk passed Florida's real estate examination and began working as an agent with 54 Realty. Her husband initially planned to attend fire academy training using veteran benefits, but the programme was full, prompting him to explore business courses instead.

The couple later enrolled in the Zero-to-Hero programme at Calypso Divers of Tampa Bay. Funded through US Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits, the programme trains beginners to become certified PADI scuba diving instructors.

Both now work as professional diving instructors, while Patrzyk also continues her career in real estate.

‘In New York, we had a field—and cows’

Patrzyk said their lifestyle in Florida is vastly different from their previous routine in rural New York.

“In New York, we had a field—and cows,” Patrzyk told Realtor.com.

“In Florida, we have skydiving, scuba diving, hot-air ballooning, hang gliding, golfing, bowling, kayaking, indoor skydiving, swimming with manatees, and visiting aquariums.”

The couple's interest in scuba diving began during a trip to Mexico before their move. That experience later helped them turn the hobby into a new career.

Adjusting to Florida's building rules

While Patrzyk enjoys the greater variety of activities available in Florida, she said adapting to the state's construction regulations has been challenging.

“My husband did electrical work there, but here, there are so many restrictions and permitting requirements that it's hard to get things done.”

The family has nevertheless settled into their new life in San Antonio, combining real estate and professional diving work.

During the transition, Patrzyk also turned to a local Buy Nothing Facebook group, through which she found a bed for her daughter and other furniture within a week.