A New York couple built a 2,500-square-foot home for just $40,000 using online tutorials and materials collected from local dumps. They later sold it for $290,000 and used the money to make a sudden move to Florida without jobs or permanent housing arranged. Jessica Patrzyk, 34, and her husband left their life in rural Worth, New York, where they ran several businesses, including a coffee shop, retail stores, and a tarot reading service. Wanting to live closer to the ocean, the family sold their home and businesses and moved south, according to an interview with Realtor.com. The move was a major change from their previous life. They had built their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home themselves on two acres of land that Patrzyk received from her grandfather in exchange for a 55-inch television.
Building on a budget
The couple had no formal construction experience, so they learned how to build through instructional videos on YouTube. They did most of the work themselves, including installing a water well and septic system to reduce costs. For the interior, Patrzyk collected used doors, windows, and kitchen cabinets from local waste disposal sites. The unusual home included lofts in every room and a 17-foot climbing wall that connected the ground floor with the upper level. Even though the house was in a remote part of upstate New York, it quickly attracted a buyer and sold within 90 days of being listed.Patrzyk said her husband was initially nervous about suddenly leaving their longtime home. “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.”
Looking for a new home
After packing their belongings into a rented moving truck that cost $5,000, the family drove to Florida. They stayed at a hotel outside Tampa while looking for a rental home. Over two weeks, they visited more than 65 rental properties in several coastal and inland cities. The family first considered buying a three-storey motor yacht in Stuart, Florida, for $275,000 so they could live on the water. However, expensive marina fees and concerns from their pre-teen daughter made them reconsider and look for a regular home. Their search eventually took them to San Antonio, Florida. There, they met a local landlord who managed several properties near the Mirada Lagoon development. The family signed an 18-month lease for a newly built six-bedroom home on a cul-de-sac. They secured the property at a reduced monthly rent of $3,200.
New careers in Florida
Neither Patrzyk nor her husband had a job waiting for them when they arrived in Florida. Patrzyk soon took and passed the state real estate exam and got a job as an agent with 54 Realty. Her husband originally planned to use veteran benefits to attend fire academy training. However, the program was already full, so he decided to take business courses instead. The couple later joined a special training program called Zero-to-Hero at Calypso Divers of Tampa Bay. The program is funded through US Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits and trains beginners to become certified PADI scuba diving instructors. Both now work as professional diving instructors, while Patrzyk continues working in real estate. Patrzyk said their daily life is very different from what they were used to 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.”
Adjusting to stricter building rules
Although Patrzyk enjoys the wider range of activities in Florida, she said adapting to the state’s building rules has been difficult. Their old New York property allowed them to carry out some construction and electrical work without permits, something that would not be allowed under Florida regulations. “I miss the freedom of our New York property. We could build what we wanted without permits,” Patrzyk said in the Realtor.com interview. “My husband did electrical work there, but here, there are so many restrictions and permitting requirements that it’s hard to get things done.” Despite the different regulations and higher overall living costs, the family has settled in San Antonio. They now balance real estate work and professional diving as their full-time careers.
