Couldn't afford the city. They got Starter Homestead in Vermont

Taylor and Tatum were living in a “roach-infested box” in New York City when they found a home with 2.65 acres of land in Vermont where the $800/month mortgage would be half the price of their rent. It had been on the market for months so the price had dropped to $160,000 since “people aren’t that interested in a one-bedroom house,” explains Taylor.
Originally the neighbor’s garage, it was moved onto its own lot 50 years ago and had last been used as an office. Under the motto “gifted, thrifted or free” the couple began to turn it into a home, focusing on using what they could reuse and what was already installed (cabinets, curtains and a 1980s Jenn-Air stove).
With the arrival of their son, Rafael, they divided their bedroom with a heavy curtain to give him space for a bed and playroom, though this is just their starter home and they plan to one day take advantage of , but this is just a starter home. They are saving up to one day build their dream home on the land since the lot is permitted for more than one home.
In their 4 years on the property, they have been learning to garden and now grow all their vegetables during the summer months, and preserve what they can for winter. They have also created a space on the land to rent to tent campers for extra income. They hope to expand the micro business to book space for arts and events. Right now, Taylor uses a makeshift platform in the field to rehearse her modern dance routines.
Instagram: @fulljoyfarm
KZbin: @FullJoyFlow
HipCamp www.hipcamp.co...
On *faircompanies faircompanies....

[@antonjw]

The name of their property is apt; you can sense the joy in the way they speak & move, and the relationship they have with their land. I like how they're prepared to build up from very little and take their own meaningful journey through life. A really great life lesson for the kid.

[@MsLin-u5v]

Beautiful family and the land is amazing 😊

[@EmilyBoltz]

Funny I was just going to write something like that. I watch a video like this and my hope in humankind is restored. 😊

[@MrVillabolo]

When they said that winters get to negative twenty, is that Celsius or Fahrenheit?

[@iljavoronin163]

Хорошая пара. Пусть у них все получится.

[@serenakoleno9338]

F​@@MrVillabolo

[@xrichie7924]

Love that you featured this little family and space. Its nice to see a home in progress instead of a shiny home built by rich architects.

[@noellerilleau6529]

I have to tell you, your videos bring me hope in a world gone mad. Thank you for what you do.

[@keilana6]

For people who earn enough to buy house & land.

[@the8ighth655]

@@noellerilleau6529 Same 😌

[@paranoidhumanoid]

Congrats to the couple taking advantage of a sane, safe, and natural environment for a cost that is manageable. The view alone is a million dollars!

[@georgekibblin9924]

This young family is rich beyond words...watching them makes me so happy!

[@faithmason9562]

Gifted, thrifted, and free! I love it. Best wishes to this beautiful family!

[@thevirtualtraveler]

I love that they didn't clean and put away all their stuff before the cameras arrived. They live in the house and you can tell.

[@lindabonomi7274]

they probably did clean up, I love it!

[@boysrus61]

This is how we all begin to build our generational wealth. Bit by bit and day by day. I think your home looks so cozy and comfy. I would live there over a city any day!

[@ehlava7331]

Exactly. No complaining about how expensive NYC, San Francisco, etc is. Find the opportunity, go there, and start building a life.

[@ClimbToGlory10thMntn]

Nice to see city people making the country transition and getting into nature while experiencing the hardships of working raw land. They have that Vermonter vibe to them already so I think they’ll be in it for the long haul. Thanks for the video Kirsten😊

[@ruthhovsepian]

I see a family filled with joy and appreciation. Young families need more of these in their lives.

[@DanielleSamoneJohnson77]

Kirsten and Nicolas, your tireless work is a lily in the valley. Seeing a great range of humankind in various environments is healing. Thank you for sharing your creativity and curiosity. 💐

[@-jz5mm]

A real home, nothing overly polished posh or pretentious I love it & wish you both much success & happiness ❤

[@rdlewis3616]

I love their youthful exuberance and excitement about their place. It reminds me of the 60s and 70s when Boomers were experimenting with rural living and making homes out of small affordable places. God bless them!

[@ipsilonia]

i only see joy here!!! i’m so glad they shared their beautiful home and story with us :) 19:47 “i don’t know how to do that! but i can build a hole and line it with rocks.” what a great example of a family trying their best to practice joy and not overburden themselves 💛

[@grimetone]

What a lovely family!

[@End3rWi99in]

This is such a breath of fresh air for me! I always love your content but sometimes it feels out of bounds for me. Seeing a story like this, especially in the same state I am searching, is so uplifting and inspiring. I would love to see more stories like theirs. Their story is my dream. I know I can get there too.

[@odnewdylee]

I hope they read this. Please build onto the existing house instead of new construction. I do rentals for part of my living, you don't want a tenant that close. No one treats your house like you do and you can't put off something minor until a convenient time when they're that close... everything becomes an emergency. Plus it's way cheaper to add sq ft. on than do all new construction.

[@serenakoleno9338]

Too close to the road, especially if they widen it. Also steep drop behind home. I wonder if a B n B would not make more sense. They would make the same amount of money and could let family come stay in off seasons. Might want to have a fire break if there's any chance of wildfire in area. Vermont is so beautiful. You can easily rent out for a week/ weekend or two a month. Leaf-peepers, family reunions: utilizing campsites, etc. Good luck whatever you decide. Would be careful with humanure from campsites. If they are taking medicine, etc. It might adversely change compost composition. Glad to see someone using and talking about humanure. TFS

[@kanyisantombini8793]

The fact that their mortgage is half the cost of their rent in the city is incredible

[@Gen-en8fi]

I love this Kirsten this is one of those families you revisit in a few year. They are amazing. Sending love from the UK

[@davidwolfe7777]

Love love love this property👍👍👍

[@graceaxisa4213]

I am so happy for this young family. The freedom to stay in your own home, without the constant dread of being asked to move on (or notification that the rent is increasing), must be wonderful ❤ Greetings from Australia!

[@dpacheco7349]

Pole barn, chickens and ducks, awsome... probably saved your son's life... so cool

[@ja553]

Home is where the heart is, as well as what you can afford.

[@andredubois4601]

Heart has to come to term with what you can afford

[@hillfarm7044]

I live near here, and i can say that the most remarkable aspect of their small property is that it is flat and if not a floodplain, would be one of the easier places to build in VT, which puts them way ahead. Safety note: it is advised not to use river rocks for fire pits, they can explode when heated, be careful. (:

[@ildiko1vt]

is that so about river rocks? had no idea. (i live in VT too)

[@mertonallowicious]

@@ildiko1vtapplies to any rocks in or near body of water- too much moisture absorbed by the rock and it can cause steam explosion… so a river rock that has been out for some time and dry, is not an issue

[@pleka]

That creek had me thinking that there would be flood risk to the land, but their house looks very elevated near the road.

[@FullJoyFlow]

thank you!

[@Mongoswede]

@@pleka Unfortunately we in Vermont have experienced a 1000 year flood twice in a 10 year period. I suspect their house is high enough above that creek to not flood but that little creek was probably running 100x more water through it during the last two events.

[@philiq18]

"Fulljoy" every moment. Beautiful home, property, and life. Blessings. 🇯🇲

[@FullJoyFlow]

Thank you! 🙌

[@philiq18]

@FullJoyFlow for sure! I'm Jamaican, and the minute I started watching, something told me "fulljoy" was definitely Jamaican-esque. All the best!

[@michellewinkler3985]

What a beautiful place to grow and raise children! Congrats for a great choice!!!!!

[@chas4life]

This one is so hopeful and uplifting. Best wishes to Taylor and Tatum and their beautiful child!

[@kiza4178]

A home for all seasons, made with love.

[@arcuda2001]

what a fabulous family!! so happy for them and their little piece of heaven ❤❤What a lucky little boy !!

[@whooshr5588]

I am so happy for you two and your son. You’ve landed upon paradise and from what I can see (and feel) it couldn’t have happened to two better people. Cheers and all the good wishes to you both I love every little thing about your home..it is perfect!

[@fatedrivesyou7471]

@@whooshr5588 my new refrigerator literally died yesterday and I've been told to wait 5 days..... your comment is so apropos today!

[@inquisitive_stranger]

Such a beautiful family! "what was that" " a gunshot, but not the one's I grew up with" Love it!

[@annepdowney8067]

Wonderful! Welcome to the Upper Valley! I also grew up in New York City but have been living in this area for most of the past 40 years. I’ve never looked back. And yes! Good arts and community here as well! Glad you’ve found your dance friends.

[@iamhis5580]

Keep the old appliances if you can they work better than the new ones!

[@andredubois4601]

Well at least you won't need an app to operate them

[@ryandmaal]

like my gas cooking stove which came with the farm from the 1940's - I'll never will change it. solid like a tank, easy to clean and repair, if this ever happens.

[@thomas5714]

Frigidaire is in the business of selling $49 socket specific refrigerator light bulbs that are made in China and last two years - if you're lucky. Engineered obsolescence from the boardroom.

[@Whitney_Sews]

What a sweet family! I love seeing their little house and what they are doing on their land.

[@marthareyes4024]

This is great. What the American spirit is all about. Making it and improving along the way. Cute home and there is so much that they can do to it as the years go by!

[@rainbowl4745]

They really made a home full of love and life.

[@jeroberts7228]

I absolutely LOVE this couple and their wonderful small & cozy home and all of that great land they have! They are so enterprising, and they're learning so much along the way. What a great environment for a child to grow up in, too! I wish them all the best in their future journeys. 😊

[@alskjflaksjdflakjdf]

Thanks for showing your life, it is a blessing to see. My wife is from Jamaica and we are learning and experimenting with tending a garden here in Aberta.

[@jeffbaca1173]

Excellent find, great renovations, as far as heating we found Eco wall heaters utilizing infrared heat (electric); extremely efficient for our 680sq feet two does the job although we don’t have snow during the winter, loved the garden area.

[@jasonbeedon9867]

Beautiful people. Love their simplicity. I have many friends from NYC…they are the best. Love their sensibilities.

[@christinerenee5616]

I hope you revisit this beautiful family in a few years. I can't wait to see how things unfold for them.

[@samlewis6615]

Love it!! Reminds me of my cozy lil home. I love how they are living small inside but large outside ❤

[@wildhurstmanor]

We had that same Jennaire cooktop in my house. Brings back happy memories. I really like this sweet young couple.

[@Questinia1]

This is the life. Hanging out your laundry in the beautiful country sunshine is quiet luxury.

[@EnronnSierra]

This is what I call the "real" American dream. For many of us, including myself, we have become trapped into the comforts of urban city life, quick access to work, light rail, streetcars, mopeds, downtowns, movie theaters, supermarkets, electronic stores and the consumerization that comes with it. The idea of living off the land; being close to nature; being independent is really hard work. What serendipity knowing they have been to Jamaica which is my home country. For me to reach this dream here will take a while longer though, but its great to see others achieve it and make it work.

[@elizabethmarie7828]

What a sweet story! It's awesome to see some folks just living with what they can instead of renovating everything immediately. The home is so cozy and I love their ideas for the property's future.

[@Mary-tj5qx]

Really impressive. They've made a great choice for themselves and their small family. They've gone for quality of life and a connection to nature. They seem to be fearless wildflowers. They have the same approach to life as my recently deceased mother. I admire it tremendously. Too many of us over prepare and risk nothing for the sake of so called safety. They are simply living.

[@FullJoyFlow]

Thank you for your kind words, and blessings to you and your family in the recent passing of your mother

[@tamaravaughan503]

What an absolutely adorable family❤

[@gerardkiff2026]

My first house was 800 sq ft. Love to see the couple making it work. She spoke truth when she said, all the furniture needs to be multifunctional and have storage.

[@kristianpaul7]

Would be nice to do a followup for the house coming

[@kirstendirksen]

We agree. We would love to return and film the home they choose to build.

[@cosmictogaparty]

Such a beautiful family and gorgeous set up!!! 🌿😍🌿

[@pfv1247]

It warms my heart to see they are living their dream. Congratulations to this beautiful family. What a lovely house and what a dear cozy home. May all good things come to you.

[@matthewcain2880]

Me and my whole family are from California and now we’re all looking to move to Vermont bc of your video thank you!

[@FullJoyFlow]

Go for it, you can do it if you find the right spot!🙂

[@Creativezon3]

Beautiful family and place. We did this when our kids were little and it was the best life for them to grow up in. 💛🙌👍💕🌄

[@roswelarea51]

Dope family, love it, great decision making, great bonded father, beautiful mother, do ya thing, get the garden going.

[@mariamarshall6116]

Prayers for this family , for guidance , clarity and peace. Def appreciate what we have.

[@smrk2452]

You guys are pioneers of the new world! Thanks for your work on the land.

[@joanneganon7157]

Good for you guys🎉 I moved to Vermont 40yrs ago when Boston harbor was polluted!😢. It was a huge change from a fishing harbor town! I've love every day here 😍. Great idea to build a frame. I used stips of wood and every year I had to replace the cheap hair dryer stuff. I finally went to a higher grade plastic and left it year round👍. Enjoy! JO JO IN VT 💞

[@homesteadlady3acrehomestead]

I luv this couple and their home. What a nice starter Homestead. My husband and I started out in an old farmhouse and raised our children in it. We did the same thing with the windows, framing heavy mil. plastic and it worked great, just as they described. Of course I would probably just add on when I could because those views are amazing!!!

[@Maddie-lv5sg]

What a view. I am so glad to see the young ones got out of the city and appreciate it!

[@runningwarrior5468]

❤❤❤I LOVE THIS!!ADORABLE family!! I pray for their success!❤❤❤

[@BORDERSSAFARISTRAVEL]

WATCHING LIVE FROM NAIROBI KENYA 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

[@kevinweber5129]

Beautiful Family. Great to see them pursuing their dreams. My, dad used plastics on windows too.

[@ainurabazekenova7336]

Beautiful family, cosy and lovely house!

[@weslieonsando1124]

He said, "I'm from Brooklyn, I don't know anything!😂 Here's to enthusiastic learning. So inspiring.

[@Ibrahim_M]

I found this video to be very refreshing; so many of the (wonderful) videos we see on this channel showcase people who have been on their land/creating their permaculture homestead for decades. It makes me feel like the road ahead of me in my own journey with this stuff is too long and too steep sometimes. It's cool to see one where the people are at the beginning of their journey, too.

[@joanngreen9714]

I don't blame you , your new house is lovely and you have property. Great price. Add on to the existing house maybe.

[@Sara-zu4og]

They seem like such a smart couple. Love their home and land.

[@joekulik999]

I grew up in the 1950's south of Vermont in Springfield, Massachusetts. Vermont is certainly a beautiful State, but the harsh winters weed out the pretenders. A TRUE Vermonter actually loves digging through a 6 foot snow bank to get to his car. An urban dilettante wouldn't last longer than one Vermont winter. Vermont isn't for Everyone, just for the folks who can make it work for them. God Bless Vermont !!! ❤

[@my_freelance_life]

This is the next step for me and my life. After 40 yr's, I'm over NYC.

[@DSGLABEL]

Shit. All of NYS!

[@nautilusshell940]

After 4 hours im over NYC

[@ejm918]

Love that they're looking to do a long term rental, Vermont certainly needs more of that!

[@whatisrealknowtheformula6137]

Practical and room to grow conscientiously. Like it.

[@JudgeDredd_]

Ahh I miss Vermont. Grew up there :) I visited a couple of years ago for a wedding in Charlotte.

[@kristinaginorio1344]

A precious young family, with the right direction.

[@chrishusmann-spence8704]

Amazing to follow you all these years and now you’re in my hometown!

[@tim9430]

Beautiful home and family. I love the creek too!

[@lindaroyal8161]

Such a lovely couple. Seems they have their path figured out and they're on their way. Nice piece of property and adorable little starter home/cottage. I wish them all the best in their adventure!

[@Alex_Plante]

This is so cool. I hope you do a follow-up interview in 5 years, I'd be curious to see how they've progressed.

[@asta9386]

I loved this smart choice this family made in purchasing this house. 🎉 I love how you bring your son to work as well ❤

[@FirstnameLastname-ps4cu]

Very nice, best of luck to the couple with their new house.

[@aaroncrowley]

This video was amazing, thank you

[@hsk2909]

Leave the cities people, leave. Leave the rich to fend for themselves and start enjoying life and the land.

[@TonyRedunzo]

A lot of people want to leave the cities, but home prices are unaffordable for anyone who isn't a millionaire. The world has gone insane when even the home prices are tripling and quadrupling every few years for small homes in places where there are no living wage jobs. This is engineered by the corpos who buy up all the land and housing and charge obscene rents.

[@tlockerk]

I raised my kids in a 820sf home, one block from park, two blocks from a great school. They played outside, and for some reason, all the kids in the neighborhood from 2800sf homes played here as well. In the teen years the clothes for girls required another look at storage. We also put in a JennAir grill! I hope you have the wonderful memories I have of our "first house".

[@marissaalonzo7997]

I loved all of it! We live similarly. However, I would fence along that road just in case the little one ever got out the front door...

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

Current banking/real estate is 100% criminal. You know that when it was built, that place cost 1/100th of what it's "valued" at today.

[@lindabonomi7274]

LOVE this video...thank you , what a wonderful little family in their darling house!

[@StevesDIYProjects7]

i have that same stove. i love my 80's jenn air. can still get parts for em too from jenn air. i almost all the attachments too. got mine and all attachments from habitat for humanity for 200$. glass for oven broke in a move but its fine and never gets to hot.

[@BrentWigginsWords]

"Not that popular and common" is where people overlook life's greatest necessities. Living within their means and making the land priceless is what a sustainable world looks like.

[@EmilyBoltz]

What a beautiful family- wishing them the very best. I feel like great things are going to be happening for this family- they already have! ❤

[@AMYV3]

I’m so happy for them. And I’m happy to see people from all cultures are enjoying the country life. The more people from different cultures (I mean their American)live together in communities the more ignorance disappears. I just hope they are treated well by all. We all deserve a chance at that American Dream even now a days. Lol when some people are feeling hopeless. Good for them for making it a reality 👏👏👏❤️

[@jennyh1970]

What a big blessing. So lovely and healing. Cute family.

[@Kofi.86]

Full joy🇯🇲

[@nathanielbellmore]

Welcome to VT, yall have a nice cozy home. Its refreshing seeing an actual family move into a house here instead of another rental investment or vacation home. Now if only more Vermonters actually pushed back against the gentrification so we could have more people of ALL levels of income raising families here.

[@ChristineKeup]

Absolutely beautiful way to live and enjoy life. Love it!

[@henand3chicks]

Such a lovely property and family. Maybe digging out an old fashioned root cellar would be a great project, to store vegetables and canned goods!:)

[@FullJoyFlow]

Thank you for the suggestion! Going to start researching and planning for some cob-related earth-building projects, we appreciate the mention!

[@reginablevins8550]

Smart people to live within their means. They aren't stressed about money an debt. What a great example for their child and everyone else. What a Beautiful family with a great head on their shoulders. I bet they are putting money away for their retirement. Gives me hope for my kids. I love they aren't comparing themselves to others an trying to keep up with the Jones's.

[@janesmith9024]

Well done to them and so lucky to find land so cheap (in our much much smaller UK there is nothing that cheap and we have more people coming to the UK than ever in our history)

[@Smarglenargle]

crazy that people can have starter homes. That home is a perma home for people.

[@margaretames6522]

Adorable house. Less to hear in the winter. Less to clean. I’ve had bigger spaces but kids want to be where you are so bedrooms end up being less needed square footage. I wish them well in their adventure!

[@NeuroPulse]

What an unbelievably fantastic place to raise a family! Love love love love love love love love love!!!