Couple who were priced out of New York transform $160,000 cottage in Vermont into their dream home

A couple decided to leave their cramped Brooklyn studio behind for a cozy cottage on a sprawling estate in rural Vermont. 

Taylor and Tatum Barnes were sick of living in a 'roach-infested box' despite loving the people and atmosphere of New York City, said Tatum in a YouTube video.

After falling in love with the Upper Valley area of Vermont on a road trip, they ultimately found an adorable home in the area for $160,000 that they quickly snatched up, as they explained to Business Insider. 

The house was a one-bedroom, one-bathroom fixer upper, but the couple was down for the challenge of renovating the address in the tiny town of Pomfret, which has a population of 864 and is 30 minutes from Burlington.

'I thought it would be perfect for us,' Taylor, an artist, told the outlet.

The 650-square-foot abode was being used as an office for a local business, and hadn't served as a residence in at least a decade.

But all the couple saw was its potential as long-term home for their growing family - with now-toddler son Rafael still a twinkle in his mom's eye by move-in day. 

'I saw the beauty of the natural lighting, there was a lot of sunlight. There are a lot of neat details with the wood and the cabinets which I thought were really cute. And then, mostly, the outdoor space was what we wanted,' Taylor continued. 

It also came with a generous 2.6 acres of land. 

For the renovation itself, they decided to hire a carpenter while Tatum also took on some of the work himself. 

First thing was to fix the sliding glass door and its frame leading to their porch.

'With winter fast approaching, we absolutely had to take care of that in the first months of us getting here,' he reasoned. 

They also decided to offload some of their power consumption by investing in solar grids. 

'I think it's a good investment since we'll save a lot of money over time. And I think it's an indication that we intend to be here for the long run,' added Tatum of the decision. 

As another money-saving measure, pretty much everything they own has been thrifted or gifted to them - or otherwise acquired sans cost. 

They also manage a campsite on their property that generates another income stream. 

In any case, their mortgage on the idyllic property is still only half of what they paid for rent back in Brooklyn.

It's estimated that single people must make at least $140,000 to live 'comfortably' in New York City, while a family of four must make at least $318,000, according to BI. 

As for connecting with their community, the dynamics are rather different the Big Apple.

'In New York City, we're not waving at everyone we pass by because if you did that, you'd go insane. It's too many people, and not everyone is your friend there,' Tatum pointed out.

'But here in Vermont, everyone waves at you, and you learn to wave back. It's very friendly and very welcoming.'

Their closest neighbors are across the street, rather than across the hall or even beyond a shared wall - also allowing for much more privacy.

Because they made the move during the pandemic, there was a delay in connecting with everyone in the area - but they've since crossed that hurdle and are friendly with many other residents of their town.  

And, now that Rafael is two, bringing him to various activities has also facilitated meeting people in the area.

'The pace here is slower, but that doesn't mean that we're not running around, trying to get him from play date to day care and back to work. I just can't imagine how we'd pull it off in New York,' said Tatum.

'We met other parents and families through playgroups and things like that, and got to know our neighbors more,' Taylor, who is originally from Pennsylvania, chimed in.

'I lived in New York City for about four years, and it's something that I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain long-term in terms of the sensory overwhelm and the pace of life,' she added.