India, Oct. 27 -- Most people dream of owning a home, but very few people build their own from scratch. Jessica Patrzyk, 34, and her husband did just that in rural Worth, New York, according to an interview with Realtor.com. They taught themselves through YouTube tutorials, used materials collected from local dumps, and built a 2,500-square-foot home for $40,000. They sold it for $290,000, moved to Florida, and started the next chapter of their lives.

It all began with a curious trade. Patrzyk received two acres of land in the small town of Worth from her grandfather in exchange for a 55-inch television. The couple then built a home on it themselves. Neither of them had a construction background or a large budget to lean on. Instead, the...