Expectations vs. Reality: Do I REGRET leaving NYC to live in the suburbs? 

Any home owners out there? Have you experienced any of these things! Tell me in the comments! Thank you Soniya for helping us with interior design. I highly recommend her! We can't wait to show you the final result! www.dwellistic.com/

A 6,700 sq ft house is HUGE! Plus your mortgage will go away some day when it's paid off. Your rent would NEVER go away. Nice job Sarah... love the progress so far.

Here’s the bright side: NYC isn’t going anywhere. It’ll always be here for you. So, if in a few years, you and your husband are still missing the City and feel like the suburbs are not for you, you can move back. As long as you feel that it’s feasible.

I love New York. Fantastic place to live. I came here in 2022. I left only for a year in 2022 and moved to Hawaii. Great place but it was the worst decision ever. i came back to NYC. Living now very happy with my wife and dog in a studio. I am so glad you are doing great in your new place. I really enjoy your work and your channel!

You left out other expenses that you didn't have living in your apartment. A car is a necessity, so car ownership, gasoline, maintenance. Outdoor space- care of the lawn, shrubs and trees, whether you do it yourself or use a gardener. Water bills for you and to irrigate the outdoors. Ongoing repairs-- things wear out, break etc. like appliances and the roof. Careful of ice damming on the roof and wind damage from storms. I just had a tree fall down and it was very expensive to remove it. In an apartment you don't pay for heat. You have to pay for that in a house. When I bought my first house I was constantly paying bills for things I never paid before, like an alarm system and water. My electricity bills more than doubled for the extra space and air condiitoning. Big change for me-- lack of good home delivery options for food and not being able to walk out the door to a restaurant with one block. In all I prefer living outside of NYC now, but not because I save money, because I don't. It's just better to have the extra space and privacy.

I grew up in NYC - lived here 62 years. I did move a small tropical island for 3 years in the Caribbean but after awhile it got old and I came back to NYC - since the lockdown the quality of life is very bad in NYC and the crime went up and the cost is too much - but it is home and I can walk everywhere and I love to walk everywhere. Enjoy your new home - and besides you are not that far away from NYC so you can always visit.

Hi Sara. I have a tip (but you probably already know this) work on the room you'll be using the most first. Don't overwhelm yourself. Take it a little at a time 😊

We're from Queens, but we spent 34 years in Suffolk County Long Island raising our sons. It was a nice area with plenty of amenities not far away, but frustratingly nothing within realistic walking distance. It was annoying to see parents drive their children down the street to the school bus stop. Now we're enjoying living in a small city in the Hudson Valley. P.S.: Whether you have a studio apartment or a six bedroom house, you will fill it!

Fascinating! Your journey from NYC to homeownership is inspiring! Can't wait to see your new space transform!

NYC will miss you, thank you for showcasing unique sides of our city over the years. Congratulations on the new home. 🙏🏾✨

Loved the insights, can't wait for a updated version in a few months :)

Growing up has its challenges but some beautiful things will come of it!! Change stings but it can be enlightening too. Y’all will be fine, just thing how blessed you are to have a home but not only that you can renovate it too!! Wow. Congrats girl

Hi Sarah! I left NYC in 2022 after living there for 50 years. I moved to Maine. I don't miss NYC. It's a big adjustment for you and your family. So give it time and be patient. In time you will love the peace and serenity your home will bring you. Congratulations on your new chapter in your life.

I am praying for you guys, that you'll navigate life to find the good paths, wherever they may be. And that this will be a good time in your life that you'll enjoy and treasure. I wish you loads and loads of peace in your hearts.✌🏽❤

Working hard here! I'm glad NYC is still super close 😊 we'll get to go and see our friends any time!

Hi Sarah, Congratulations on your home ownership! It’s a big hit financially at first but as the years go by, fixed expenses are your friend and equity is your reward! Hang in there because you are better off than before. Best Wishes, Peter

As someone in the city who frequently daydreams about a backyard and some of the eases of suburbia, thank you for this!!

Congratulations on your new house! It’s yours now take your time with it. I don’t think a home is ever truly finished. Enjoy the process making it the way you want it. Great video!

Thank u so much for ur videos. They made my trip to NYC perfect. Especially getting from jfk to Midtown

Hi Sarah ! Nice to see your video again since you moved! I enjoyed a lot watching your videos when you were in New York and I feel so glad that you are keep making interesting videos there. Thanks a lot for this video and I hope you feel more happier and get used to living in there quickly. From Lynn

I also moved from a big city to the burbs after having a child, it definitely is a huge lifestyle change but over time I couldn't see myself ever going back to city life. The city is awesome to visit but you are in a better place in the long run. It is extra overwhelming I'm sure because you skipped the starter home and jumped straight to the mansion, you will learn so much on this home journey.

Once you're settled, you're really going to enjoy being in a more suburban area. I never thought I would ever want to live "in the sticks" as I say, but that is where I'm headed in a few years when I can get out of Orlando. Then wait a couple of years and see how much stuff you accumulate living in a bigger space. I lived in a studio when I moved here. I currently live in a 3/2 and like you, it felt so empty when I first moved in. Now I'm getting rid of everything I can so I can live in a 500 sq. ft. 1/1 cottage in the retirement village I'm planning to move to. I'm enjoying watching your new home transition!

Looks like you doing a wonderful job fixing up your new home! I'm sure you appreciate suburban life in the long run... I basically been living in the suburbs my whole life! Have a wonderful day beautiful lady😘😘😘xox

I learnt that renovations don’t happen over night and it’s like painting a bridge….when you eventually get to the end you need to start again, everything needs maintenance and wear and tear happens quicker than you expect, would still own over renting any day as it’s so such a satisfying feeling to have something so tangible to show for your hard earned money & make a house a home, it’s looking fab can’t wait for the end result 😊

I am a (retired) real estate investor & independent landlord who has owned dozens of homes and properties. I have many comments and will try to be brief: 1) I applaud your candor with both the pros and cons 2) Currently you are being somewhat contrary to your demographic-- even young people with the means to buy are choosing that option less than ever, preferring the flexibility of renting and the higher level of available amenities per housing dollar spent. However I do think that trend will diminish over time 3) Buying a home isn't wise unless you realistically expect to live there at least 5 years or more. The up front acquisition and move-in costs (furniture, renovations etc) can't be recouped that quickly. 4) I do exactly what you're about to: I get tips from you and your fellow City RU-vidrs and make frequent day trips to NYC. Enjoy!

I love how you get the binoculars out to see what’s going on in your backyard. It does not get old and I keep a pair in the kitchen. We watch deer, fox and other animals as well as many species of birds. Enjoy!

Congratulations on your new journey

Delighted to hear of your success. I am confident that all aspects will converge in due course. Please exercise patience. While New York holds a special place in everyone hearts but I believe your current location offers significant advantages. The cost of living in New York is prohibitive, and your decision aligns with prudent financial management.

Two things which I hope you will cover in the next video. How is the schooling and food ordering in situation where you have moved. I know there were some great schools and 100s of restaurants at fingertips where you lived.

I love it when you walked outside and there was only a bird chirping :D The peace and quiet will take some getting used to I'm sure.

The B-roll of Minions hanging wallpaper was everything... ha !

Congrats on your new home!!The renovation process is never fun and feels like taking forever. But you will enjoy the result and will be for many years! Once you get use to the large living space there is no way you can ever go back to apartment space. :-) Enjoy the fresh air!

Not only is it $5500/month for your mortgage and taxes, but you need to pay for cars, insurance, gas, and maintenance now, so it's probably more than $6000/month. It sounds like you've been occupied with your renovations for your first month, but I would suspect that when all has settled down and you realize the lack of stuff to do in the suburbs, that THAT'S when you'll miss NYC. Good luck with your renovations!

If you‘re doing the renovations all by yourself, it looks like you‘re still well on schedule, considering that you‘ve only been living there for a month. This is a job where you have to think in months or even years rather than weeks. As for the furniture, don‘t pressure yourselves into filling, because that‘s what happens automatically in a big flat/house. Enjoy the minimalism while it lasts. I know people who‘ve packed their houses to the fullest and who are panicking of the sheer thought of ever having to move! Hope you‘re having a good time setting everything up!

Please wear PPE! It will protect and make it more comfortable to work with and minimal small injuries. (Hard hat, mask, eye protective goggles, durable clothes and protective footwear. Your home will take years to get to were you want it to be and throughout the time you will change your mind and learn from your mistakes. Enjoy the journey and take it slow, as it’s your forever home which takes time to build character and settle in. Congratulations and good luck! ❤

Had you never lived in a house before? You can say you lived in NYC but actually you lived in Long Island City in like a dormitory high rise .... BIG difference than city living in Manhattan's UES or UWS, the Village etc. Living there and raising children in that environment is beautiful.

Congrats on the new place! You know it just takes time to get settled in, and a new home + new location means new adventures! Living in the burbs is great while you have kiddos... mine is nearly off to college so we're hoping to move to the city for a few years while we're still young! LOL Can't wait to see how you transform your space and what new content you'll be making! :)

Hi Sarah, the house looks amazing, I’m so happy for you guys! I know you don’t want to say for now where you moved to but would you mind if I comment where I think you moved to as you don’t need to answer!

Sarah I see NYC got snow this week. Sounds like you like the city life better then suburban life.

Congratulations ! I think you have come very far and made it beatiful in such a short time. And doing it by yourself ! Trust me, I am an architect and know the process and the strain it can put on a couple. Missing the City vibe, or rather, the idea of not having constant access to the action, is very much psycholocical. To be honest, even if you were living in the middle of Manhattan, would you be hanging out every evening, all the time ? Or perhaps I am only talking like an old geezer !

Tbf if you don’t live far from the city, it’ll be hard to miss it.

The truth is, you'll probably never be done. By the time the entire house has been replaced, maybe 10 years, you'll want to start over to improve things you started with. Like the kitchen.

You hit the nail on the head with suburbia and NYC differences.......Accessibility and lack of Diversity!..but u r so close that u can get your NYC fix in an hour and come back home to a future you're building.

Where did you get that awesome Statue of Liberty/ NYC map art work? I love it and wanna find it!

The most wonderful thing about your home is, that you live there as a family. What your friend adds with her wonderful interior ideas is only the icing on the cake. And I don't mean this in any way disrespectful, quite the opposite.

A 6700 square foot house? Huge! My husband and I raised our four children in a house of approximately 2900 square feet: 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. Each kid had their own room, and we had a primary suite. We had our own spaces, yet the house was cozy and warm. As young adults, they love to visit. Your location is ideal; it is near NYC and the best for you.

Also, rent stream or buy a Cary Grant movie made in 1947 called Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House. It's about a couple 80 years ago who moved from New York City into a house in the country and you'll be amazed how almost nothing has changed in 80 years. You will love this movie.

The other day was my one year anniversary of moving back to the suburbs and living in NYC for seven years. There are pluses and minuses to living in both places. I do work in Manhattan two days a week, so I am often there anyway.

You are adorable !! Which of the three types of LULL mattress did you buy

Nice , like from Pescara

Home owner here. 2 homes. Don’t do everything all at once. That’s when mistakes are made. I own a brownstone on the UES and a place on the north shore of Long Island. You’re doing a great job. Are you on LI NJ or CT. By the way I I downloaded a few apps you suggested. Thanks.

Congratulations!!! Just think too - now you will have the home for generations to pass down !! 😀

The construction noise should remind you of NYC! On I Love Lucy when they moved from Manhattan to Connecticut they said listen to that. What? I don't hear anything. That's it. The quiet. It's too quiet. I can't sleep with all this quiet. I wish a firetruck would drive by. Or a nice rattley garbage truck!😊

I would suggest to take your time with everything. There is no need to furnish every room immediately . Same with rehab . If you lived in a small space in the city, I thinks that you can make do without having 6,000 square ft available quickly. Relax, it will come together eventually. I would give myself a one year block of time to get things in order . That will give you time to " take care of yourself " and not be a slave to the house ! Try to plan activities to enjoy outside the home ! I hear that NYC is a fun place to visit !

Here’s the deal well, I left New York city. I felt the same way you did but when you go back to New York City you get to appreciate it more. Yeah it sucks. You don’t have the conveniences within a three block radius, but you also have the ability not to be on top of peopleto have space

Why are you renovating the attic of a 6,700 sf house? You don't need to use that space. Use the attic for storage!

A mortgage IS cheaper, but only if you buy a reasonably sized and located house. My mortgage is less than six-hundred dollars a month, roughly a tenth of what you are paying, but I didn't insist on a mansion just outside of New York City.

Long Island mortgage $2100, 2000sqft. Moved, retired, to SC. 1857 sq ft, $950 month. That’s how u do it.

It's nice to work in New York City , but it's really nice to live in Connecticut 😊. It's ..quiet. 😌

6700 square foot renovation overnight??? Oh honey! Plus, prepare for every single thing to cost 3 times what you estimate in dollars and time. I’ve renovated/remodeled many homes over the past 25 years and the ONLY THING that speeds the process/overcomes obstacles IS UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF MONEY. Good luck, it’s going to turn out fantastic, truly! ❤👍🥳

How close are you to a MetroNorth station? The Hudson Valley has its own charm, like you showed in another video.

Looking forward to seeing your house renovation videos. But holy cow, your house is SO big. Gonna cost a lot to heat it too.

when you buy a home you build equity over time, done 2 fixer uppers in Houston alone, been really grueling, wouldn't do it again

I live in a small village in Italy. I moved one year ago. I bought a bigger house (just across the street!) and still I have not finished moving! So if you've not finished moving is absolutely normal. And, yes, renovation is potentially unlimited but... it's YOUR house. I'm an owner and very happy of owning *my* house.

Once we moved out of DC, the lack of true diversity is JARRING.

How do you return a Bed once it is opened...Always wanted to know that if I get a bed in a Box.

Your fortunate your a fam. I myself moved from Boston to the “boonies”. Depends on where upstate you are. Where I am, everything shuts down at six, Town hall has a 4 day workweek etc. Oy Vey! 😄 P.S. ❤️ the “Alladin” pants

home ownership is lots of work, maintenance takes time and energy

Stop complaining unless you enjoy having your rental going up every year. With a home mortgage you are the landlord and you will save money.

You'll be able to use your property taxes and mortgage interest paid as deductions on your tax return. My wife and I did that this year. It covered our 2023 property taxes and we still had a couple thousand left over.

Definitely go shopping for furniture in thrift shops and consignment shops. I do. And people think I own Antiques!!

Where did you go ? CT ?

How did you do you with plowing the driveway?

You need to go thrifting for furniture.

With a 6000 sq ft house the renovation will take quite awhile so be prepared. But you will have a lovely home whrn it's done. And from what you've shown I'm thinking that renovations on certain rooms will be far enuf from your main living area that it will be less bothersome. I think you will end up enjoying suburbia, as we get older it becomes more inviting. When I was younger I lived in the city in LA and a couple other places. Now you couldn't pay me to live in those places, I love grass, space and quiet.

Yes, all great advice. I moved to a typical "garden suburb', drive everywhere, good schools, reasonable taxes, low crime area; overall the "American Dream". What we didn't expect was the lack of turnover and lack of influx of new families into the neighborhood. There are many "retired in place" homeowners here so our kids friends are blocks away or we just have to drive them for play dates or other activities. The other thing we didn't expect was how "conservative" we found the area and my neighbors go out of their way to update me on FOX News talking points. Oh, and make sure you put out a flag on all holidays. Thankfully, our school district is ranked in the top 10% in NY and our kids are doing very well and enjoy the freedom of suburb life. But. as soon as they graduate from high school, we plan to downsize and move to Ithaca and enjoy a college town atmosphere and access to the Finger Lakes.

Speaking from experience...Hope those walls you took down weren't load bearing.

Your home looks beautiful. I think you made the right decision, but if you and your family ever decide to move back to NYC, it will be there.

Girl you need to go estate sailing. Furnish your house with classy stuff for cheap. We went to a 500 sq apt to a 2,000 sq house and it’s fully furnished now. Also good content.

@SarahFunky You'll have something that's yours when the mortgage is done. It's way better than paying a little more rent for no ownership!

❤️

Where did you two move to?

Pro tip remove the property tax and insurance from your escrow and pay for them separately.

i would check the health of the trees in your yard. with all the crazy weather, you don't want one falling on your house.

Congratulations!🎉 Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once.😊👍 Which suburb did you move to?

Oh my frickin god , im in the UK and your mortgage with all that its tied in is an obscene amount of money each month, fair to say that's a lovely massive house you have but that's a crazy amount of money to need to find each month , my mortgage is about £780 a month for our 4 bedroom house and then we pay about £200 council tax and £25 house insurance and £64 a month life insurance so about £1069 a month

I'm pro-lifestyle over home ownership. I always felt like maybe you all should have moved to Jersey City or Staten Island before completely leaving NYC. But you may end up settling quite well in your new town. God bless 🙌

More space =more work Sarah 😅😅

Sarah, born and raised in NYC and left at 30. Landed upstate and the one thing I miss is the ability to walk to local shops and chat with owners. Also, the lack of diversity is jarring. That’s aid, every one of my friends is from the city, so we still hang like we’re home. You’ll find your space. And, btw, welcome to home ownership. It’s a major investment with a huge payoff in many ways!

Maybe it’s not the house in the suburbs that overwhelms you…..maybe it’s the size of the house itself! If you had bought one half the size, it would‘ve been easier and cheaper.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻...

once you're settled, your property will be reappraised at some point and your prop. taxes may go up, be ready for that

Buying a sixty seven hundred square foot house is expensive? I had no idea. And for living out in the country that is a crazy amount of property taxes.

With a home you have equity and something to pass down to your children

8,000 bears live in the upstate NY.

👍

Just an fyi .. you could’ve moved to ‘less remote’ town and still have a 25-30 min train to midtown ..

goals would be to split up your time to live half in the city and half in the burbs

You live in Westchester it looks like. Welcome to Westchester County. I’m looking to move in the opposite direction as I’m still young and single

When adding the different costs associated with home ownership, you’ve forgotten to add the cost of maintaining your landscaping and most important, the costs associated with the maintenance of your HVAC equipment. I don’t want to scare you with the replacement cost associated with replacing your HVAC system!!