The majority of middle school students likely have other concerns besides building houses.
Luke Thill, a 13-year-old middle school student from Dubuque, Iowa, stands out from the crowd.
In the backyard of his parents, this creative and resourceful boy has built his very own tiny home.
He spent about $1,500 USD on the project, and now Luke is in his tiny cottage living his dream.
Come on in and see how it looks on the inside.
Luke is undoubtedly different from many of his 13-year-old peers, I believe. In an era of iPads, smart phones, gadgets, and X Boxes, this young man chose to pass the time in a distinctive and more “traditional” manner. His desire to construct a small house, as he explains on his YouTube channel, developed as a result of boredom last summer.
Luke had a pretty good idea of how he was going to carry out his plan after conducting extensive research.
The Method
Getting the money and supplies he required to build the house took him about a year. To make money, Luke cut lawns, started an online fundraising campaign, and completed errands for neighbors who needed assistance.
For example, an electrician Luke knew helped him install the electricity in exchange for Luke cleaning out his garage.
Luke used a lot of leftover items from his grandmother’s house and recycled about 75% of them. A friend of an uncle gave the house’s front door as a gift.
The 89-square-foot house, which is 10 feet long and 5 1/2 feet wide, has electricity but no plumbing, meaning there isn’t any water or a bathroom… yet.
“I liked the minimalism,” he told The Des Moines Register. “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
As more people became interested in the tiny house, Luke created several video clips and posted them online. In these videos, he discusses his project.
As you might expect, Luke also got some assistance from his parents with the building and with money.
Greg, Luke’s father, however, made sure that Luke would finance and construct the majority of his project on his own.
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports,” Greg told The Des Moines Register. “It teaches life lessons.”
The Dream of a Teen
In many ways, the house is a teenager’s paradise—a place where you can unwind and hang out. It has a loft with a bed, a microwave, and a TV.
Even a barbecue and flowers are located in the backyard.
Luke typically works on his homework at his new home after school, where he also spends some nights during the week.
Luke already has plans to build a new, slightly larger home for when he starts college. In addition, he wishes to encourage others to pursue their goals:
“I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age,” he says in one of his videos.