[Maru]

I love this kid.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/13-...ry?id=50132212

13-year-old builds $1,500 tiny house in family's backyard

Youtube video

Luke Thill is an Iowa middle school student who spent the past year building his own home in his family’s backyard.

Luke, 13, raised $1,500 of his own money by mowing lawns and helping neighbors and friends in order to build his 89-square-foot tiny home.

"I was just on YouTube looking around and came across a tiny house idea and then that spiraled into looking at almost every YouTube video there is, it felt like," Luke told ABC News. "I got obsessed with them and decided to build my own."

Luke’s parents, Greg and Angie Thill, saw their son was on a mission and gave him the go-ahead to build a home on the family's four-acre property.

Luke Thill, 13, raised $1,500 and spent nearly one year constructing a tiny home in the backyard of his family's Dubuque, Iowa home.

“We said, ‘If you’re that serious we have to set some ground rules,’” Greg Thill told ABC News. “We told him he had to have the financial responsibility of it, raise the money and choose the materials and stay in the budget.”

Luke began construction of the home in June 2016. He got help from his dad on the home's construction and his mom helped with the interior furnishings.

Luke's sister and twin brother also helped and he learned how to barter his services with friends and family who donated reclaimed materials and their own skills.

"I have a neighbor who is a professional electrician so I cleaned his garage out and he taught me how to wire the house," Luke said. "And in Cub Scouts I knew a guy who was a carpet layer and I mowed at his apartment buildings and he helped me install the carpet."

The interior of the tiny home features a TV, seating area, mini refrigerator, and a fold-up dining room table. Luke says his friends think the house is "cool" and often stop by to hang out.

“He’s a very driven kid for his age,” said Luke's dad. “There were times the project got stalled out and he had to earn more money for the next phase. He wouldn't let it go and kept working at it."

Luke was invited to speak at a tiny home conference this month in Iowa. He also documented the construction process on YouTube, where he hopes to inspire other kids to follow to not let their age stop their dreams.

"I couldn't find anyone younger than 14," Luke said of when he first watched tiny home construction videos. "I thought if no one is out there, I might as well do it so I started documenting the whole process and putting it on YouTube."

He continued, "Now lots of kids have messaged me and showed pictures of their tiny houses that they're building and they're even younger than me."

Luke's next project is helping his brother, Cole, build a teardrop trailer. Then he plans to return to where he started and build another house.

"In a couple of years I want to build a bigger house and stay in it full-time," he said.

[Oliver_W]

That's pretty awesome, good for him!

[Tom4784]

Good for him, I find the whole tiny houses thing quite fascinating. It's obviously a good answer to homelessness and if you can build a bunch of homes for £1,500 a pop (that's WITH luxuries tbh) that don't take up much space then I don't know why councils and governments haven't jumped on the idea. You could buy a field and house hundreds for pittance.

[Calderyon]

Good young man who is a credit to his parents. Very nicely done.

Hopefully more young people take an example from him.

[LeatherTrumpet]

well his dad and mum built it and he helped a wee bit is the actual story, or him raising the cash is the story

he never built it

[thesheriff443]

Wast of money and it’s not a house it’s a bloody shed and ugly shed at that

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Good for him, I find the whole tiny houses thing quite fascinating. It's obviously a good answer to homelessness and if you can build a bunch of homes for £1,500 a pop (that's WITH luxuries tbh) that don't take up much space then I don't know why councils and governments haven't jumped on the idea. You could buy a field and house hundreds for pittance.

This is already going on in the world they are called shanty towns filled with the poorest people.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Good for him, I find the whole tiny houses thing quite fascinating. It's obviously a good answer to homelessness and if you can build a bunch of homes for £1,500 a pop (that's WITH luxuries tbh) that don't take up much space then I don't know why councils and governments haven't jumped on the idea. You could buy a field and house hundreds for pittance.

Not a bad idea for a business tbh, could undercut hostels and student housing...

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

This is already going on in the world they are called shanty towns filled with the poorest people.

Not really.

What you are talking about are places where people gather on the outskirts of areas to hash out a home of tents and structures that's frequently destroyed in order to force these people to move on.. What i'm suggesting is building these homes, giving the homeless a safe place to sleep and an address to help them get back on the ladder.

It's far from the nomadic hopeless life that is often found in shanty towns. It's a start, a chance, not a continuation of their previous circumstances.

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Not a bad idea for a business tbh, could undercut hostels and student housing...

By law you have to provide a basic level for people to live in, not of which would be approved by the local authorities.

People are already being housed in this country in converted shipping containers to deal with the lack of housing.

[LeatherTrumpet]

I want to know why that kid isnt playing Fortnite?

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Not really.

What you are talking about are places where people gather on the outskirts of areas to hash out a home of tents and structures that's frequently destroyed in order to force these people to move on.. What i'm suggesting is building these homes, giving the homeless a safe place to sleep and an address to help them get back on the ladder.

It's far from the nomadic hopeless life that is often found in shanty towns. It's a start, a chance, not a continuation of their previous circumstances.

You need infrastructure, sewage systems hot water electricity paths waste management, policing, it’s not as easy as giving someone a roof over their heads

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I want to know why that kid isnt playing Fortnite?

He spent all his money on a shed

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I want to know why that kid isnt playing Fortnite?

Then you'd complain he spends all his time playing Fortnite and not doing anything worthwhile.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

He spent all his money on a shed

he wont get chicks with that attitude

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

he wont get chicks with that attitude

Oh I dunno, when I was younger I'd have been impressed if someone made their own room separate from the rest of the house!

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Oh I dunno, when I was younger I'd have been impressed if someone made their own room separate from the rest of the house!

Yes that classic line, wanna come round and see my shed.

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

he wont get chicks with that attitude

No but he will get mouses and rats

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Then you'd complain he spends all his time playing Fortnite and not doing anything worthwhile.

bloody right i would the lazy little swine always on the ps4 when he should be out playing football

[Matthew.]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

Yes that classic line, wanna come round and see my shed.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

You could buy a field and house hundreds for pittance.

Oh don't set them off. They'll be doing that with everyone, not just the homeless.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

well his dad and mum built it and he helped a wee bit is the actual story, or him raising the cash is the story

he never built it

This tbh.

"Boy helps dad build glorified shed" is not that uncommon.

[Ant.]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

He spent all his money on a shed

well thank goodness Fortnite is free to play

[LeatherTrumpet]

when i was 13 we used to keep porno mags in my pals grans shed and we would go there to smoke

[Maru]

He will have some pretty decent carpentry skills by time he hits 18. It gives him a good headstart. Trades are great income. Not to mention, being able to fix up his own place versus having to call a company. I bet he learned a lot.