It is already impressive when you buy a home at a young age, so what more when you build it yourself? You will be thrilled to hear that a 13-year-old boy named Luke Thill accomplished such a feat. He created his own home in his backyard for $1,500. It might sound too good to be true, but this was what happened. Read on to learn about the journey this young man embarked on to create his own shelter. You might even feel motivated enough to make your own home in the future!
This Tiny Home Built By A Teenager Will Sweep You Off Your Feet
My Own Two Hands
Luke Thill is an 8th grade student hailing from Dubuque, Iowa. He had the idea to create an 89-square-foot “structure”. In the beginning, it was important for him to put in the effort to earn the money required by his goal. Clearly, he was not going to let anything get in the way of achieving his dreams.
My Own Two Hands
His Inspiration
Where did Luke get his inspiration? In October 2017, he told ABC News, “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. I got obsessed with them and decided to build my own.”
His Inspiration
No Ordinary Kid
There is one more reason he wanted to make a home of his own. It was simply a case of summer vacation boredom! Some children might choose to lock themselves indoors and play video games all day long, but you should know that he is not your ordinary kid. He preferred to build something with his hands.
No Ordinary Kid
Permission
Once he began to plan the finer details of building a tiny home, Luke needed to get permission from his parents. Greg and Angie Thill quickly realized that their teenage son felt strongly about his proposal. This is the reason they gave him the go signal to make his home on the four-acre family property.
Permission
Dad’s Rules
Luke’s father, Greg, laid out several important rules that he needed to follow while working on the tiny house. Among other things, Luke had to raise the money on his own and build it by himself. He was also going to be the owner. That sounds pretty tough, but Luke agreed. He was a determined little guy, who put the project in motion soon enough.
Dad’s Rules
Ground Rules
Greg Thill recounted what happened in the beginning: “We said, ‘If you’re that serious we have to set some ground rules. We told him he had to have the financial responsibility of it, raise the money and choose the materials and stay in the budget.”
Ground Rules
Housing 101
Of course, that does not mean Greg Thill let his son go without guidance. He remained by his side to guide him through the process but ultimately wanted the young man to learn things by himself. True enough, Luke did learn many important lessons like making important financial decisions, sticking to a budget, talking to grown-ups, framing a structure, and wiring a home.
Housing 101
Life 101
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports. It teaches life lessons,” Greg explained. We have to praise him for letting someone so young embark on a journey like this. Too often, many children are much more involved with digital things than what lies in front of them.
Life 101
Honor Thy Neighbor
When Luke was just starting out, he did odd jobs to raise some money for the project. He mowed lawns, used reclaimed materials, and raised money online. He also did some bartering to help with the project. As you can see, lots of planning went into the house building mission. Although he later abandoned some plans, others proved successful.
Honor Thy Neighbor
Rolling Up His Sleeves
Luke had some solid bartering skills. This is evident when you hear that he cleaned the garage of a neighbor so that they will help him wire the house. The young man also cut the lawn of another acquaintance in exchange for carpeting in the loft bedroom. Color us impressed!
Rolling Up His Sleeves
Proud Papa
His parents are understandably proud of what their son has achieved over the course of the project. “He’s a very driven kid for his age,” Luke’s dad explained. “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.”
Proud Papa
Luke Thill – The Minimalist
Luke did not only work odd jobs when it comes to getting the resources he needed for the construction. He recycled as well. Among other things, he used leftover siding courtesy of his grandma and a front door from his uncle’s friend. “I liked the minimalism,” Luke explained. “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
Luke Thill – The Minimalist
Windows
His uncle’s friend did not stop after donating the door, however. He also gave Luke a couple of old windows! This is good to hear since windows are vital to any home. All he has to do now is ensure that nosy neighbors won’t be peering inside.
Windows
Werk
How cool is it that Luke’s tiny home is made out of about 75% recycled materials? Most of the windows have been recycled as well. Not many homeowners can say the same thing! Although it is easy to assume that you will have to shell out money for an environment-friendly home, Luke proved us wrong.
Werk
Dimensions
Just how big is the tiny home? Well, it has a width of 5 ½ feet and a length of 10 feet. There is a loft inside and a small deck outside as well. The floor plan had been very thorough. The siding is half vinyl and half cedar shakes.
Dimensions
Come On In!
If you take a peek into the home, you will find a small kitchen area that comes with a counter. There are also shelving leads that will take you to a sitting area equipped with a flip-down table, a wall-mounted television, and a large ottoman.
Come On In
It’s A Shed
It is also cool to hear about the ladder that lets you go to the upstairs loft, where there is a mattress for sleeping. Greg Thill has reported that by city code standards, it is nothing more than “a glorified shed”.
It’s A Shed
Hard Work Pays Off
At school, some of his classmates expressed negative feedback about what he was doing. It’s a good thing he did not lose motivation to keep working on his dream home. Clearly, he was not going to let anything bring him down.
Hard Work Pays Off
News Spread
Soon enough, the rest of the town heard about the adventures of this young man. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew about it since the town had a population of 58,000. Every time they saw him, they would ask about the status of the project. Eventually, he simply decided to launch a YouTube channel that will let everyone keep up with his progress. The media caught onto it later on.
News Spread
An Example
“I couldn’t find anyone younger than 14,” Luke said about the time he started to watch videos about tiny home constructions. “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.”
An Example
An Inspiration
We are happy to report that he made the right decision when he began posting on YouTube. He said, “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.”
An Inspiration
Come On Down
In one video, Luke talked about the time he was asked to go to the principal’s office. He had been nervous at the time since he was a good student. “I don’t go there very often,” he told his viewers. “I’ve never gone there for anything bad.”
Come On Down
You’re A Star
It turned out that he was not in any problem whatsoever. The principal only asked him to drop by to ask him about talking to a reporter who was eager to cover the story. Did you ever make it to the newspaper when you were only 13 years old?
You’re A Star
Quite The Mess
Luke Thill has admitted that he had to learn how to overcome disappointment while working on the construction of his home. One such moment was the so-called “counter-top fail”. Luke used broken colored glass below for a lacquer surface. However, when it was finally time to pour the lacquer, he discovered it was way “too watery”. It ended up running over the whole thing!
Quite The Mess
Learning From His Mistakes
As we already mentioned earlier in the slideshow, Luke was a determined young man who remained positive no matter what. The lacquer created a bond that held the counter to the wall. It all turned out for the better in the end. As you can see, Luke attached a regular counter surface on top of the lacquer surface that came with a lift-top hinge for the sake of storage space. Awesome job, Luke!
Learning From His Mistakes
First Meal
Luke is not just a builder and visionary, but he is a chef as well. Well, he’s still a rookie at the moment but still. He posted a video of his “first meal” in his tiny home and received a lot of views for it. Like Luke, we also like eating breakfast for dinner!
First Meal
Speech!
Although the city code considered the home nothing more than a “glorified shed”, it was more than that for the TinyFest people. They hosted a tiny home festival in Colfax, Iowa – and invited him as a special guest! Apparently, this was the first speaking engagement Luke Thill ever had after his project became famous. We are glad to hear that the speech had been great.
Speech!
Golden Throne
Construction had been nearing the end, so Luke would finally have his own place to eat, sleep, and relax. Just keep in mind that there was one thing missing in the home. There’s no toilet there! If he wanted to put plumbing inside, he would need more money and time, which are both things he did not have.
Golden Throne
Cozy Setup
Overall, the project took a year to complete. Now the question is whether he uses it or not. You bet he does. The young man sleeps there a couple of nights each week. This is also where he finishes his homework and entertains his friends. No matter how long it took, he finally managed to accomplish his goal. It’s a good thing people are noticing his hard work.
Cozy Setup
Cookouts And Chills
Although the home is small, he does have an expansive backyard where he can host cookouts with family and friends. The space technically belongs to his parents, but he still has a leg up on people his age! Even people older than him can’t say they have their own home.
Cookouts And Chills
Read All About It!
The story made it to the front page! The Iowa newspapers the Telegraph Herald and the Des Moines Register featured the young man. Not long after this, local television stations and other media outfits picked up the story as well. Amazingly, Good Morning America even got in touch with him!
Read All About It!
Attention
Good Morning America requested a tour of the tiny home and an interview with Luke. After this happened, a house designer contacted the young man. It was someone he felt deep admiration for! Luke must have been thrilled when this happened.
Attention
Idol
It was none other than Derek Diedricksen, the author of books about tiny homes. Luke felt over the moon when this happened. After all, Diedricksen served as the inspiration behind the project! We are sure Luke appreciated chatting with him and receiving words of encouragement from him. The two happen to be connected on their social media platforms. Luke, like Derek, has become an inspiration to other people as well.
Idol
In The Family
Luke’s brother, Cole, followed in his footsteps when he decided to make a teardrop camper. Like Luke’s tiny home, the camper was also made with the use of reclaimed and recycled materials. Cole went on YouTube to share his progress and plans via video. Cole was lucky enough to have a sibling who was experienced in a construction project! That was one advantage he had over Luke.
In The Family
But Wait There’s More
Their shared YouTube channel now has over 9,000 subscribers! Whoa, how impressive is that? The channel does not only focus on projects they make, however. Luke features projects by other people as well. He even featured his mom’s renovation project and a sheep herder’s wagon. Make sure to check it out!
But Wait There’s More
His Own Space
Luke has said that the new home is somewhere he can go if he needs time away from his family. The budding home builder said, “I have a twin brother so it gives me the chance to have my own space.”
His Own Space
In Total
When he made a video to tour his online friends around his tiny home, Luke talked about how much the project cost him. Luke said the total cost of the tiny home had been “more like $1,200, but I rounded it up just in case I forgot anything.”
In Total
Hero
Luke had no idea that the tiny home would earn so much attention since that was not what he set out to do. Nonetheless, Luke decided to use his newfound fame to share a message: “I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age.” How admirable is that? Let us take a look at what’s next for Luke Thill.
Hero
Upwards and Onwards
“The main purpose is to be my starter home,” he said. “I’m going to save money and expand.” Luke hopes that he will be able to build a bigger tiny home that can go on a trailer in several years’ time. Perhaps he can use this when he goes to college. It must be cheaper than campus housing!
Upwards And Onwards
Why Not?
On ABC News, Luke said, “In a couple of years I want to build a bigger house and stay in it full-time.” If you built a tiny home, you will likely be just as good at building a bigger one. Luke is a determined young man, so we are sure he can accomplish this.
Why Not?
The Best Part
What do you think is the best part of constructing a tiny home? According to Luke, it was spending time with his father. He said, “Me and my dad really bonded through the process…he was really busy but he made sure to spend time with me.”
The Best Part
Smart Thinking
Do you need more evidence of Luke’s maturity? Listen to what he has to say about being a homeowner. “Everyone had to have a big house, and now people have changed and realized it’s not practical,” he said. “You can save money, travel the world and do what you want instead.”
Smart Thinking
Meet Renee McLaughlin
Renee McLaughlin is another person who made a tiny home of her own. She did only sell a 3,300 square feet home, but she now lives in an 87 square feet tiny home. That sounds like quite the transition! “I think we’ve reached a threshold where this ‘stuff’ is running our lives. We spend all our time working to buy it, clean it and organize it,” she said. “It’s not making us happy.”
Meet Renee McLaughlin
The New “In”
Tiny homes generally measure less than 500 square feet and continue to attract more people. Renee McLaughlin is the TinyFest Midwest organizer who invited Luke Thill to speak during the festival! She is head over heels with her tiny home on wheels. If we were in her shoes, we would be very proud as well!
The New “In”
An Affordable Option
Although there were people who did not approve of her lifestyle change, she is happy with her decision. “I now own everything outright with no debt. I can move around. It’s nice to know I can just go,” she said. If you are concerned about the appearance of the home, keep in mind that tiny homes can definitely be stylish!
An Affordable Option
Chuck Em Out
Renee encourages everyone to dispose of things that they do not need but hold onto. She now shops less and gives away more. However, it was not always easy to do these things, especially when it comes to clothes and shoes. She said, “I’m a simple girl, but a girl, nonetheless.”
Chuck Em Out
City limits
We know how appealing tiny homes might sound, but you should first know that many infrastructures do not support the idea. City codes often require certain measurements when a person is building a house. As a matter of fact, Des Moines housing codes call for homes that have a width of at least 24 feet. Luke Thill barely passed the mark when he constructed his tiny home! Whew.
City Limits
Let’s Move
The “tiny house movement” is more than just an architectural idea. You should know that it is a social movement as well. Now that everyone is looking to downsize their lifestyle, it is the next logical thing to do.
Let’s Move
Looking At The Numbers
Are you excited by the idea of making and living in a tiny house? Although the movement is starting to expand its influence, you should know that there is still a lot to do before it becomes mainstream. A recent survey revealed that 3,000 out of 1.5 million home listings in the United States count as “tiny homes”.
Looking At The Numbers
No Mortgage
A tiny home will set you back by $23,000 on average. You should also know that nearly 70% of tiny homeowners do not have a mortgage. If you are considering buying a regular home, the monthly mortgage will take its toll on your finances for 25 to 30 years! A tiny home is much better when it comes to this aspect.
No Mortgage
It’s In Our Hands
This young man has shown us that we can change our lifestyles for the better when we have determination. Mass consumption seems to be dictating the course of the future, which will only lead to more things to dispose of. Not only will tiny homes help us save our money, but it will also lessen our carbon footprint. Small homes are the future!
It’s In Our Hands