13 Year Old Boy Makes Tiny Home And Blows Everyone Away

For many people, the dream is to own a home. Can you imagine building it yourself? If you think you can’t do this, you should know that a 13-year-old kid called Luke Thill built his own tiny home. He constructed it in his parents’ backyard for $1,500! Although it sounds too good to be true, we promise that this is the truth. Keep reading to find out all the trials and tribulations this teenager faced. By the end of it, you will feel like making your very own tiny home!

My Own Two Hands

From Dubuque, Iowa, Luke Thill is a kid in the 8th grade who is not afraid to dream big. He dreamed up his very own “starter home”, which is basically an 89-square-foot “structure”. Initially, he had to work hard and do odd jobs to make the cash required by the job. It goes without saying that he was determined to accomplish his goal!

His Inspiration

How did Luke cook up this plan in the first place? He explained to ABC News how he came up with it: “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.”

No Ordinary Kid

Of course, that was not the only reason why he made the decision to construct a house of his own. It was summer vacation and he was feeling bored. There are children who spend all their free time playing video games inside the house. However, Luke wanted to build, build, build.

Permission

As he was drafting the plan, there was one thing he needed to get out of the way first. He approached his parents Greg and Angie and asked for the green light. They recognized how serious their son was about the project and granted him permission to create a tiny home on the four-acre property.

Dad’s Rules

Before he started to work on the project, Greg Thill gave his son several rules to follow and keep in mind. First of all, Luke had to raise funds all by himself. Second, he had to build it by himself. Lastly, he was the owner of the home. Although that does not sound particularly easy, Luke was determined. He was now a step closer to building his tiny home.

Ground Rules

In October 2017, Greg Thill spoke with ABC News and narrated: “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.’”

Housing 101

Do not worry – Greg Thill did not simply let Luke go wild during the construction phase! He stuck around to watch over the young man, but he wanted this to be an opportunity for Luke to learn important lessons. It worked and Luke learned how to deal with adults, make significant financial decisions, stick to the budget, frame a structure, and wire a home.

Life 101

Greg explained his decision: “It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports. It teaches life lessons.” We think he did the right thing. After all, many youngsters these days become too obsessed with the world inside their digital devices. It’s always good to do projects like this.

Honor Thy Neighbor

In the beginning, Luke was busy raising and saving money by using reclaimed materials, mowing lawns, and raising money through the internet. He also bartered with friends and acquaintances for help. It goes without saying that Luke planned carefully. He might have abandoned some plans later, but many of them had been effective as well.

Rolling Up His Sleeves

You will probably be impressed by the bartering skills Luke had. He actually mowed the lawn of a Scout leader in exchange for help with carpeting in the bedroom. He also cleaned the garage of a neighbor who promised to help him wire the house. Hard work certainly pays off!

Proud Papa

If we were his parents, we would definitely be proud of this hard-working and determined young man. “He’s a very driven kid for his age,” Luke’s father said. “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 Thill – The Minimalist

Aside from doing odd jobs and bartering with people, Luke also recycled materials for his home. He actually made use of his grandmother’s leftover siding, as well as a front door courtesy of his uncle’s friend. Luke sounded a lot older than 13 when he explained his motivations: “I liked the minimalism. And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”

Windows

The generosity of his uncle’s friend did not end there. He helped Luke once again when he gave the young man some windows. That’s awesome because what kind of home doesn’t come with windows? Luke just needs some blinds to go with them!

Werk

Can you believe that 75% of the material for the home had been recycled? That’s amazing! As we already mentioned, most of the windows have been recycled. Not many people get to say the same thing. It might sound difficult to build an environment-friendly house, but Luke managed to do it just fine.

Dimensions

We are sure you are wondering about the size of the home. Well, it is 10 feet long and 5 ½ feet wide. It is clear from the loft and small outdoor deck that he thought everything through. Let us not forget that the siding is half vinyl, half cedar shakes.

Come On In!

Step inside the tiny home and you will see the small kitchen area equipped with a counter. Aside from that, there are also shelving leads that go to a back sitting area with a wall-mounted TV, a large ottoman, and a flip-down table.

It’s A Shed

You will also find a ladder that you can climb to get to the upstairs loft, where Luke keeps a mattress. Greg Thill has explained that according to city codes, the tiny house is actually “a glorified shed”.

Hard Work Pays Off

There were some people at school who did not approve of the project Luke was working on. Despite this, he kept a determined attitude and continued working on the tiny home. We are glad to hear that he did not get discouraged!

News Spread

It did not take a long time before the whole town knew about his project. After all, there were only 58,000 people in the locality and word travels quickly. Whenever people saw the young man, they would ask him for details about the project. Luke eventually decided that it would be more convenient to keep them posted via a YouTube channel. This was when the media started to notice his story.

An Example

Luke explained what it was like to watch tiny home construction videos in the beginning: “I couldn’t find anyone younger than 14. 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 Inspiration

It turns out that his decision to begin posting videos on YouTube had been the right call. He explained, “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.”

Come On Down

There was one time he discussed the time he had been called to visit the principal’s office. The young man was a good student who got good grades, so he felt nervous about the summons. “I don’t go there very often. I’ve never gone there for anything bad.”

You’re A Star

His fear had been baseless, however. Apparently, the principal simply wanted to talk to Luke because he had a reporter friend who wanted to write about the story. We have to say that we did not have any reporters wanting to do a story about us when we were 13!

Quite The Mess

Luke Thill learned many things when he was working on the project, though the biggest lesson was about overcoming disappointment. A good example of such a moment was the “counter-top fail”. The young man used broken colored glass below for a lacquer surface. Things did not go according to plan since it was “too watery”, something he discovered when he poured it in. Yikes.

Learning From His Mistakes

Luke was definitely not the type of person to wring his hands and give up about experiencing setbacks. As a matter of fact, he did the opposite and made the most out of the mistake. The lacquer already created a bond that connected the counter and the wall. He only attached a traditional counter surface atop the lacquer surface he messed up in the beginning. Not bad at all, Luke!

First Meal

Luke is more than just a builder and a visionary. This young man is a chef as well, though he is still considered a rookie. On his YouTube channel, he documented the “first meal” he had in his new home. Nothing beats breakfast for dinner!

Speech!

The city code might have called the home only “a glorified shed”, but there were people who thought better of it. The TinyFest organizers invited him to speak at the tiny home festival held in Colfax, Iowa. It was actually Luke Thill’s first ever speaking engagement after people took notice of his project. He must have been nervous, but the speech was great.

Golden Throne

He was getting closer to the finish, and he would have a place to call his tiny home at long last. However, one thing was missing… is was no toilet! We understand why. After all, young Luke would need more time, money, and effort to install plumbing in the tiny home. These are things he didn’t have.

Cozy Setup

It took him a year to construct the tiny home, but he finally did it! Are you wondering if he uses it? He certainly does. As a matter of fact, he sleeps in it several times a week, entertains his guests there, and finishes his homework in his own home. Luke set out to do it, and here he was at long last. We are glad people noticed the fruits of his hard work.

Cookouts And Chills

The tiny home is, well, tiny. Nonetheless, it does come with a huge backyard that makes it possible to host cookouts and barbeque parties. Perhaps he will have to ask for his parents’ permission first, but it’s not a big deal. At least he has a home of his own.

Read All About It!

Isn’t it amazing that Luke’s story made it to the front page of two major Iowa-based newspapers? We are talking about none other than the Des Moines Register and the Telegraph Herald. After this happened, other media outlets and local TV stations covered it as well. Good Morning America also contacted him!

Attention

Good Morning America wanted to interview Luke Thill and see the tiny house. When the interview went on air, there was another person who contacted Luke. It was a house designer that he admired! Luke must have felt like the luckiest man alive.

Idol

So who exactly are we talking about? Why, none other than author Derek Diedricksen, of course! Luke must have been over the moon since Diedricksen had been the inspiration behind the tiny home. The young man must have enjoyed hearing encouragement and chatting one-on-one with his idol. You will be glad to hear that the two are friends on their social media platforms. Luke is now like Derek in the sense that he inspires so many people.

In The Family

It seems like Luke was not the only creative person in the family. His brother, Cole, embarked on a project to make a teardrop camper instead! It was also made of recycled and reclaimed objects and materials. Cole also made a budget and shared the project on YouTube. He certainly had one advantage over Luke. After all, Cole did have a brother who knew how to go about it!

But Wait There’s More

The YouTube channel Luke and Cole run now boast of more than 9,000 subscribers. Cool, right? The boys do not simply focus on their projects, but they also make sure to shine the spotlight on projects by other people! Among other things, they featured a sheep herder’s wagon and their mom’s 1972 camper renovation project.

His Own Space

The tiny home serves as Luke’s personal sanctuary, somewhere he can go when he needs personal space. “I have a twin brother so it gives me the chance to have my own space,” the young home builder explained.

In Total

Luke did not only tour his YouTube followers around the tiny home, but he also talked about how much it cost him. He said that the overall cost of this structure was “more like $1,200, but I rounded it up just in case I forgot anything.”

Hero

No one could have foretold just how much attention Luke would get for the tiny home. After all, that was not part of his plan when he started making the tiny home. Nonetheless, the young man used the attention for good. He said, “I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age.” That is really admirable, Luke. What could be next for this teenager?

Upwards and Onwards

“The main purpose is to be my starter home. I’m going to save money and expand,” Luke said. He wants to build a somewhat larger tiny home that he can put on a trailer sometime in the future. Maybe he can skip campus housing and live there when he leaves for college. At any rate, it will surely be cheaper.

Why Not?

Luke explained his future plans to ABC News: “In a couple of years I want to build a bigger house and stay in it full-time.” He already has the experience of building a tiny home under his belt, so he will likely do great when it comes to making a bigger home.

The Best Part

We are sure that making a tiny home is a fun process. The best part for Luke, however, is bonding with his father: “Me and my dad really bonded through the process…he was really busy but he made sure to spend time with me.”

Smart Thinking

Luke is clearly a bright young man who is always thinking ahead. “Everyone had to have a big house, and now people have changed and realized it’s not practical,” explained Luke Thill. “You can save money, travel the world and do what you want instead.”

Meet Renee McLaughlin

Like Luke Thill, Renee McLaughlin also made a tiny home to live in. You heard us right. She now lives in an 87 square feet home, which must have been very different from her old 3,300 square feet home. “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,” McLaughlin explained. “It’s not making us happy.”

The New “In”

Tiny homes are structures that have dimensions of less than 500 square feet. It seems like they are on their way to becoming the next big thing! Renee McLaughlin had been in charge of TinyFest Midwest. She was also the person to invite Luke Thill as a speaker during the event. We bet she loves her tiny home!

An Affordable Option

There were people who laughed at her decision, but she is now in a much better situation than they are. “I now own everything outright with no debt,” McLaughlin said. “I can move around. It’s nice to know I can just go.” And just so you know, tiny homes can be just as stylish as regular homes. Take a look at this one!

Chuck Em Out

Renee recommends disposing of excess things that you are holding onto for no good reason. Nowadays, she shops less and gives away things she no longer needs. However, she had a hard time letting go of clothes and shoes. “I’m a simple girl, but a girl, nonetheless,” she explained.

City limits

Are you convinced that you need to make your own tiny home now? Before rushing into things, you should know that it does not make the cut in most infrastructures. Many city codes require that houses have a certain measurement. In Des Moines, a home must be 24 feet wide at the very list. That’s right – our young homebuilder only just made it! Whew, that was close.

Let’s Move

Do not go around thinking that the “tiny house movement” is only an architectural idea. We will have you know that it is actually a social movement as well. These days, people are aiming to downsize. This is one way to go about it.

Looking At The Numbers

By now, you must be considering living in your very own tiny home! Despite the fact that more people are considering it, there is still plenty of work to be done before you see it every day. Let us take a look at the statistics. Only 3,000 of 1.5 million homes listed in the US fit the description of “tiny homes”.

No Mortgage

On average, the cost of a tiny home is $23,000, give or take. This means that about 70% of people who own tiny homes don’t pay a mortgage! One of the worst parts of being a homeowner is that you will have to suffer through monthly mortgage payments for two to three decades. Yikes. A tiny home makes these additional costs completely unnecessary.

It’s In Our Hands

We are sure that you are just as impressed by this young man as we are. He has shown us that determination can go a long way. The future might seem bleak with the domination of mass consumption. A tiny home is the way to go if you want to save both your money and the environment. We hope that more people follow in the footsteps of young Luke Thill!