Have you ever heard the phrase “only boring people get bored”? Well when 13-year-old Luke Thill got bored one summer day, he determined not to become a boring person. So he came up with a genius idea: to devote his free time to constructing his own house.Â
Luke had recently become fascinated with the concept of tiny houses, so he set out to craft a tiny house from scratch in his parents’ backyard.
“I like the minimalism, and I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
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About a year later, the 89-square-foot home is complete.
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In total, the house cost him under $1,500. How was he able to keep costs so low? 75% of his materials were reclaimed. And where did the $1,500 come from? Luke raised the money himself by mowing lawns and taking other odd jobs.
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Luke not only raised the money and salvaged the parts, he also made all the big financial decisions and did most of the manual work, even learning to frame and wire the home.
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The house is fully equipped with electric wiring, but it currently lacks plumbing. But Luke has plans for all that: “The main purpose is to be my starter home. I’m going to save money and expand,” Luke explained.
Someday, he plans to build a larger, mobile tiny home to take to college.
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About halfway through the build, Luke started a YouTube channel to document his process. In the video below, Luke tells his followers a little bit about the process before giving a tour of his home. It really is an admirable feat!
But, despite the attention Luke’s gotten for his house (he was recently asked to speak at a special tiny house convention), Luke stays humble, thanking his dad for his support.
“Me and my dad really bonded through the process… He was really busy but he made sure to spend time with me.”
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It looks like their efforts have paid off!
Check out Luke’s incredible house in the video below, and share!
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