13 Year Old, Luke Thill, Builds Own Home For Just $1,500
Buying your own home is no easy feat, then again, neither is building it. However, that’s exactly what 13-year-old Luke Thill did – he built his very own tiny home in his parents’ backyard – and all for $1,500 buckaroos! I know, it sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what happened! Read Luke’s impressive story to discover all the ups and downs that building your own home presents – and there’s plenty of tips here so you can build your own (tiny) home someday!
The idea to build his own tiny house didn’t stem from the fact that he’s from a small town in Iowa but rather that he wanted to do something useful. And there aren’t many teenage boys who are willing to freely build their own tiny home! It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. But Luke was up to the challenge. He worked odd jobs so that he could earn money to help him in his building process.
My Own Two Hands
Now, Luke Thill is only an 8th grader from Dubuque, Iowa – who had the idea to build his own 89-square-foot “structure” but guys, he refers to it as his “starter home.” Go figure.
My Own Two Hands
Many of Luke’s efforts involved him rolling up his sleeves and doing odd jobs to earn the cash required. But he would stop at nothing to achieve his dream.
His Inspiration
So just what Luke’s inspiration? “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 in October 2017.
His Inspiration
“I got obsessed with them and decided to build my own.” Who knew he was serious about this project?
Tiny House Movement
While looking through at some video-sharing sites, he came across tons of “Tiny House” instructional YouTube videos. “Tiny House,” as we’ve already explained, is a movement that looks to advocate living more simply in smaller houses.
Tiny House Movement
Granted the homes might be small but it has all of the basic needs any house has. And seeing as a 13-year-old boy made it work, we think adults can too!
No Ordinary Kid
Moreover, there is just one other reason he decided that he wanted to create his own home, was because he found himself getting really bored during his summer vacation.
No Ordinary Kid
While some kids might complain or lock themselves indoors with their PlayStations and what-not, he was getting ready to build.
Permission
Once Luke started to plan the in’s and out’s of building his tiny home, he needed to ask his parents for permission of course. Greg and Angie Thill, Luke’s parents, immediately recognized that their son was on a serious mission.
Permission
Therefore they gave him the all-clear to build his home on the family’s four-acre property.
Dad’s Rules
Greg, Luke’s dad, told his son that when he began the project, there were a few simple rules to follow: Luke has to raise the money on own. Build it on his own. Lastly, Luke’s the owner.
Dad’s Rules
Now I don’t know about you but those sound like some tough rules to follow! But with Luke’s determination, things were moving in the right direction.
Ground Rules
“We said, ‘If you’re that serious we have to set some ground rules,’” Greg Thill told ABC News in October 2017.
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
Of course, Greg Thill was there to work alongside Luke in order to guide him, but ultimately he wanted Luke to learn a lot all on his own.
Housing 101
Such as framing a structure, wiring the home, dealing with grown-ups, making crucial financial decisions, and not wavering from the budget. Important lessons we can ~all~ learn from.
Life 101
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports,” Greg said. “It teaches life lessons.” Of course, Greg couldn’t be more right with his decision.
Life 101
In today’s viral world, many children often focus on digital things than what’s right in front of them.
Honor Thy Neighbor
When Luke first started, he set out to raise money by mowing lawns, raising money online, and used reclaimed materials. Plus Luke even bartered for extra hands to help out.
Honor Thy Neighbor
A lot of planning went into Luke’s house building mission – while some plans went out the window, others went off without a hitch.
One Man’s Trash…
Tiny house philosophy advocates living simply while also promoting the use of recycled and re-appropriated items to help build the house. People will collect large amounts of junk which usually fill up their garages and sheds, and they’re thrown in the trash.
One Mans Trash…
However, Luke Thill cleaned out those garages and found tons of materials that he could use.
Rolling Up His Sleeves
Some of Luke’s bartering was pretty solid. He cleaned the garage of his electrician neighbor so he would help Luke wire the house.
Rolling Up His Sleeves
He cut a Scout leader’s lawn so that he’d add a carpet in the loft bedroom. Nothing like a bit of hard work to build your own house!
Proud Papa
Now Luke’s dad is incredibly proud of what he’s doing and his determination. “He’s a very driven kid for his age,” said Luke’s dad.
Proud Papa
“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
However Luke didn’t just do odd jobs in exchange for help to build his house. He recycled too! Luke used some leftover siding from his grandma’s house and also a front door his uncle’s friend gave him.
Luke Thill – The Minimalist
“I liked the minimalism,” Luke said (sounding way older than 13). “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
Windows
His uncle’s friend didn’t stop with the door, though. Later he came to Luke’s rescue again with some old windows.
Windows
Well, what is a house without windows? We just hope he doesn’t have any pesky, nosy neighbors peering in!
Werk
Oh, Luke’s house is made from nearly 75% recycled materials! Most of his windows are recycled too. Can any of us homeowners say the same thing? Probably not.
Werk
Having a house that’s economically friendly costs a ton and is often difficult to achieve but for Luke, it was easier than he thought.
Dimensions
Luke’s home is a staggering 5½ feet wide and 10 feet long! However, it also features a loft. With a small deck outside, Luke had a pretty stable floor plan.
Dimensions
Before we forget, the siding is also half cedar shakes, half vinyl.
Come On In!
If we take a look inside then we’ll see a small kitchen area, complete with a counter. There is shelving that leads to a back sitting area.
Come On In
The seating area at the back has a large ottoman, a flip-down table, and also a wall-mounted TV.
Woodwork
The 13-year-old has got some brilliant skills when it comes to woodworking. Need we remind you that he assembled a large majority of the house himself.
Woodwork
This means that he saved a lot of money in the process. How many of us can say the same?!
Fulltime
“I’m not moving in fulltime into the house, but I do spend a couple of nights sleeping in it,” he says on his Youtube channel.
Fulltime
Luke also uses an electric fan when he’s in his sleeping loft for the hot summer nights. And when it’s ice cold in the winter months, he uses a portable space heater.
It’s A Shed
Get this, there’s even a ladder that leads up to an upstairs loft, which has a mattress for sleeping.
It’s A Shed
Greg Thill told reporters that city codes actually consider the tiny house “a glorified shed.”
Hard Work Pays Off
Even though he got some negative feedback from some people at school, he brushed it off and kept working at his dream home.
Hard Work Pays Off
There was absolutely nothing that could bring down his aspirations to realize his goals.
News Spread
It didn’t take long for the rest of the town to hear of Luke’s adventures. With a population of some 58,000, we’re not surprised at how quickly word traveled.
News Spread
Every time someone saw Luke, they would ask him questions about the house – so Luke decided to create a YouTube channel so that everyone could follow along with progress. This channel caught the eye of the media too!
An Example
“I couldn’t find anyone younger than 14,” said Luke when he first began watching tiny home construction videos.
An Example
“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 looks like his decision to start his own YouTube channel was a fantastic one!
An Inspiration
Luke 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.”
Come On Down
In one specific video, Luke says he was called down to the principal’s office. Considering that he’s a good student with good grades, he was really nervous.
Come On Down
“I don’t go there very often,” he said in a video of his. “I’ve never gone there for anything bad.”
You’re A Star
However, he had no reason to worry as it turns out the principal called him down because he was friendly with a reporter who wanted to report on the story.
You’re A Star
Now that’s pretty cool when you’re 13 and the paper wants to do a story on you!
Quite The Mess
Now Luke Thill admits that one of the biggest things he learned over the course of building his home was learning to overcome disappointment.
Quite The Mess
One big moment was his total “counter-top fail.” He used broken colored glass below for what was meant to be a lacquer surface. Unfortunately, when Luke poured the lacquer, it was far “too watery,” and completely ran all over everything.
Learning From His Mistakes
Instead of throwing his hands in the air and giving up, Luke was determined to make the most of it. So that’s exactly what he did. The lacquer then created a bond which held the counter to the wall – job done.
Learning From His Mistakes
What Luke did there was attach a traditional counter surface over the already messed-up lacquer surface that has a hinge for a lift-top storage space. Nice work, Luke!
A Few More Setbacks
Fans asked if there were any other mistakes he encountered while building the tiny house, and Luke answered truthfully.
A Few More Setbacks
Because of course, he did. He revealed that the light fixture that he used in the home was much too big and people bumped their heads on it. Moreover Luke also regrets the paneling, which he said he completed too quickly, that lead to scuffs and scrapes.
First Meal
So Luke is not only a visionary and a builder, but he is also a chef! Well, somewhat of a rookie at that for now.
First Meal
He proudly posted on YouTube his “first meal” in his new home, and got a lot of attention. Nothing like having breakfast for dinner!
Speech!
While city code may have considered Luke’s home a “glorified shed”, the people from TinyFest certainly didn’t. There was a tiny home festival in Colfax, Iowa that Luke Thill was asked to attend as a special guest.
Speech!
As it turns out this was Thill’s first speaking engagement after receiving tons of attention! And yes, the speech went off without a hitch.
Golden Throne
With the construction of the home near the end, Luke had a place to sleep, eat, and relax. However, there was just one hiccup…it didn’t have a toilet!
Golden Throne
In order for Luke to install plumbing to his tiny home, it would require a ton of work and way more cash. Something he just didn’t have.
Cozy Setup
It took Luke Thill a year to finish building his tiny home but he did it! Does he use it? You betcha. Luke sleeps in it a few nights a week, does his homework there, and also entertains his friends in his own tiny home.
Cozy Setup
While it took a year, it didn’t matter – Luke accomplished what he set out to do. And people took notice.
First Night
Luke Thill was eager to spend his first night in his tiny home! Plus he needed to know if it was even habitable, even before it was officially marked as finished. In the midst of sub-zero Iowa winter nights, he decided to spend the night in his tiny home.
First Night
He wasn’t sure he had installed enough insulation but after sleeping in his new bed for the first time, he announced on his YouTube page that it actually so warm in the night, he had to open the windows! Sounds like success to us.
Cookouts And Chills
Now even though his home might be small, he has a massive backyard where he hosts some great cookouts with friends.
Cookouts And Chills
Sure, he shares the space with his parents, but then again, which kids don’t? At least he can say that he has his own home.
Success!
As soon as his house was done, Luke made a video tour for his YouTube channel. Very quickly, the video had nearly 7.5 million views! Dang. And with just 16,000 subscribers, the viewed amount is extraordinary. His video was flooded with comments and most of them were very positive.
Success!
Also, many of the comments called Luke Thill an inspiration. Some were planning to build their own tiny houses just because of him!
Read All About It!
Luke Thill’s story was front page news! Two major Iowa newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Telegraph Herald, made Luke their front page.
Read All About It!
Shortly after some local TV stations, and also other media outlets, picked up Luke’s story. Guys, he was even contacted by Good Morning America!
Attention
Now Good Morning America wanted a tour of Luke’s tiny house and of course to interview him. After the Good Morning America interview, Luke was contacted by a house designer.
Attention
Someone he deeply admired too! Luke just couldn’t believe his luck.
Idol
As it turns out Derek Diedricksen, an author of design and building tiny homes, contacted Luke. Understandably Luke was over the moon, Diedricksen ~was~ the inspiration behind his tiny home.
Idol
Chatting one-on-one and hearing words of encouragement meant the world to Luke – Derek and Luke are also friends on social media platforms! Just like Derek is an inspiration to many, so is Luke.