For most people, buying a home can be a big and tough decision. To live in a $300,000 house, you either save for years or turn to a mortgage and then spend decades paying it off.
1. A Bold Idea
School summers in Dubuque, Iowa were very long, and Luke quickly became bored and wanted to do something to kill time. While browsing Youtube, some videos about "Tiny Houses" attracted his attention. This kind of house can easily satisfy all the needs of a regular sized family. Almost instantly, Luke knew what he wanted to do that summer.
2. Was It Possible For A Little Boy?
After all, Luke was just a 13-year-old boy who was supposed to play video games or hang out with friends. Collecting all the resources to build a tiny house didn’t sound like what such a young boy could do. Before starting the project, he asked his parents for help, and they just gave him some guides and then left the rest to himself.
3. He Did All The Chores To Raise Money
Money mattered a lot to complete Luke's dream project. To get enough money, the little boy mowed lawns, cleaned out garages, and did many other chores for neighbors. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. Luke saved any penny he earned and finally got $1,500 in total!
4. He Used Reclaimed Items
The idea of tiny houses goes hand in hand with the trending minimalism, which advocates simple living and recycling. While working, Luke got a lot of useful materials from his neighbors, and they were more than happy to part with the ambitious boy.
5. Asking Neighbors For Help
Although there are many things that you can learn from a DIY video, sometimes, you still need an expert to help, for example, wiring a house for electricity. Luke not only worked for money, but also for exchanging expert services. You see it’s important to have some warm hearted neighbors.
6. Starting A Youtube Channel
Hearing that a young boy was going to build a house, Luke’s friends and people around the neighborhood were all very excited and curious. They kept asking Luke about his progress. Luke took the chance to start a Youtube channel so that people could be updated. Guess what happened next?
7. Media Attention
When one day Luke was called into the principal’s office, he was nervous and stressed. That usually only happens when a student had done something wrong. But that day turned out to be a good day for Luke because a local media outlet wanted to interview him and write a story. Luke was going to be famous!
8. Get Down To Business
Attention from neighborhoods and the media served as a great encouragement for Luke. The boy made up his mind to get the project completed. He did not have too much to worry with the $1500, necessary materials and extensive research.
9. A Small Setback
Luke wanted his tiny house to be different through a series of creative ideas. He first decided to make a DIY countertop using broken piece of colored glasses and glaze. But unfortunately the result was a disaster: the liquids leaked through the mold he used and it was difficult to clean up. For Luke, it was still a nice try though!
10. TinyFest
As his tiny home came into form, more and more people became interested in his project, and he became popular across the country. A representative at TinyFest even invited him to deliver a speech at the TinyFest Festival. Honour came one after another. But how about his house?
11. Is The House Livable
So far, Luke was near completing his project. This 87-square foot house has two floors and is almost fully furnished. But plumbing remained a problem because plumbing infrastructure proved too great a task. He finally decided to use the restroom in his family house.
12. First Night In The Tiny House
Luke couldn’t wait to spend one night in the house to check whether it was habitable or not. In a cold winter night, he slept in his new bed for the first time. The next morning, this hard-working boy happily announced that the house was warm enough to live in!
13. Completion!
Luke made a video tour of his completed house and uploaded it to his Youtube channel. The video got 7.5 million views and helped increased the channel’s subscribers to 16,000! Many viewers commented that Luke’s house had given them the inspiration to start their own project. Others shared what they do at Luke’s age.
14. A Place To Call His Own
The tiny house looked decent and beautiful outside, but like us you must be curious about its inside. Well, you’ll be impressed once you see it! The tiny home includes a kitchen, living area, dining area, and a separate bedroom, which is located upstairs.
15. Look Closer
If you step into the house, you’ll never believe your eyes. The kitchen is equipped with a small fridge, an electric stove top, and bottled water; the living room is decked out with a couch and a TV. Although Luke was not prepared to live in it, what happened next shocked him…
16. He Made The Front Page
Word of the completed tiny house spread like wildfire across the country. Luke made the front page of Des Moines Register and the Telegraph Herald! ABC’s show Good Morning America even reported him. People flow to Iowa to get a private tour of the house.
17. Inspiration And Admiration
People wondered why Luke decided to build the tiny house, Luke’s answer was very un-teenager-like. He stated that he “wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.” Wow!
18. Tiny T-Shirt
After the success of his tiny house, Luke headed into the online selling field. With a large group of fans and supporters rooting for him, Luke decided to release his own line of merchandise, with sweatshirts and T-shirts he designed himself.
19. Mistakes And Regrets
When asked about his overall experience of building the house, Luke said there were some regrets and mistakes. If he had the second chance, he would have done some things differently.
