Most teenagers dream of the day they can move out of their parents’ home and finally have their own space. But that came sooner rather than later for one Iowan, who lives within the confines of an 89-square-foot tiny home—right in his parents’ backyard.
At 13 years old, Luke Thill from Dubuque, Iowa, built the small structure – complete with carpet, electricity, and a kitchen area – in his parents backyard, for only $1,500, which he paid for doing odd jobs including cutting lawns and cleaning out garages
At just 87 square feet, Luke’s tiny house is cozy, but, he says, “I liked the minimalism. And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
The custom built tiny home is 5 1/2 feet wide and 10 feet long. It includes a small deck outside, a kitchen area finished with counter and shelf space, a large ottoman, and even a wall-mounted TV. There’s also an upstairs loft area with a mattress. But while the house is wired for electricity, it still lacks any plumbing, which means the city classifies it as “a glorified shed.”
The talented and intelligent teen has bigger plans now that he’s accomplished this goal; Luke wants to build a bigger mobile home that he can take away to college. Not many kids his age have such lofty goals, color us impressed!
The young man has stayed humble, though, and says the thing he enjoyed the most was the bonding time he had with his dad during the building process.
“Me and my dad really bonded through the process…he was really busy but he made sure to spend time with me.”
The awesome teen has given over 1.3 million people a tour of his tiny home in the video below. What do you think of his impressive feat?
