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13-Year Old Boy Builds Jaw-Dropping Tiny Home All By Himself!
If you’ve been paying attention to the real estate market lately, you’ve no doubt seen how popular tiny homes are becoming. Tiny homes are all about maximizing your living space while taking up as small of a footprint as possible. Some people like to build their tiny homes as permanent dwellings while other folks want to be able to hitch them to their truck. For one thirteen-year-old boy, creating a tiny home wasn’t just a dream for the future, it was a plan he set in motion. Keep on reading to see the incredible tiny home that one teenage boy made all on his own for just $1,500!
Tiny Home Movement in Action
When we talk about the tiny home movement, we are talking specifically about custom-constructed buildings. Whether you want your tiny home on wheels or not is completely up to you! The primary benefit of tiny homes, from those that enjoy them, is that they allow individuals to prioritize experiences over possessions. The thought process is that tiny homes push you away from consumerism and more toward enjoyment. Having said that, some tiny homes are frankly incredible. Before we dive into the story of 13-year-old Luke Thill from Dubuque, IA, let’s show you an example or two of what we are talking about!
Modern Tiny Home Example
Here you can see a great example of a modern tiny home. As you can see, the builder of this home used vertical space in order to maximize their efficiency. Within this small home, the inhabitant will be able to do everything that they could in a more conventional form of housing. What do you think? Could you find yourself living in a place like this?
Size of a Tiny Home
While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to sizing up your tiny home, there are some guidelines that you might be interested in. Typically, a tiny house will measure out at no more than 120 square feet of space. The goal of keeping the tiny home truly compact is that you will be able to avoid requiring a building permit for the project. Additionally, smaller tiny homes can be easily hauled behind a truck. Pretty darn cool, right? Now that you have a firm understanding of what tiny homes are, let’s meet Luke!
Meet Luke Thill
Luke Thill was just another teenage boy from Dubuque, Iowa, when he got an idea. Well, not exactly an idea, more like a feeling. Luke had wanted to spend his summer being proactive, but he didn’t know where to funnel his energy. So one thing led to another and soon young Luke was browsing YouTube.
Dreaming of his Own Tiny Home
Like any other young kid, Luke was already dreaming of leaving the family home in order to live on his own. Unfortunately for Luke, that’s just not an option for a 13-year-old kid. Seeking a way to create his own independence while wisely using his energy, Luke began to watch more and more YouTube videos about tiny homes. Eventually Luke came to a simple realization, he could build his own!
Hard Work Makes the Dream Work
Unfortunately, if you want to build a tiny home you need money and to know what you are doing. For Luke, both of those concepts would have to be handled immediately. As Luke researched tiny homes and how to build them, he began taking as many odd jobs as he could in order to raise the funds for his new tiny home project.
Using YouTube For Inspiration
As the days turned to weeks, Luke’s enthusiasm for the project never waned. Unlike most kids his age, Luke was single-minded in his focus. He wanted to create something special not only for himself, but also to show his parents how capable he was. Besides, the tiny home movement had been gaining steam and the idea of his own house was appealing. Who wouldn’t be driven to work hard for that?
Luke Embraces the DIY Mindset
Unlike most adults, Luke wasn’t exactly capable of outsourcing the construction of his new home. With a tiny budget and large dreams, Luke knew that he would have to get his hands dirty. With his parents carefully keeping an eye on him, Luke decided that he would learn how to build the darn thing himself. By working with his own two hands, Luke would be able to save serious money on the project!
Finally Getting to Work
When Luke first pitched the idea to his parents, they were a little skeptical. However, since Luke had remained so focus while raising money for the project, they let him lead the way. Besides, his parents were loving how helpful Luke had become around the house. If Luke would do all of his chores without complaint, why not let him pursue his dream?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Like most young entrepreneurs, Luke came to realize the value of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Not only was Luke looking to save money, but he was also looking to help the environment. He quickly began to scrounge around his home, basement, and garage in order to find components that he could repurpose for his tiny home. One friend even gave him an old door!
Braving the Electrical Work
While Luke was a quick learner thanks to YouTube, there were some projects that you can’t handle without a little help. In order to take care of the electrical wiring inside of his tiny home project, Luke turned to the community for help. Luke’s neighbor, an electrician, came by to make sure that the installation process safe. With just a little help, Luke’s home suddenly had power!
Luke’s Story Goes Viral Locally
As Luke continued toward finishing his tiny home project, the neighborhood began to notice. Pretty soon, the entire community was asking Luke how the work was going. Luke was always excited to share stories about his project. Soon, Luke realized that he could create his own YouTube channel in order to inspire other kids like him. Luke decided to record the entire process and before long he had many followers!
Media Attention Begins to Pour In
Before he knew it, Luke’s work was going viral beyond the confines of his own community. The local newspaper decided to run a story on Luke’s project. How did they contact Luke? Well, by having him called to the principal’s office during a school day! When Luke went to the office, he had no idea a reporter would be there for an interview. Pretty cool surprise, right?
Staying Focused on the Task At Hand
Even though Luke was suddenly the most popular kid in town, he knew that he had plenty of work to do. So as the community watched on, Luke started to get down to business. Thanks to his summer of hard work, Luke had managed to save almost $1,500 to spend on his project. With that kind of money in the bank, Luke knew that he could make something pretty special.
If At First, You Don’t Succeed…
While Luke had tremendous success for a 13-year-old child, there were still some road bumps to deal with. At one point, Luke decided to try mixing his own custom counter top. Luke wanted to use stained glazed glass that had been broken into small pieces. While Luke worked hard on his arrangement, the glaze would eventually leak before breaking the mold. You win some, you lose some!
Hitting a Serious Roadblock
While Luke was rightfully upset about his broken countertop, that was nothing compared to what came next. It soon became apparent that plumbing would not be a possibility for his tiny house. After trying numerous times, Luke eventually realized that this was one aspect of the project that he couldn’t handle. Luke decided that maybe it was okay to run into the house to use the bathroom.
Showcasing His Project
With most of the work done by this point, Luke decided to bring his friends and family together for the grand opening. While the project had gone by relatively quickly, Luke had worked his hardest in order to facilitate an efficient outcome. His family and friends gathered as Luke took questions about the project.
Luke’s Winter Test Run
After finishing the bones of the structure, winter rapidly began to approach. With the temperatures dropping in Iowa, Luke knew that he had his first real test ahead. Could he actually comfortably sleep overnight in his tiny house when it was cold? Fortunately, Luke was better at insulating his home than he had thought. In fact, he had to crack the window while he slept in order to stay comfortable!
Mission Accomplished
With all of the excitement surrounding the home, Luke hadn’t checked in on his YouTube as much as he should have. Unbeknownst to him, one of his videos had gone viral. How viral? Well, Luke had pulled together 7.5 million views as well as more than 45,000 total subscribers. Those are ‘Grumpy Cat’ numbers! What started as a summer project had turned into an internet sensation.
Taking the Official Tour
We can’t talk about Luke’s tiny home without seeing the inside of it. So, Luke decided to take some pictures to show off what he had done. Here, we see Luke sitting in the lofted sleeping area of his tiny home. The loft is a common feature inside of tiny homes because it maximizes the amount of space that you can use. Could you sleep comfortably in a tiny home loft?
89 Square Feet of Prime Real Estate
While Luke loved the loft, he was particularly proud of the downstairs area. Here you can see all of the hard work that Luke had put into the project. At 89 square feet, this tiny home was small, but it still remained comfortable. You can see the seating area, part of the kitchen counter, and some of the storage compartments in this shot.
Creative Solutions For Common Problems
We already talked about Luke’s winter experience, but we still need to talk about his summer ones, too! Dubuque is no stranger to serious heat during the summer, so Luke knew that he’d have to bring a cooling solution into the building. His home wasn’t strong enough to power an additional A/C unit, so Luke rigged up an impromptu swamp cooler by using a fan, furnace filters, and water. The evaporative cooler would be more than strong enough to keep Luke comfortable!
Embracing His Newfound Fame
Thanks to all of his hard work, Luke was quickly becoming semi-famous. Not only had he impressed his parents and the rest of the local community, but he had also begun to inspire people all around the country. If a 13-year-old kid could create a tiny home, shouldn’t everyone else be able to, too? In any event, Luke began to brand his work with t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other merchandise that he had designed himself.
Hosting Dinner for Friends
What would a house be without guests? Luke quickly impressed all of his friends by inviting them over to hang out. Guess what else? Luke was such a great host that he generously cooked his ‘camper stew burritos’ right there in the home! According to Luke, he can clean the entire home after eating in less than 15 minutes. We’re pretty jealous of that!
Luke Inspires His Older Brother
When Luke’s older brother Cole saw the tiny home, he knew that he had to have one too. Cole was so inspired by his brother that he got to work immediately on his own DIY tiny home. Cole decided to create a tiny house on wheels with a teardrop camper as the foundation. Cole also documented his entire journey on YouTube as he used only recycled materials to save money.
Learning From His Work
While Luke’s journey had been a resounding success, he still had to admit that he had made mistakes. From the countertop problems to the issues with plumbing, Luke knew that he had room to improve. Thanks to how quickly his merch had begun to sell, Luke began to realize that he could make another tiny home in the future. What’s more, Luke would use his mistakes as a chance to learn!
How Luke Became a Tiny Home Authority
Before long, Luke was getting attention from all over the place. Instead of letting the viral fame take him where it may, Luke stayed focus on helping those he cared about. Soon, Luke was working with his mother as they renovated a 1972 Forester Kayot camper into another tiny home. The entire Thill family had gotten in on the action!
The Community Embraces Luke’s Efforts
When you do a good job, it’s always nice to be rewarded. Dubuque is a relatively large city and as such, they tend to have frequent communal events. Luke Thill was chosen along with nine other individuals to participate in the ‘Movers, Shakers & Newsmakers’ event. Luke was recognized for his work as well as how he had handled all of the media attention that had come his way. Luke received an award, a fancy meal, and recognition from the city.
Luke Finds Viral Fame Online
While Thill had become something of a big deal in his own neighborhood, he was still taken aback by how the internet had embraced him. As his accounts became more and more popular, comments continued to flood in. Many young kids were so inspired by Luke’s accomplishments that they left messages of support. Some of the kids even mentioned that they were working on their own tiny home models!
There Is Always That ONE Person
While the internet can be an incredible and beneficial tool, it sometimes brings the worst out in people. As with any online interaction, you are eventually going to run into a few jerks. Fortunately, Luke had plenty of defenders online. The jaded people who sought to tear down Luke were soon quieted by the crowd.
Other Young Tiny Home Lovers
Around the country, other kids began to follow Luke’s example. Here we see another fantastic tiny home that was created by Jacob Dille. Dille, also 13-years-old, had followed Luke’s story on YouTube. Eventually, he began to work on his own model. Jacob’s tiny home measured in at 500 square feet.
Understanding the Origins of the Movement
The origins of the tiny home movement can be traced back to Sarah Susanka, author of the book, ‘The Not So Big House’. The book had come out in 1997 and focused largely on building better homes rather than bigger homes. The book helped to spur on one of the more important housing developments in recent memory!
Could You Live In a Tiny Home
It’s fine to not like tiny homes, but we still need to acknowledge what they provide. As inflation continues to wreak havoc, it is going to be more important than ever to have affordable housing. What’s more, tiny houses offer an environmentally friendly way to live close to nature. In a world beholden to the environment, it never hurts to do what you can to help. Could you find yourself living in one of these small homes?
The Inspiration Continues
In order to celebrate the completion of his project, Luke went back to YouTube, the source of his inspiration. On his main channel, Luke uploaded a video titled, ‘The Best Year of My Life’. The video showcased Luke’s thoughts about tiny home living as well as the skills and knowledge that he had acquired throughout the work.
What Comes Next
So what comes next for someone like Luke Thill? Was this just a summer project that kept him busy and out of the house? While we can’t say for sure where Luke will go from here, we can admit that he had a profound impact on his community. Even more important, Luke acted as a positive motivational force for other children his age.
A seven-second video posted on TikTok by Jennifer Le has saved her parents’ Vietnamese pho restaurant from going out of business. In the video, Le showed the empty restaurant and her dad looking sad at the register. She then asked for social media’s help to keep the restaurant in business. The restaurant is in California and was doing ok before the pandemic, but has since had trouble getting customers to dine in.
The video went viral, and within hours, it had garnered millions of views and shares. People all over the world were touched by Le’s message and began sharing the video on their social media accounts. The response was overwhelming, with people expressing their support for the restaurant and their willingness to help.
As a result of the video, the restaurant was flooded with customers, many of whom had never heard of the place before. The increased business allowed Le’s parents to keep the restaurant open and the phones are ringing off the hook. The family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and expressed their gratitude to everyone who had shared the video and visited the restaurant.
Le’s video is a perfect example of the power of social media to effect change. In just seven seconds, she was able to capture the attention of millions of people and inspire them to take action. The video also highlights the struggles faced by small businesses during the pandemic and the importance of community support in keeping these businesses afloat.
Le’s video has since become a source of inspiration for many people who are struggling with similar issues. It serves as a reminder that even the smallest actions can have a significant impact, and that we all have the power to make a difference in our communities.
When you have run out of Christmas ideas, nothing beats going to the beach and letting your creative juices flow. That’s what two brothers in New Zealand did this past Boxing Day and ended up with an amazing and eye-catching sandcastle.
After building a massive sandcastle on Boxing Day, two Auckland boys gained praise from other people around Mt Maunganui’s beach area that day.
Jared and Paul Brandon spent 10 hours that day building a two-meter-high sandcastle, beginning with a sketch of the structure “on a piece of A4 paper” and beginning at high tide. The pair plans to turn this into a Boxing Day ritual.
On Christmas Eve, the brothers started strategizing on how to top last year’s one-meter-high tower on Boxing Day 2021.
Because Jared and Paul are “very competitive,” they wanted to outdo their performance from the previous year. Before beginning their construction, the two searched online for sandcastle designs after visiting Bunnings to get tools, buckets, as well as a footrest.
Both residents and visitors have expressed admiration and astonishment at the beautiful creation.
Jared chuckles, “A guy is assessing how tall it is currently with his beach umbrella.
Jared informed the media, “This one is 2 meters, so we needed a few footstools to climb up tall enough and also used a builder’s level so it didn’t topple over.
The 150-liter pail was the biggest we were able to use, and the traditional household bucket was a fairly small one. We purchased them both from Bunnings.
Paul explains, “There are a few techniques, such as two portions of water to one portion of sand.”
Then came the spatulas to shape the windows, then toothpicks for creating the roof piles, as well as the straws for blowing off the “extra sand.”
The previous night, the two worked on it until 8 p.m., and unlike last year, it is still standing.
“Time went by incredibly quickly; it seemed like we were only at the beach for five hours, instead of ten.” “Paul spoke to the press.
He claims that while working for a California hotel plus learning how to construct sandcastles as a kid-friendly activity, he acquired the skill there about eight years ago.
“Now that he’s used that knowledge and developed it, he taught me. Therefore, for the previous four to five years, whenever we had the time, we would construct a sandcastle once a year ” says Jared.
The two, who are both camera operators, intend to go much further next year and are hoping to enlist the aid of a larger family.
We will attempt to teach my sister as well as my brother-in-law to assist us as they appear interested this year. “We are striving to dredge up more relatives to get involved in creating a village in 2023.”
England is very much metal detector country. The land outside the big cities is stuffed full of artifacts and leftovers from ancient times, ranging from before the Romans’ arrival to the Middle Ages and more. So, it’s not surprising, with the blessing of local farmers, that many a fellow with a metal detector is out there spending a Saturday or Sunday scanning through a fallow farm field to see what might be found. As it turned out, David Board was one of those hunters, and he just happened to come across a very small gold ring in one of his ventures.
Located outside of Dorset, Board was busy scanning a pasture field and had been doing so for hours. The sun was late in the sky, and Board was about to wrap up when his machine pinged a definite metallic substance under the soil he was waving the sensor over. Sure enough, pinpointing the location and then digging specifically into that spot, Board unearthed a very small gold ring.
It was in the farm soil, the ground typically tilled for planting, but this particular field had been used for cattle instead. So, five inches underground, the ring remained until Board found it and pulled it back into the daylight. At first, he chalked up the discovery to just another piece of metal from old times, he cleared off the dirt, pocketed the ring and kept going. Then, at the end of the day, Board went home and washed off his finds in the sink. It was only then that he realized what that ring actually was.
While the method of metal detecting in England gives archaeologists utter heart attacks every time they hear a similar story, the finds are generally split between the metal detector and the farm owner, unless the farm owner just waives off the matter and lets the hunters keep whatever they find. Whichever the case in this instance, the ring was no small trinket. It turned out to be an exceedingly well-crafted and rare gold wedding ring from the Medieval period and in very good condition. To be auctioned off later this year, the find is expected to net between 30,000 to 47,000 British Pounds.
The only surprise to anyone hearing the story in England these days is why the local farmers still allow detectors to scan their fields without any stake in the finds.
Gold miners are used to finding all sorts of things from ancient times. It’s not uncommon to find relics of prior miners, old habitats, animal remains and even dinosaur fossils as they dig deep into the earth or excavate large areas. However, it’s not an everyday occurrence to find a practically intact mummy of a baby mammoth.
Based on the estimates possible on first evaluation of the mummified baby mammoth found on June 21 by operations at the Klondike gold deposit, way up in the northern part of Canada, miners discovered a baby female mammoth assumed to be probably 30,000 years old. An occasional dinosaur or mammoth bone is uncommon but a regular occurrence. However, finding a complete set of remains of a baby mammoth is extremely rare and a big news in the world of paleontology and biology. Even better, the specimen is practically complete. Most times the remains have been tampered with by other animals or hunting and scavenging. Then nature moves things around even further and separates parts. In this case, however, the baby mammoth was complete, intact and well-preserved.
Named Nun cho ga but the local tribes, the find essentially means big baby animal, no surprise. All the skin and hair is intact, which makes the find extremely valuable in terms of understanding exactly how junvenile mammoths looked and probably behaved mechanically as well as physically. In terms of scientific information, the find is huge. It’s similar to finding an entire painting by a famous artist versus just having a brush he or she might have used.
Locked away in permafrost for centuries, the baby mammoth was literally preserved in the earth’s freezer, untouched by bacteria or the elements for an amazing amount of time. Scientists evaluating the specimen guess that the juvenile likely passed away earlier, maybe from sickness, as its pack was moving since there were no predatory marks on it or scattering of remains. Or, also likely, the animal may have gotten stuck in a deep mud pit or quicksand and was quickly buried, protecting it from rot or degradation.
The last time anyone found a North American baby mammoth in good condition was in 1948, some 70 plus years ago. That one was named Effie, and was located inside a gold mine in Alaska. Additionally, another more recent find was in 2007 in Siberia. That find was estimated to be much older, at 42,000 years of age. It was comparative to the same size as Nun cho ga, which means the two together will provide some interesting comparative notes and years of study going forward. It’s enough to make a dinosaur scientist get giggly.
Becoming a nurse is no easy day in the park. Aside from all the clinical hours required and bookwork in classes, a candidate still has to pass their state license exams as well as figure out how to pay for the education costs. It’s quite common for a graduating nurse, whether an LN or RN, to have thousands of dollars in student loan debt. That was already a significant barrier to recruitment before COVID-19 arrived. Things only got worse as experienced nurses left the field in droves after the pandemic’s burnout.
However, Pennsylvania is hitting the problem head on. The state decided that it was going to provide a pot totaling $55 million to help reduce or eliminate student loan debt for eligible nurses. Funded by a combination of state dollars matched to federal American Rescue Plan funds for overall economic stimulus, Pennsylvania directed its internal share to help boost nursing in-state again as well as keep nurses in their careers with financial stability.
Essentially, any nurse who worked during the pandemic, was licensed by the state, and cared for COVID-19 patients will be eligible to get a $7,500 payment for student loan relief. The funds are one-time, non-recurring, but they still represent a huge wave of debt relief for affected nurses. 24,000 plus nurses responded with applications before the deadline ended, which has exceeded the estimated fund allocation available, no surprise. To deal with this surge in eligibility, the state administrators will split the funds on a prorata basis between the impacted state areas and regions, based on the number of nurses who applied. Then, within each regional pot, nurses will be selected by random on who will get the one-time payment.
Those who are selected won’t see the funds themselves. To ensure the payment is used correctly, the money goes directly to the student loan servicer provided by that nurse in their application. The first recipients will see their student loans lowered this month, in August 2022. To help deal with the demand, an additional $15 million in federal dollars was redirected to the fund as well. The allocation for an awardee is $2,500 each year for three years. This allows an easier outflow of funds versus a demand surge all at once. Which will be a considerable amount of accounting work on the state side.
The hope is that with the eventual success of the program expected in nurse retention, the same model can be used again to bolster sagging industries seeing a brain drain in Pennsylvania, as well as stabilize people being crushed by student loan debt.
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