Most middle schoolers probably have other things on their minds besides building houses.
But Luke Thill, a 13-year-old from Dubuque, Iowa, is unlike any other middle schooler you’ve seen before.
This talented and proactive boy has crafted his very own little house — in his parent’s backyard.
The project cost him roughly $1,500 USD — and now Luke is living his dream in his little cottage.
Come on in and have a look at what it looks like inside.
I think it’s safe to say that Luke is not like many of his 13-year-old peers. In a time of iPads, smartphones, gadgets, and X-Boxes, this young man decided to keep himself busy in a different and more ‘old-fashioned’ way. As he explains on his YouTube channel, his desire to build a small house grew out of feeling bored last summer.
After some thorough research, Luke had a pretty good idea of how he was going to put his plan into action.
The Process
It took him about a year to get the money and materials he needed to build the house. Luke mowed lawns, started a fund-raiser online, and ran errands for anyone who needed help in the neighborhood to make money.
An electrician Luke was friends with helped him install the electricity in exchange for Luke cleaning his garage out, for instance.
Luke used about 75 percent recycled material, many of which were things left over from his grandma’s house. The front door of the house was a gift from an uncle’s friend.
The 89-square-foot house is 10 feet long and 5 1/2 feet wide, with electricity but no plumbing, so no water or bathroom… yet.
“I liked the minimalism,” he told The Des Moines Register. “And I wanted to have a house without a huge mortgage.”
Luke has made several video clips and posted them online, where he talks about his project as many have grown curious about the little house.
As you can imagine, Luke also received some help from his parents, both financially and with the building itself.
But dad Greg made sure that it would be Luke himself who would pay for most of his project and also build most of it himself.
“It was a chance for a kid to do something more than play video games or sports,” Greg told The Des Moines Register. “It teaches life lessons.”
Teenager’s Dream
The house is in many ways a teenager’s dream, an oasis where you can chill and hang out in. It has a microwave, a TV, and a loft with a bed.
There’s even a barbecue and flowers at the back.
Luke usually does his homework after school at his new house and some nights during the week he gets to sleep there.
Luke already has aspirations to build another house — one that’s a little bigger for when he starts college. He also hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams:
“I want to show kids it’s possible to build at this age,” he says in one of his videos.
You can really see how proud he is about his project below.
Luke’s story is a great example of what a child can achieve with a clear goal, a strong worth ethic, and support from home.
Husband Ridicules Antique Egg Wife Purchased at Flea Market, So She Requests He Unwrap It
My husband once teased me for buying a small enameled egg at a flea market, but he was in for a surprise. I have always loved visiting flea markets, drawn to the idea of sifting through other people’s discarded items to find hidden treasures. This passion started when I was eleven, spending summers with my grandmother in New England. We would explore every flea market and street fair we could find, searching for what she called “preloved jewels”.
Even as a mother and grandmother now, nothing excites me more than rummaging through various stalls, hoping to find something special among the ordinary. My husband, Sam, is a kind and hardworking man, but he doesn’t understand my obsession. He often refers to my finds as “hoarder junk”, which sometimes causes tension between us. Despite his criticisms, I have no intention of giving up my weekend adventures with a budget of $20, determined to uncover a hidden gem.
Recently, Sam surprised me by asking to join me on one of my trips. It all started a month ago when I visited a nearby town’s street fair. I felt a thrill of excitement as I approached a modest display of knickknacks. Among the items was a small porcelain and enamel egg, roughly the size of a real egg. It wasn’t particularly beautiful, but I was drawn to it.
When I asked the seller how much it cost, he said $25. I gasped dramatically and offered him $5. After some back-and-forth, I convinced him to sell it to me for $10, and I felt a sense of victory as I tucked it away. After browsing a bit more, I headed home with my treasure in hand.
When I got home, I greeted Sam, who was skeptical about my find. He turned the egg over in his hands and discovered it was labeled “Made in Hong Kong”. He laughed and said I had been tricked. I felt a wave of disappointment but insisted that I liked it and heard something shifting inside.
With a quick motion, Sam pried the egg open, revealing a tiny bundle of red silk. As I carefully unwrapped it, I discovered a stunning pair of earrings nestled within. Although I initially thought they were just good fakes, Sam was convinced they were real diamonds after testing them with his breath, which didn’t fog up the clear center stone.
Excited, Sam suggested we take the earrings to a jeweler for appraisal. Despite my concern about the cost, we went to the mall, and the jeweler confirmed that they were indeed diamonds set in 18-carat white gold, possibly worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. My head spun when he said they could be valued at around three million dollars at auction.
Incredibly, the earrings sold for three million! We now have a lovely nest egg in the bank, and the porcelain egg proudly sits on the mantel of our new home. Sam, once a skeptic, has become an enthusiastic flea market companion, joining me in the hunt for more treasures. We may not have found that Van Gogh yet, but we remain hopeful!
This story teaches us that one person’s trash can truly become another’s treasure. It also reminds us to respect and support each other’s interests—Sam’s mockery of my hobby turned into appreciation when we discovered the earrings together.
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