While many people typically wait until they are at least 30 years old to build their dream home, the thrill of hand-crafting your ideal living space is unmatched.
Imagine the journey of creating a plan, putting your heart and soul into it, and finally seeing your vision come to life. That’s exactly what Tom did. At just 17 years old, he used his skill, creativity, and determination to make his dream a reality.
Driven by rising housing costs and a desire for independence, Tom set out to build a modest home using recycled materials. He discovered he could create something completely from scratch while staying within a budget.
“My vision for the cabin was to keep things simple and provide a stress-free lifestyle. Everything I have is mine; I paid for everything”, Tom explained.
Now, at 20, Tom is relieved knowing he won’t have to spend his hard-earned money on rent. “It’s a no-brainer life and once you’ve built something, it really is yours”, he added.
Tom’s house is located on his grandfather’s extensive property and retains a charming English country aesthetic, complete with a side window. At 17, he bought a caravan and immediately began building it while working and completing his carpentry apprenticeship, which he completed in December.
The front of his house is made of larch wood, sourced cheaply from a local sawmill, while the side walls are made of fence boards. All the windows are recycled, sourced from a website that specializes in used materials. He recently added a porch, using boards from a scaffolding company and other scrap and reclaimed wood he recovered from the job.
Upon entering Tom’s home, visitors are greeted by beautiful reclaimed wood and a tranquil poster of a seascape. “My goal was to use only reclaimed wood for the build because it’s budget-friendly,” Tom noted. Much of the wood in his home was salvaged from old homes that he personally stripped down, sanded and repurposed.
The living area includes a compact workspace for his work and meals, a standard sofa, and a wall-mounted TV. In the future, he hopes to upgrade to a multifunctional sofa with built-in storage.
Tom especially loves his kitchen, where he made a fully functional worktop out of recycled scaffolding boards and spent hours sanding and painting it. The kitchen is equipped with essential appliances such as a fridge, stove and toaster.
Opposite the kitchen is a compact bathroom with a small chemical toilet with electric flush. The shower area has corrugated iron walls and copper fittings, evoking a rustic farmhouse feel. Back in the living room, a ladder leads to the loft, which leads to Tom’s cozy bedroom with double mattress.
Tom began building his dream home at age 17 with a budget of $8,200 and an hourly wage of $5.50 and managed to save most of his income to finance the construction of his home using recycled materials.
Imagine how his home will evolve as he completes the various upgrades he has in mind! For a full tour of Tom’s home, check out the video below
Why Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley never had children.
Jackson asked Presley to marry him over the phone one evening in 1993 after Presley had stood by him during the investigation.
Michael Presley and Lisa Marie Presley tied the knot in a brief 15-minute ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Later, she announced her union to the media in a statement.
Together, Michael and Lisa appeared in public on multiple occasions. The most well-known instance occurred in September 1994 when the singer ofThriller k*ssed Presley live at the MTV Video Music Awards, declaring,
Rumors that their high-profile marriage was failing and that they weren’t spending enough time together began to circulate.
The couple also disclosed that they intended to begin a family shortly.
However, there were rumors that Jackson’s drug addiction was the reason their marriage was failing. The Bad singer and Lisa Marie Presley parted ways a month after Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce in December 1995. August 1996 marked the official end of their marriage.
Lisa and Michael didn’t have any kids, but Presley did have four from her previous marriages. Riley and Ben, who came from her marriage to Danny Keough, Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, and Harper Vivienne Ann, who came from her marriage to Michael Lockwood, were all her children.
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