Austin Hay is still in high school, but he's building his own house. It's only 130 square feet, but it makes him a homeowner without a mortgage at just 16 years old. Right now, it's parked in his parents' backyard, but he's built it on wheels so he plans to take it to college and then wherever he goes after he graduates. He's been sleeping in his tiny home for a few months now and he's already decided not to return to big (his parents' home is 1800 square feet). "Living small means less bills, living big means more bills," he explained from the tiny stoop of his new home. "I don't want to pay big bills". Hay's 130-square-foot home may make him the youngest member of the growing Small House Movement. Hay expects to spend about 000 building his home (the used trailer cost him 00) and he's paying for it working two summer jobs (at a camp and at a park snack bar). He's cut his costs in half (the home's estimated DIY price is 000) though this is a considerable discount from the home's estimated price of 000 because Hay has scavenged everything from doors, windows and flooring to the kitchen sink (the hardwood floors were at a salvage yard and so was the stainless steel sink). For more info & links, original story here: faircompanies.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5
so wise
One word: SMART ! More American kids should be like him !
It’s called being CREATIVE, something our country somehow forgot…
Great project Austin, you’re a visionary. Keep up the good work. You will surely go far, this I am sure..Just keep it legal and safety..Congrads.
@nagaempress
Right, but I’m also looking ahead towards the future, where more people start doing this (even if a few) and so the state intervenes for profitability. In most states, you can’t do something like a basic patio add-on to -your- home or other petty minor altercations without a permit, then state inspector, &c.-that kind of concept is what I’m foreshadowing.
KUDOS TO YOU, YOUNG MAN!!
@Ujamesl978 You have no idea about size vs building permit. The fact its on wheels, private property etc for hs area. The kid said he did his homework.
Badass.
I’m not going to be suprised when I hear him get sent to court for lack of permits, licenses, regulation, et. al. though and the state takes his home away.
awesome. this kid is way cool
@pangaloon Of course possessing common sense doesn’t mean that school has nothing to teach you. Common sense is telling him to attend college. Hopefully he will continue with the plans to attend college, if life allows it.
I don’t care about what type of family this kid comes from, I applaud him for where his mind is leading him. Instead of thinking about the traditional mortgage, like Steve Jobs here’s a person who’s brave enough to “Think different.” Time to share this video on Google+.
Add some solar panels and a rain collection container inside place a small pump and filtration system then you would solve the power and water problem. could also add a tank you could fill with a water hose. Place the water tanks under a couch or in a cabinet for hot water add a tank-less heater. Then you would be able to go anywhere regardless of how remote with this. Great job and best of luck to you and your family
@MrSBChevy most adults could take a lesson from this kid. he’s only 16 and already figured out how to live debt free! too bad more people didn’t think like him,mabey we’d have less people living off the Tax payers.(the gov’t only has money if they take it from people who had to actually work for it,like this kid .)Somwhere some libral is terrifide that someone is taking care of themself.
@MrSBChevy most people do. very few can’t get the recourses to do this… it’s just a matter of willpower and determination to do it.
its all high class talk cuz mommy n daddy can buy anything. its a different story when the trailer cannot be pulled down the street because its not safe, or he goes off and gets hooked on drugs . everyone talks plenty good about this kid because of what he is doing, im sure if every one else had a place to store something and build it on someone elses property at free of charge,many others would be doing the same!
Wow such accomplishment of this young kid , sounds so wise and mature , I wish there were more kids like him , so determined to do something better for their lives .
He looks like he comes from a medium class family that could buy him anything he wants , but it seems to me that he rather works for his own , watta kid , good for you Austin h make your parents proud
NIcely done Austin! You should be proud of your accomplishment!
O god its hooverville all over again! In a couple of years well all be living in these…
What a great video. Thank you, Kirsten, for posting it. I really enjoyed seeing Austin’s accomplishments. It is a delight to see so much creativity, determination, foresight and conscientiousness in this one young man. I also appreciated the last shot of the home-in-progress, seen behind the swing. I like to remember that it’s ultimately a sense of play that’s operating here. And that’s what makes it all so refreshing.
If a 16 year old kid can think this through, why do we have so many homeless people?
@MichaelJRodriguez Shove it douchebag. Get your head out of your ass and realize I wasn’t saying anything about what hes doing being wrong, its the BS hype from the people around him thats screwed up.
Brilliant idea.
Good work, kid. Keep that beautiful peace you have in your mind.
Now he always has a place to watch porn.
Amazing young person
I can tell by the way he is talking that he is very humble (or probably cocky lol).