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
Carol Vorderman flaunts her toned abs and buxom bottom, Dermot O’Leary teases her “special friends”
TV personality Carol Vorderman works hard at maintaining her fabulous body and shared photos of her hourglass figure, her skin-tight workout gear hugging her cheeky bottom.
The Welsh broadcaster, who frequently posts videos of her grueling workouts on Instagram, is being praised by adoring fans who call her “Supervorders.”
When she’s not on TV, working out, flying a plane, or having photos taken with Tom Cruise, Vorderman can be found with one of her five “special friends.”
Keep reading to learn more about Vorderman and her roster of men!
Carol Vorderman, 62, recently celebrated 40 years on television and is credited with more than 10,000 appearances in series like the British game show Countdown, the breakfast program Lorraine, The Great Celebrity Bake Off, and ITV’s This Morning.
The stunning blonde is not all beauty, she’s got the brains, too.
In 2014, the mother of two got her private pilot’s license and the next year, she teamed up with NASA as a member of the board of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, a role where she encouraged children to be more involved with space science.
When she’s not on TV wowing her audiences, the former host of Have I Got News for You works steadily at the gym, maintaining her killer body.
“Women who are in their 60s, we weren’t brought up to exercise…I think as you get older, you need to do weight-bearing stuff and you need to stretch and squat. If you don’t, even for a couple of weeks, you start creaking,” Vorderman shared in an interview with HELLO! “Because I work in a visual world you have to pay more attention, as do other women in my position, to how you look–more than you’d like to.”
Recently, she shared some images from inside the gym where she showed off her curves in a skimpy ensemble of a grey crop top and figure-hugging leggings.
Vorderman captioned the post, “Five gym sessions this week. Just so good to get the routine going again. Eating clean, loads of water, lots of walking, fresh air…..my happy state to be honest.”
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