Just Wait Until You See What She Did For Her Senior Project!
New Zealand teen Gabriella Grace has created a phenomenal project to commemorate her high school graduation. In order to satisfy the final project requirements for her school, she designed and built her very own tiny home! This is pretty impressive considering most tiny-home-seekers hire professional crews to build for them!
Grace asked her father to help with the home. Overall, it took about a year to build. By doing most of the construction herself, she was able to keep her costs down to about $17,000 USD. That’s less than what many people pay for their car!
After Grace and her father finished her own home, she began to consider how she could use her creation to help others. Eventually, she decided to start her own charity. With this organization, she shares her construction plans so that others can create their own small, debt-free houses.
She is twenty years old now, and her high school days are long over. But, she still lives in the home she built for her senior project. It is located on the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Wellington.
Grace was able to use the money she saved by building her own home to invest in a picturesque property. Her home, and it’s gorgeous view, can be seen on an episode of Living Big in Tiny Houses.
As a college student, Grace is interested in studying sustainability methods and ways to help create affordable housing in New Zealand. No matter what she ends up studying, she has a rent-free, mortgage-free place to live! This is always appreciated in our world of high mortgage rates and constant foreclosures.
The inside of Grace’s home is very simple. Her furniture is all very minimalist and there aren’t many decorations on the wall. This, she says, is to make the space seem larger. In addition, she keeps the home’s windows open as often as possible in order to let natural light flow inside.
Many of the utilities in the home, such as the sink and toilet, were purchased from a thrift site called Trade Me. This is yet another way Grace tried to save money and recycle. She believes that, if everyone takes simple steps like these, the world’s environmental problems can be eliminated soon.
Of course, Grace is a millennial, so she was sure to add some of her own personal touches to her home. A disco ball, string lights, and a customized sound system adorn the walls. Even though her house is small, she still likes to entertain! And, with her petite space, she can do this in style.
Gabriella Grace set out to get an A on her senior project. What she ended up with, though, is an incredibly unique creation that allows her to express her creative side, help the less fortunate, and save the planet. She has created a lesson that we could all serve to learn from. Way to go, Gabriella!