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11-year-old buys drab, outdated $400 camper – renovates it into adorable tiny home
This little girl has got some serious talent! 😍
Jonathan Arrastia
11.25.20

Oh, to be young, wild, and free! Sometimes we forget that we once brimmed with innocence in days past.

Our 11-year old self probably remembers simpler times when things weren’t so stone-cold serious and we could actually use our brains to dive into our creativity.

While we all had our grand visions for the future in our heads, few like 11-year old Lauren Nelson had the passion and drive to manifest her own into a reality.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

This little lass had a dream to make her very own tiny home out of a camper. Despite the global pandemic ruining her summer, Lauren saw it as an opportunity to start a project.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

Lauren was inspired to make a plan after scoping out an American Girl doll magazine. She sought to purchase a cheap VW toy van for $650 that she saw in the magazine.

Her mother, Aimee Nelson, recalled the moment her daughter presented her with the idea, and that’s when Aimee’s husband responded,

“That’s ridiculous, you could buy your own camper for that price.”

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YouTube-WKBW TV

Funny enough, that’s exactly what the pre-teen decided she would do instead.

She saved all her allowance as well as other small pocket earnings and began looking for her ideal camper.

“Lauren really does have an envelope where she saves money. And it’s just a little bit here and there from things, like $5 at Easter or Tooth Fairy money. It just added up.”

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YouTube-WKBW TV

No kidding! Lauren was determined to accomplish what she set out to do.

Fortunately, her neighbor down the street put up a “For Sale” sign by the front yard to indicate they were selling their 20-foot long camper. It looked pretty beat up and out of place, but the neighbors agreed that it would be sold at an affordable price.

Lauren fell in love with it at first sight. The inspired 11-year-old knew she just had to buy it no matter what. She knew the price was way beyond her budget, so she decided to negotiate for a deal.

Initially, it was not going well since there was still some haggling from both sides, but eventually, everything worked itself out in the end.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

“He said $500 and I said $400 because that was the money I had in my bank account and he said sold,” Lauren said.

After acquiring the camper, it was time to start the renovation work.

Easier said than done for a girl with little to no manual work experience. Nevertheless, Lauren was not deterred from her task of achieving her perfect tiny home.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

The renovation work would not come without a price tag.

Lauren had to save more money to make the purchases necessary for the home to be improved. She was finally able to dish out a total of $400 for the furnishings and accessories she planned to have.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

Her main inspiration was drawn from HGTV’s show, “Tiny House Hunters”.

Lauren even did her own independent research and browsed different sites like Pinterest. Once she put it all together, the stylish combination proved to elevate her lifestyle significantly.

The home is adorned with a primary set of blacks, whites, and greys to give it a very simplistic, yet clean look. The space is kept tidy and efficient enough to contain a comfy living space, a four-bed bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and a kitchen.

Additionally, there is more space for storage located in cupboards inside the main room, living room, and even kitchen.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

Lauren has undoubtedly inspired many to chase their dreams and not hold back.

The 11-year old’s love for her new tiny home pushed her to put in the work and has been rewarded heavily for it. Credit goes out to her parents as well for giving her the creative space necessary to make it all happen.

They saw it as a harmless project that would educate their daughter on a variety of life skills that they felt were necessary. They were not wrong.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

Lauren has learned so much along the way. More importantly, she challenged herself and came to realize that age really is just a number when it comes down to how much you want it.

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YouTube-WKBW TV

For more of the inside scoop with Lauren and her story, check out the entire video below!

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