Her charming little home-on-wheels ended up costing her a total of $800 once everything was said and done. It came out beautifully!
So, what were you up to when you were eleven years old? Most likely, you’ll be spending your time outdoors with friends and creating stuff out of Legos.
A far greater ambition existed in the mind of 11-year-old Lauren Nelson, who wanted to build her very own small house out of a camper.
Despite the fact that the bulk of social events had been cancelled due to COVID, Lauren, of Attica, New York, was determined to have a good summer.
Lauren was inspired by an American Girl doll magazine and began making arrangements for her mission as soon as she saw it.
Her objective was to get a van for as little money as possible, since in American Girl, there was a toy VW bus for sale for $650 that she wished to purchase.
In an interview with WKBW, Aimee Nelson described the moment her daughter gave her parents the magazine:
In response, my husband said, ‘You could go out and purchase a camper for that amount of money.’
That’s when the pre-teen made the decision that she was going to do precisely that: purchase her own camper for that amount.
Lauren set aside all of her pocket money and started looking for campers that would create the ideal compact house for herself and her family. Her mother, Aimee, stated to the New York Post:
‘Lauren does, in fact, have a savings envelope where she keeps her money. Furthermore, it’s just a small amount here and there from things like $5 at Easter or money from the Tooth Fairy. It was merely a matter of adding up.’
After all, a neighbor down the road was selling a 20-foot long camper for a very reasonable price, and despite the camper’s damaged exterior, Lauren fell in love with it on the first sight.
The resourceful 11-year-old needed to use her negotiation skills since the camper was being offered for a price that was out of her pricing range.
She confessed that bringing the price down was not difficult:
‘He asked for $500, and I responded with $400 since that was the amount of money I had in my bank account, and he said ‘sold’’.
In reality, the restoration procedure was far from straightforward, particularly for a pre-teen with little previous physical labor expertise.
Lauren, on the other hand, was prepared to put in the hard work and immediately began thoroughly cleaning her new little house.
Of course, the renovations came at a cost, and Lauren was forced to make more financial sacrifices. She spent around $400 on furniture and decorations for her bohemian-style hideaway in its entirety.
A comfortable living area, a four-bed bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and a kitchen are all included. Lauren’s house is unquestionably adorable, and it serves as a testimony to her parents’ openness to allow her to express herself creatively.
Watch the video here: