Man builds full home for $20K just by watching YouTube — but the comment section is absolutely unhinged

Living with family and friends can be great, but sometimes, we all need our personal space. However, most people struggle to choose between their loved ones and their desire for solitude. This internal conflict leading to emotional stress is something that many experience, but only a few openly discuss it. Similarly, two brothers from Oklahoma, Carter, 23, and Aaron, 33, had a blast living together until the younger one decided to move out. But, rather than moving away, the brothers found a brilliant solution to be close to each other while maintaining their personal space.

In a now-viral post, Carter, who goes by u/fakelickinshit on Reddit, shared how he built a house from scratch only after watching YouTube videos. The young man called it his ambitious project and shared he started building his makeshift house with his brother, Aaron. Further, he shared that he is open to constructive criticism on his DIY home. As expected several people jumped in, pitching their ideas for Carter.

For instance, u/responsible-annual21 commented, "You know, for your first time and using YouTube as a guide, I commend your efforts. However, you really need headers and jack studs at your door and windows. A double top plate to tie everything in as well. Good job overall. Just don’t stay inside with wind gusts over 25 mph, and you should be fine. Also, don’t stay inside if there’s a snow load. I also wouldn’t recommend being inside and farting too hard. And another thing, maybe you should just not go inside it at all." On the other hand, u/healthypop7988 wrote, "Damn bro, you have to be a guy punch to come here so proud of your work only to get told that it's no good, probably unfixable, and not safe. I feel for you, man!"

u/alive-reputation2633 praised Carter for his efforts and suggested, "Looks awesome… That siding is sweet! I won’t comment on the framing as others have… But unfold that ladder and stop standing on the top rung—that’s probably the most dangerous part of your entire build!" Meanwhile, u/thebreakfastskipper pointed out, "If you're happy, I'm happy. The practical reality is that it's so small; if you brace it with a bit of hardware, you'll probably be ok. I guarantee you that you can find houses built around you that are nowhere near as good as this, and they've been fine for 50 years." u/wots2024 commented, "I admire the inspiration and someone building with their own hands. Good job. However, as many others have already pointed out. There are a few issues. Currently, it's not a house, just a shed. But I guess the next one will be better."

Carter believes that his makeshift home, featuring multiple rooms including an office downstairs, will be fully completed by July 2025. After some meticulous research, Carter drew up a plan with an estimated budget of $10K to get the house's shell constructed, which he shared with Newsweek. "I knew nothing about construction. My previous experience was essentially how to use tools. My brother had a little more experience from a job he had at a restoration company, and he's done some smaller projects on his property. I spend probably 30 hours a week working on the house. I use most of my free time on it," the young man added.

Moreover, Carter revealed that he watched different YouTube videos on house construction and DIY workshops. However, he also confessed that being unaware of several things required for house construction, Carter faced many obstacles on his way. "Not knowing the steps that go into plumbing, electricity, and drywall caused me to miss some steps of framing that would have saved me time down the road. I haven't done some of the jobs entirely correctly, and then I have to go back and fix them or do them again," he shared.