YouTube has become a treasure trove of information as well as lessons on almost everything you can think of. In fact, one can learn a new skill through watching YouTube videos alone as numerous experts share their knowledge in order to gain exposure. There have been remarkable stories about how YouTube tutorials helped them but not is as remarkable as this single mom who built a house together with her kids just by watching YouTube videos.

Cara Brookins from Little Rock, Arkansas had been trapped in a marriage with an abusive husband. Fortunately, she was able to get out of it along with her four kids and slowly rebuilt them together. And one idea that came was to embark on a project that would strengthen their bonds as they rebuild their family. The project was none other than building a house together.

The first challenge was to secure a loan that would finance their project. Gathering all the courage and confidence she had, Brookins applied for a loan and secured an amount that is one-third more than she was asking for. But that was easy compared to what is coming in the next few months.

Without prior knowledge how to build the house, Brookins scoured YouTube videos that contain tutorials on house construction. Once she thought she was armed with enough knowledge, they started building. She and her kids soon found out how difficult it was to mix concrete in January or install fiberglass insulation in summer. They even had to haul water from a frozen pond to mix mortar in a wheelbarrow. On one hand, they were afraid of failure and ridicule from their friends and colleagues that they hid it.

Despite the limited knowledge, Brookins and her children were able to build a 3,500-square meter, two-story, five-bedroom house they named Inkwell Manor, which reflected Brookins' love for writing. She details their struggles and triumphs in building their own house in her book, Rise: How A House Built A Family.