Post by raychip on Jun 20, 2005 4:12:31 GMT -5
It's the dream of almost every little kid -- to have a tree house in the backyard that you can actually live in. Well, that's what a Deerfield teenager has done. Alan Mellovitz, 18, has built himself a tri-level home complete with every electronic gadget imaginable.
Sometimes when you look at the front of a home you have no idea what's going on out back. And that's the case for the one family in Deerfield, where Alan Mellovitz has built with his own hands the kind of tree house even Tarzan would envy. The place is an unbelievable electronics filled private getaway. And, he's been working on it for a long time.
"I started at a very young age. I was about eight years old and it grew, and I started taking apart my old designs. And, I redid everything and it turned out to be, ah, like it is now," said Alan Mellovitz.
For ten years, he has been building his second home complete with TVs, sound systems, air conditioning and even a skylight with a remote controlled shade.
"Basically everything in the tree house I can control in the palm of my hand either by cell phone, my remote or my keychain," said Alan Mellovitz.
He has a computer filled office, which is where he runs his own business, "Handyman Al."
"And, ah, this is the living room as I like to call it. So I guess I'll just give a little tour. I've got my twenty inch TV over there and a five point one channel stereo system," said Alan Mellovitz.
Alan estimates he has spent several thousand dollars over the years building his tree house. But, now it is complete -- except for three very important ingredients.
"For plumbing and good food? Well, I'll probably walk about 100 feet to my house. And, I guess for occasional laundry, too," said Alan Mellovitz.
This fall Alan enters the University of Illinois to study mechanical engineering.
ABC Video
Sometimes when you look at the front of a home you have no idea what's going on out back. And that's the case for the one family in Deerfield, where Alan Mellovitz has built with his own hands the kind of tree house even Tarzan would envy. The place is an unbelievable electronics filled private getaway. And, he's been working on it for a long time.
"I started at a very young age. I was about eight years old and it grew, and I started taking apart my old designs. And, I redid everything and it turned out to be, ah, like it is now," said Alan Mellovitz.
For ten years, he has been building his second home complete with TVs, sound systems, air conditioning and even a skylight with a remote controlled shade.
"Basically everything in the tree house I can control in the palm of my hand either by cell phone, my remote or my keychain," said Alan Mellovitz.
He has a computer filled office, which is where he runs his own business, "Handyman Al."
"And, ah, this is the living room as I like to call it. So I guess I'll just give a little tour. I've got my twenty inch TV over there and a five point one channel stereo system," said Alan Mellovitz.
Alan estimates he has spent several thousand dollars over the years building his tree house. But, now it is complete -- except for three very important ingredients.
"For plumbing and good food? Well, I'll probably walk about 100 feet to my house. And, I guess for occasional laundry, too," said Alan Mellovitz.
This fall Alan enters the University of Illinois to study mechanical engineering.
ABC Video