Rajan Chidambaram spends his free weekends thrifting for shoes, and he has sold over 7,500 pairs on eBay.
The University of Virginia student has put his money towards a townhouse in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Putting his weekly savings aside has enabled him to purchase a Shenandoah Valley property.
He now intends to rent them out on Airbnb as luxury cabins.
The proactive young man has already described construction workers getting started on the site.
Chidambaram told his college newspaper about the two-hour journey to find up to ten thrift stores.
The Herndon native is only a few months away from receiving his bachelor’s degree, but he has already found success.
The 10-by-19-foot office unit he rents in Charlottesville’s McIntire Plaza serves as the heart of his business.
Packed with pre-owned shoes and Goodwill bags, the space has allowed the student to make the most of his weekend finds.
“I love my mom, God bless her soul,” Chidambaram told UVAToday.
“She would always cook me meals and store them in coolers for me to take back. That was every Sunday.
“A good price is essential for a successful sale, but so are clear images and relevant keywords.
“You have 80 characters in an eBay title, and I try to use every single one. I have learned to include as many keywords as possible, such as ‘athletic running shoes’, because it increases the likelihood of a sale.”
TheChida provides a wide range of options, some of which sell for $250 after he purchased them for only $10 each.
He has even developed relationships with some suppliers, so he no longer relies solely on his weekend adventures.
Last week, ground was broken on 2.5 acres in Front Royal as part of his most recent project.
He bought the property for $37,000 with his high school friend, Renzo Sanio, a Virginia Tech student.
It comes after Amazon made affordable prefab housing available to buyers.
A prefab – which stands for ‘prefabricated’ – is built in a factory off-site and then transported and assembled wherever you want.
These homes are known for their lightning-fast construction times and significant cost savings over traditional homes that are stuck in one location.