Boy, 7, Learned to Lay Flooring to Help Remodel Family Home (Exclusive)

• Heather Beck posted a now-viral TikTok of her 7-year-old son, Abel, laying flooring to help with their family’s DIY home renovation project.
• The mom of two tells PEOPLE that Abel and her older son Hayden, 13, have been a major help in setting up their new place, from installing floors to hanging drywall and tiling walls.
• The family hopes remodel their house without taking out a loan; their goal is becoming debt-free.

The Beck family is on a DIY mission to remodel their own home, and everyone is pitching in — even the youngest of the brood. In fact, 7-year-old Abel Beck has become an asset in literally laying the groundwork for their new abode.

Abel’s mom, Heather, happened to capture footage of her kid’s ability to install flooring and posted it on TikTok for the world to appreciate as well. Since she first shared it in August, the video has reached more than 37.3 million viewers and racked up 4.4 million likes on the app, with many people applauding Abel for his impressive craftsmanship in the comments.

His dad, Weston, entered the room halfway through the video, leading some TikTok users to wonder if the child was working unsupervised. Heather tells PEOPLE that she was indeed nearby, working on the bathroom and checking in on Abel periodically.

“People assumed he was home alone, but I don’t think they realized that we don’t even live in the home yet,” she clarifies. “When we show up to work on the house, we all go to work on it and get as much done as we can, which leads to 7-year-olds figuring out flooring on their own because he wanted to help like the rest of us.”

According to Heather, Abel taught himself how to set the wood panels into place in about 20 to 30 minutes, and he likely learned which tools to use by watching his dad do it. Later, Abel actually taught his mom how to lay flooring as well.

That’s not the only thing Abel can help with, though. Heather says her son can tile showers and backsplashes, hang drywall and install electrical outlet covers. Abel is confident working with a drill and any other power tools, and he can help with plumbing and painting.

Between Abel, his 13-year-old brother Hayden and their parents, the renovation is coming along well, despite the fact that they’re not professional contractors. Heather says this is actually the third home she’s flipped with her husband.

“My husband is very smart and is very good at figuring out how to do things,” she notes. “He has always been a DIY type of guy.”

The family’s do-it-yourself spirit also sources from their goals to be debt-free in a few years. The Becks sold their 3,000-sq.-ft. property and moved to what their TikTok bio describes as a “fixer upper 90s home.” Heather tells PEOPLE they don’t plan to take out any loans for the home renovation.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

While some aspects of their plan to live debt-free — like downsizing and going the DIY route — may seem tough, the mom of two says she sees a smaller home as an opportunity to spend more time together as a family and “be more present in each others’ lives.”

Plus, she’s more than happy to have her sons’ help in making the new place as special as possible.

“Doing this type of remodel is hard work and stressful, but it’s a temporary solution for a much happier long-term goal,” she explains. “Plus, we all get to learn how to do new things. When my children grow up they will be able to fix the things they have as well. I want them to live a debt-free life as well.”