A MUM has revealed that she, her husband and her two kids have decided to ditch their home, to move into a school bus, meaning they now don’t pay any rent or bills.
Jen and Jake met back in 2012, and after a few years, welcomed their first son Jacob.
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The pair decided to tie the knot in 2019, and shortly after, their second son Justin was born.
After Justin was born, the couple began living paycheque to paycheque and Jake had to work long hours, meaning that the family had little time together.
The family began researching alternative ways of living and Jen found an old school bus online for just £1,500.
They purchased the bus and the couple began working on renovating it after work and at the weekends.
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“It got tiring, but in the end it was worth it,” she told the Mobile Dwellings YouTube channel.
Since moving in to the bus, which they have named Skulley, Jen and Jake that they have lots more money, which they can use to spoil the kids with.
The family power their school bus using six solar panels attached to the roof, meaning that they don’t have to pay for electricity, and also have an electric hookup, just in case anything goes wrong.
“It’s just really nice to have somewhere to call home that we made, and that we don’t owe anybody for”, Jen said.
Jake painted the entire bus in just one day and installed a water hookup, so the family have access to 100 gallons of water at a time.
The back of the bus has been transformed into a large storage space, and also houses Jen and Jake’s large double bed.
The duo have been very creative with their bus, and created a shoe and coat storage unit out of old crates.
Their bus is decorated with an abundance of plants, many of which they got from the farm where the bus is situated and which Jake works on.
They even have two cats living with them, who have their own ‘kitty corner’ near the front of the bus.
Jen and Jake heat their home with a tiny wood burning stove, and have ditched lots of the kids’ toys and their pots and pans so that they can fit everything into the small space.
Tiny Homes FAQs
The tiny house movement began in the USA before gaining popularity in the UK.
What is a tiny home?
Tiny houses are small, fully-equipped living spaces designed to lead a more sustainable, off-grid lifestyle. Although they vary in size and shape, tiny homes tend to be between 15 and 50 square metres in capacity, made of sustainable materials and are easier — and cheaper — to maintain than traditional brick homes.
Are tiny homes legal in the UK?
As long as the tiny house doesn’t exceed 19.8m x 6.7m in size, it is defined as a caravan in UK law. Therefore, tiny houses are classed as legal additional living space.
Can you get a mortgage for a tiny home?
The small size and relatively low cost of tiny houses means they’re not generally considered eligible for a mortgage. However, there are plenty of options to take out a loan to fund your dreams of the perfect, moveable home.
Their bus even has room for a washing machine and tumble dryer, meaning that they never have to go without clean clothes.
Justin and Jacob sleep on bunk beds, each of which have been uniquely decorated to match their styles and the family have even made their own DIY compost toilet.
The kids are even homeschooled on the school bus, with the family allocating a small corner of their home for lessons to take place in.
Sharing advice to anyone thinking of building their own tiny home, Jen said: “Give yourself more time for it than you think you’ll need, because pretty much every project took longer than we originally thought.”
“Take you time, don’t stress and have fun.”
