A North Vancouver couple is hoping to find a place to park their home — a school bus they have converted into a living space.
Emily Beeks and her partner Jake Stark purchased a bus near Nelson for less than $5,000.
It is currently parked in Port Moody, but the couple wants to find a place to park it in North Vancouver.
They haven’t paid any rent so far as they were house-sitting in exchange for a place to stay for a couple who had gone to Europe for eight weeks.
“We moved into a school bus because we were tired of forking out thousands of dollars in rent a year, paying down somebody else’s mortgage while simultaneously gaining no personal equity,” says Beeks.
She says they felt like they were throwing their money away.
“How is any young person starting out in a big city expected to save enough money to buy land and afford to retire while paying $15,000 a year on rent alone? We’ve crunched the numbers and it doesn’t add up,” she says.
Living in the bus has given the couple the freedom to live where they want and how they want. “”If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do things you’ve never done before,” she says.
Ideally, they are looking for a space in North Vancouver where they both work, Jake as an engineer and Emily as a freelance filmmaker.
“We’re looking for something secluded or at least with a bit of privacy. Someone’s backyard would be wonderful, we think. In the very least, we’d like to find a place surrounded by good people. A space that feels like home,” she says.
Right now, they are parked at the end of a cul-de-sac in Port Moody, where the neighbours have welcomed them with open arms, she says.
They have been living for free until now, but are open to paying a reasonable rent.
The bus is small, but apartments are tiny too, she says, and rentals are extremely expensive — “You’re locked into a contract and none of it is yours, it’s all an illusion.”
“It’s been absolutely lovely living there and finding something similar but a bit closer to our jobs would be an absolute dream,” she says.
“It’s pushed us to live smarter and as a result we’re living happier, healthier, and more fearlessly then ever.”
Contact Emily at connect@emilybeekscreative.com
Comments
NOTE: The North Shore Daily Post welcomes your opinions and comments. We do not allow personal attacks, offensive language or unsubstantiated allegations. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, style, legality and taste and reproduce them in print, electronic or otherwise. For further information, please contact the editor or publisher, or see our Terms and Conditions.