Why We Decided to Move Into A Very Large Tin Can
So you remember a couple months ago when I joked about how it’s every millennial’s dream to convert a van into a tiny home and travel the country. Well, we didn’t buy a van…
Say hello to our new home!
At least it will be once we’re done with the remodel. Currently, the inside is…sparse…
So far, the question we’ve received most when we tell people we’re planning to remodel an Airstream into a tiny home is
WHY?
To us, the appeal seems obvious, but it isn’t the MOST traditional choice. Really, there were a few main factors that led us to this decision:
Living expenses
The rental market in Houston is ridiculous. With the amount we pay in rent and Jared’s current job situation, we are bleeding money from our savings every month. Even if we end up paying to park in an RV park, we will save money which we can put towards traveling and preparing to buy a traditional home later on down the road (pun intended).
Flexibility
We have no idea where Jared will be getting a job. Remodeling the Airstream will allow us to take our home with us wherever we go, and when we have vacation time, we can travel in comfort and style. Our trip to the national parks proved to us that we really don’t need much space to travel…although slightly more space than the Mazda CX-5 would be nice. But honestly, we’ve been living in a traditional house for about 10 months now, and I think I can count on one hand the number of times that we have actually been in separate rooms. Call it the Honeymoon Phase if you want, but we just really like being near each other.
Investment
Unlike other RVs, Airstreams hold their value and even appreciate with time and improvements. The vintage, iconic design makes them desirable, even at 40+ years old. We’re currently planning to keep the Airstream as a travel vehicle even after we move into a traditional house, but if we change our minds, there’s an excellent resale market. Many people are buying them to park in their backyards as Airbnbs and rental properties.
Home
At the moment, we are nowhere near being able to buy a traditional home. With the Airstream, we can own a home and make it ours, without ANY DEBT. We know that every day won’t be a whirlwind adventure, but the ability to have our own, albeit tiny, home will make it all worth it. We also know that this is for a season. There will certainly be challenges, but we only plan to live in the Airstream for 3-5 years, and we will gain so much from the sacrifices we make during that time, not only in savings, but in the freedom and flexibility to make the most of this special time at the beginning of our marriage.
The Plan
Even putting a plan into words seems foolhardy because everything we’ve read about renovating Airstreams says the same thing: “however long you think it will take, double it. However much you think it will cost, triple it.” Well, here’s the timeline estimate we’ll all be laughing at next year. We hope to have it livable (bed, bathroom, basic kitchen functions) by the end of the year. Our lease is up at the end of December, so ideally, we can move straight into the Airstream. From there, it may take us a couple more months to complete other finishes like flooring, tile, banquette, “luxury” appliances (dishwasher, washer/dryer), etc. We hope to have it totally finished by April of 2021.
So the next few months will be a lot of Jared working on the Airstream and a lot of me trying to downsize our belongings to what can reasonably fit in approximately 200 square feet.
I cannot end this post without giving a huge thank you to Jared’s parents, who are letting us park the Airstream at their house while we renovate it. We truly could not do this without your support. And a big thank you to my parents as well who did not openly laugh at us when we told them that we were moving into an RV. I know that must have taken a lot of self-control and I appreciate it, haha. But sincerely, thank you to everyone who has already given us so much support and encouragement. We’ve got a big job ahead of us, but we have the community to make it happen!