MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The process of buying or renting a house has been a mess lately for many. One Memphis couple has decided to do away with the process completely. Instead, they're turning to a “skoolie.”
Here's what that is and how the couple created it.
You can’t let life pass you by. That's why Oleisha Evans and Randall Tate are riding the front seat of their own journey. The two are in the process of renovating a skoolie.
“A skoolie is a bus that has been converted into a tiny home,” said Evans.
It's a trend that is picking up speed.
“A lot of RV parks for buses and RV’s have started to go up,” said Evans. “Especially now with the housing market, a lot more people are deciding and coming up with different ways of living.”
For Evans and Tate, a skoolie was the best route.
“We were watching some RV’s, some RV couples on YouTube. She was like, ‘You know what? That would be a fun idea.’ Then, I’m like I don’t know if I hit too many beers, but I was like, ‘That sounds pretty cool,’” said Tate.
"Cool" quickly turned into cheaper costs.
“This right here cost us like $3,900 and there’s better prices than that,” said Tate. Once Evans and Tate move into their skoolie, their biggest bill will come from their daily car.
“When you think about it, it’s way cheaper because your rent is probably going to be $20-30 a night when you’re staying at an RV park,” said Evans.
That’s not a bad idea for the couple, especially since they have done most of the construction work themselves.
“We’re just at the end of the demo process. We finally got the floors and stuff out. We’ve ripped out the ceiling and everything,” said Evans.
Next is the renovations of the bus.
“You’ll be surprised on how little you’ll need to actually be comfortable,” said Evans. It is a comfort that has shifted gears where every stop feels like home.
“When you lay your head there and you’re happy, no worries, no stresses…Home is home. You feel like you are where you’re supposed to be,” said Tate.
You can follow Evans and Tate’s journey on YouTube. The two plan to move into their skoolie by December.