FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why BUY This BUS?

1. Where is the bus currently located?
     Squamish, BC, Canada (between Vancouver and Whistler)

2. How much are you selling the bus for?
    CAD$45,000

3. What is included in the price of the bus?

• ALL appliances: fridge, range/oven, washer, dryer, on-demand hot water heater, electric heaters, composting toilet (all bought brand new 2 years ago).
• Table and table extension
• Exterior shelter (can be taken down, and rebuilt in new location)
• Optional: chairs, couch and bed (can included at no extra charge)

4. What kind of bus is it and what are the external dimensions?
    It is a 1991 International Diesel 72 passenger school bus
    External Dimensions:
    Length: 38 feet
    Width: 8.5 feet
    Height: 14.5 feet (including the skylights and the raised closet space)

5. Can the bus be driven?
    As far as we know, YES, the bus can be driven.

    Since living in it, however, we have not driven it. We have put the bus on cement blocks while living in it to avoid damaging the tires.  tBoy starts the bus every month to run the engine for 20 minutes. The engine starts immediately and very smoothly :)!

    Also, the height of the skylights and the raised closet space do not exceed the height for highway height restrictions (so... the bus, as is, will fit under all bridges and tunnels from here to your home!)

6. What are the electrical specs for the bus?

• The bus has a 100amp electrical panel located inside the bus.  The set up is like that of a house and not an RV.  This system can be easily converted (by an electrician) to a 30amp RV system to allow it to be plugged in to an electrical source as an RV.
• All plugs but one are 110V AC.  There are 8 sockets throughout the bus (pretty much anywhere you can possibly need one)
• The sockets in the bathroom and near the kitchen sink are Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) types because they are near a water source.
• There are 2 sockets on the exterior of the bus - which come in very handy for things such as the chest freezer that we have outside and the electric car that tBoy sometimes drives.
• The washer is plugged into a 110V plug, while there is a specific 220V plug for the dryer. 

7. How does the plumbing work in the bus?
    There is one entry for a hose from a water source to be attached to the bus.  This is attached to all the piping on the bus and the water supply flows into the kitchen sink, shower and washer.

8. What uses propane on the bus?
    There are 2 things that uses propane: the on-demand hot water heater and the range/stove.  We hook up to a 20 lbs. propane tank (typical BBQ size) and always have a full one as a spare.  One tank lasts us about a month - living here full time: cooking and showering everyday. 

9. How does the bus get hot water?
    There is an on-demand propane hot water heater attached to the exterior of the bus (encased in an insulated box).  As it is on-demand, there is no need for a water tank (which requires a lot of space and energy to keep hot) and hot water comes out of the kitchen sink, shower and washer immediately (hence, on-demand).  It is a space saving and energy efficient way to have this modern luxury! 

10. What is a composting toilet?
    The composting toilet that we have on the bus is one that is typically used on boats.  There is a section for liquids and solids.  Liquids can be easily emptied out into a flushing toilet, or carefully out in nature.  Using it full-time, we empty it about once every week and a half.

    In the solids section we put peat moss (easily obtained from any garden/home hardware store) which helps to turn the solid waste into compost.  We use it full time and empty the solids section about once every month.  We put it into heavy duty garbage bags and dispose of it at the city dump.  An alternative is to have a second solids container and to rotate them.  This increases the composting time, and once it is compost, it can be disposed of in nature.

    There is a fan that runs continuously to help with the composting process.  It is super tiny and uses very little electricity.  We have an electric plug located right next to the toilet for this specific purpose.
 
11. Can I have a flushing toilet?
    Yes, as long as you are connected to a septic or sewer system. 

12. Can I keep the bus in its current location and rent the land?
    Yes.  Our landlord is willing to consider the new owner as a tenant.  As you can see from our blog, the bus is located on a bio-dynamic farm that is situated right along a river.  As tenants, we have access to 10 acres of beautiful, well-maintained gardens.  The possibility of tenancy would be a discussion between you and the landlord, but we would be happy to introduce you.

    We currently pay CAD$400/month to live here.  There is no guarantee that this amount would stay the same, but we don't think that it would increase tremendously, if at all.  This amount includes water (from a well - which is the BEST water ever that we will miss very much).  For electricity, the bus has its very own meter with the local utility company and the account could easily to be transferred to the new owner.

13. Why is Squamish the best place to live?
    If you are considering living in the bus in its current location, know that Squamish is nature's ultimate playground!  With world class rock climbing, kite surfing, mountain biking, backcountry skiing (and resort skiing), hiking, kayaking and much much more!

14. Can I come and see the bus?
    Yes.  Serious buyers can contact us at: teenytinyliving@gmail.com to set up a viewing.


15. What if I have other questions?
    Do not hesitate to email us with those questions at: teenytinyliving@gmail.com

Land Land... No Land?

Ok, I'm back as promised, to talk about our search for land...

So.  Back in January when we returned from California, friends of ours got excited about building a tiny home of their own and we decided to buy some land together... Together?  How?

Well, our bank offers a 'mixer mortgage' that allows two or more people to share a mortgage.  By dividing the property costs, it increases each party's purchasing power.  Everyone's ownership is then protected by a legal co-ownership agreement.  How the property/home is divided is up to everyone involved.  We wanted it to be 50-50, but a mixer mortgage does not have to be split exactly in half. This type of mortgage is portable and assumable and it is eligible for multi-owner insurance.  It's an all-round great option, especially if you live in an expensive part of the world. 

We saw a number of advantages in the sharing of land.  Firstly, and very practically, it made it half as expensive.   Other reasons included: the sharing of tools/kitchen gadgets, having people on the property when we are away, built-in community, mutual doggie-sitting... 

We were so excited that we went looking even during a snowstorm:

We looked at everything that was for sale in the valley near us.  The land parcels were between 7 and 10 acres.  Most of the properties were treed (no road on the property and no clearing for a house), without a septic system, without infrastructure for power... for about... oh... just half a million dollars. With the cost of setting up the infrastructure for building/living in mind, we thought we could live in the bus as is... and then when we wanted to spend more money (!) we would build an extension around it - adding a bedroom and a living room area with a wood stove... or to start building an actual house.  This was always our plan... to buy land and to move our home (on wheels) to its permanent location.

But.  Alas.  We did not find any land that we fell in love with :(!  So we started looking at another community closer to the big city, upon a hill with this view of the Pacific Ocean:

However.  We could not have 2 homes on it... and other restrictions... and there was a possibility of a new highway being built right behind the property.  It was really too bad because the view is so incredibly amazing!

So at this point, tBoy and I are joking around, that at the end of this search, we will just end up in a condo of our own (no mixer mortgage)!  Well...

As tBoy and I thought more and more about land ownership, we realized that we LOVE our bus, but we do not love renting land.  We did the bus project to stop being renters, but we still ended up as renters... in a different way... but renters nonetheless.  As our search for something that we could share with our friends became more and more discouraging (due to restrictions and zoning), our desire for something of our very own increased.  So...  Condo?  No!!

But... We did look at some townhouses... but, just like condos, you are part of a strata... so you do not have complete autonomy of your environment or your home actually...  I think you know where this is going...

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! 

Yes.  Crazy.  I know.  A real.  Entire.  Detached house. Of our very own.

I can go on and on about why?  how?  what?... But I'm not going to.
Not now.
For now.  We bought a house and are waiting to move in.
For now.  I'll just say this:

The teeny tiny LIVING bus will soon be ON SALE.
Yes.
We are selling this beautiful bus home.
More details to come VERY soon.

Here are some photos of the bus again: click here.

More photos to come soon.
Check back soon.