I bought a $15,000 tiny home & 'hate my toilet'

Aug 27, 2023

A MARRIED couple has revealed the pros and cons of living full-time in a tiny home.

Ally and Allan bought a $15,000 converted school bus, but Ally thinks a cheaper alternative to their unusual toilet would have been a better idea.

Ally and Alan are a married couple who decided to buy a converted school bus off Facebook Marketplace in 2021 for $15,000.

They recently gave a walk-through of their mobile living space to the YouTube channel Time Home Tours.

When the couple bough it, the bus had already been turned into a tiny home.

They decided to keep some of the original fittings like the sink, fridge, and the toilet.

But as for the design and aesthetic, Ally and Alan have totally made it their own.

The home is decorated with unique decor items from Goodwill, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace.

Inside, the skoolie is full of creative solutions to tiny living problems.

In the kitchen, they used a Husky tool cabinet to give them extra storage space and they made do with just a small apartment-sized fridge.

Their bus came ready-installed with an expensive toilet, but Ally recommends a cheaper solution.

“The thing I hate most about living in a skoolie is dealing with this toilet,” she said.

Ally despises the $1,000 self-contained toilet because it requires her to turn a handle to churn down solid waste.

She thinks a more affordable solution would have been much better.

“Get yourself a bucket, get yourself a nice urine converter for like $50 to $60 off Amazon, and make your own,” she advised.

Despite the toilet issue, Ally and Allan both love living in their tiny home and recommend it to anyone who is curious.

Ally has some particular advice for those considering moving into a skoolie.

“I would say to anybody looking at a bus, buy the rig for your lifestyle,” she said.

“I need beauty and to be surrounded by things that I love, so I need custom and something that represents me.

“But if that’s not you, go do your best life, and you can be happier for it.”

While former school buses are a popular option for a tiny home, others have converted ambulances, shipping containers, and regular vans into small living spaces.

Another option is to buy a ready-to-go tiny home.

One company in Newport, Tennessee, is selling kitted-out models for as little as $15,000.

And another business creates prefab houses that have been described as “the most beautiful tiny homes in the world.”