Mother, daughter turn school buses into tiny homes
- Lisa and Megan Donahue lost their son and brother in 2015
- They created Live Simply Buses to work through their grief together
- "Wherever these buses go, that's where he goes," Lisa says
(NewsNation) — A mother and daughter are putting their artistic talents to good use with home renovation.
But these aren’t your typical two-story colonials. What mom Lisa Donahue and her daughter, Megan, are doing is turning old school buses into custom-crafted tiny homes.
Now, they are the owners of Live Simply Buses in North Carolina.
It was Megan’s idea to start the company after the 2015 death of her brother and Lisa’s son, Michael, in an attempt to “rebuild (the) family” by spending time together.
Although Megan originally wanted to renovate a home, her parents asked if she could afford one — to which her answer was no.
“So I went and I found the next best thing, which was a school bus,” Megan said on “Morning in America.”
Now, Michael’s initials go on every bus Megan and Lisa create.
“Wherever these buses go, that’s where he goes,” Lisa said — a fitting tribute to someone who loved the outdoors like he did.
According to Insider, it costs around $25,000 to renovate the bus, but this varies based on decisions like using a generator or solar power. The buses then are typically sold for between $20,000 and $60,000.
When deciding who to sell the tiny house to, Lisa said there is an important qualification.
“Would we like those people at our table for dinner that night?” she said.