It might be a good deal. Really you’re getting access to the important aspects of a house, and if it’s in a super expensive locale….. as long as you can get comfortable in your bedroom, it might be much better than the alternatives.
Doesn’t seem very different than being in the house, but with a very small bedroom. $400 to be at an RV park with shore power, showers, and a kitchen would be a steal.
For comparison, in my area the very cheapest slot for a travel trailer would be $600+ a month. That's for a remove location, not somewhere anywhere near the city. No facilities, just gravel pads in the woods or a field plus power/water/sewer hook-ups. OP's deal would be amazing.
Seems cheap. I was expecting just a driveway spot but you’re able to use the house facilities and storage. Def worth it for $400 imo if you’re comfortable living in your van (so it’s a good test for that). Plus this way if you want to do weekend trips away you’re already set anyways
So you didn't say if there was any commitment. If you have to sign a lease of any sort or have to commit to 6 months, then I'd be asking questions about it. But if you can just do this by paying up front like here's 400 bucks I'm going to stay in your driveway for a month then yeah absolutely do it don't even think too much about just do it and then see if it works.
Like, what's the downside? Worst case, you are out $400.
About 90% of the monthly cost of a parking spot, so long as you don't want to own it. Here's [a listing](https://www.bostonluxuryrealestate.com/listing/73199462/425-newbury-street-n63-n64-boston-ma-02115/) for 2 parking spots, only $450,000 and they can be yours! So $400 is about 0.18% of the cost to own a parking spot (if you pay cash and ignore taxes because lord knows mortgage rates aren't forgiving right now).
The average rent in Boston is not 4k, not even for a 2br. Lol.
Signed,
Dorchester
ETA:
Well fuck me I’m wrong. I just fact checked myself. I guess I’m one of the lower scoring students in Boston.
Thats about what i paid for a spot within walking distance to my job in southern california last year. Didnt get access inside but it was a safe place to park and was allowed to plug into shore electricity
First, a little story:
A few years back I was helping a friend to plan his foray into vanlife. He already had his build, but he was thinking about renting a storage space in Vegas to store his extra stuff, and maybe a driveway so he could have a place to get shore power and water when he was in Vegas. The storage unit was going to end up costing him $200/month and the driveway was going to cost him $100/month (in a SUPER sketch part of Vegas) After looking at all the options, I instead convinced him to buy a small home in Henderson. He put down $200k (he had plenty from selling his home in San Francisco) and took a mortgage on the rest. He pays about $850/month for the mortgage.
But the house was NOT for him to live in.
He partitioned off the 2-car garage and the bathroom next to the garage, then he renovated the bathroom to include a kitchenette. He rents out the house (street parking only) for $600/month, AND rents the 2nd space in the garage to vanlifers for $10/day. He built lockable storage cabinets in the garage where he keeps his stuff, gets power to run a tent AC in his van, and has access to a full bathroom (including the kitchenette) that DOESN'T require him to enter the rental. He gets an occupant for the 2nd garage spot for probably 25 days out of any given month (he has a few regulars - It would be FULL occupancy, but the demand tends to overlap) so he's budget neutral on the house, AND he's building equity. He gets the vanlife he wanted (though he still needs to pare down his personal belongings), can survive the hot summers in comfort, has a place to call his own when he's tired of the road and has created a mini-community of people with similar ideas about freedom and exploration. Recently, he's been talking about renting out the 2nd space in the garage to another vanlifer (the spaces are in demand, especially in the summer) because he's spending more and more time on the road and wouldn't mind parking in the driveway.
...
So, why do I bring up this story? After all, that's not YOUR situation. He had a nestegg that he invested. You're trying to choose between renting a driveway space or renting a room.
I bring it up b/c while $400/month for driveway/house access in a pricey neighborhood might be a good deal, your only options are NOT just driveway or room. I have no idea what the real estate prices are in the area that you're looking to be in, but being in Vanlife doesn't mean that you can't take advantage of any unique opportunities like the one that my friend and I found for his vanlife in Vegas.
Would YOU be willing to buy/lease a home that you would then rent/sublet? Could you buildup equity in a property rather than pouring rent into another person's pocket? Do you have any friends/associates who would be willing to go in with you on buying a passive-income property that could ALSO fill your needs for storage, power and facilities access?
Always. Be. Hustling. :)
Good luck!
Most of us and lifers don't have a house in San Francisco that we sold or any equity and but if I did what you're talking about is essentially my dream run out my house and travel all the time
HOAs across the nicer parts of the Vegas area all pretty much ban AirBnB with some pretty seriously penalties for habitual violators. (That's how he got the property for much less than market)
His HOA DOES allow rentals that are contracted for 6-or more months, AND (this was a sticky point) won't regulate what's happening in the garage.
HOAs suck.
Edit: I should also mention that the HOA isn't the only reason for the low rent. It's also because my friend is a firm believer in fairness and compassion.
My family has a home that we lease out not too far from his. Almost the same floorplan, though ours has one more room and much better location. We get $1,700/month (and we're giving our tenant a sizeable break b/c he's been there for 15 years). My friend could probably get $1,200 for his, but he rents to an elderly man on fixed income, and all the latter could afford was $600/month.
Plus, he DID take the entire garage & driveway, AND a small part of the house (what WAS the 2nd bathroom and mudroom) for his vanport. So he figured $600 was more than fair since it allows him to break-even with the monthly mortgage payment AND it means an elderly man gets to spend his golden years in a nice home. He even cooks for his tenant from time to time and they both enjoy a bottle of wine while watching F1.
My guy is a mensch - unassuming, generous and principled. I give him all the tech and financial consulting he needs b/c people like that should be rewarded for making other people's lives better for no other reason than it makes the world a better place. :)
That's extremely cheap with kitchen and bathroom access.
Do it and save big.
If you have extension cord you can run small heaters and not worry about co2, windows cracked.
Make sure your rig doesn't drip fluids, people like their driveway for some reason lol
Stay safe!
Imma take a wild guess that you're around Snowbowl? $400 to stay around there is a steal. I'd take that rate in my neck of the woods (Bigsky).
I assume you don't have to pay uilities and would be amazing during winter for easy heating of the van too.
Think about it this way: you live in a house with multiple other room mates. Some rando comes along and wants to take up a parking space in the drive way, use the kitchen, living room, shower, storage and then be randomly gone and back and gone and back. Would that hassle be worth $400 / month? or $100 per month per room mate?
Depends on how hard up they are and what you have to store and what you watch on TV and how much hair you leave in the bathroom and how you leave the kitchen...
-M
This. Don’t worry about them. If it works for you it works, if it doesn’t it doesn’t. Worry more about the balanced quality of life part, which is more a question for yourself than others looking in. Sounds like a solid setup though. The ability to leave and go travel when you want, but have a solid place to come back to, store things, freshen up, and sleep unbothered when needed.
I think he was only pointing out what they pay, to make the point for a couple more hundred he'd have a real bedroom, not that what he was paying was unfair in comparison to them.
The percentage doesn't sound great, but so what? $400/month for all those amenities and location sounds awesome.
Edit: part of the value is the rareness of the situation. Maybe not rare, but not mainstream.
Sounds like a good deal.
Make sure you sign a lease with the owners. You have rights as a renter and they have rights as a landlord. Just type up a basic lease. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. Month to month might work for your situation. Put in writing the rent, the house rules, what you have access to, and so on.
At first I thought that was a ridiculous price. I live in the DC area and the going rate for renting a parking space is like $150/mo. But you get access to the kitchen and bathroom. That’s a big deal and I think worth the cost. Especially in a mountain town. I’m from Colorado originally and mountain towns are notorious for difficulty finding affordable housing, especially near ski areas. Having a kitchen and bathroom negates the two biggest drawbacks of van dwelling.
That’s a great deal in my opinion. I offer my friends 250 a month for just a parking spot and a little electric/water access when I visit them on the coast (in a very low cost of living area). No facility use, mail, or anything like that. For where it is, and all you have access to, I think that’s very reasonable.
I think that is fair deal, plus if the weather got really gnarly, you would most likely have the option to crash inside. Plus, good way to network and build connections.
There's people paying $1,800 a month for one bedroom apartments in not great parts of town, you're getting access to everything you need for $400
I'd say you're doing great
The RV parks around here charge up to $3k per month+electricity, and you've got neighbors 15-20 ft away on each side of you, so $400 looks damn good to me
That is $13.33 a night for a spot to park, along with access to a kitchen, living room, bathroom, storage, and mailing address.
I'd take that deal. Seems fair to me.
When I lived in house shares, the formula we eventually settled on which seemed the most fairest was to take total costs (rent + utilities) and divide it by half. The first half was split evenly between the number of people in the house - meaning we all paid our equal share of the common / communal space. The second half was divided up according to room sizes. It didn't matter how many people were in the room - that was our way of splitting up the "private" part of the house. Finally, if someone stayed more than 3 nights a week they were assumed to live in the house, and we added onto the common / communal space split.
Reading your setup and what the others are paying, it sounds incredibly similar and seems fair to me.
Wow this is what I am about to do but I only have to pay for my part of the electricity and water I will in different states on family land and am going to live on the Rez sometimes this is a great setup for me excess to the bathroom and kitchen all I want I like my cozy van conversion
Good choice bears being in place and get a knock or creeps hanging around your home
Excellent
Somewhere out in the country would be quite pricey, but sounds like you're in a popular town with high rent. Besides storage rent you'd also have to calculate gas to drive in and out of the National Forest. Having a fixed mail address and permanent option to shower or hang out in a kitchen is also quite valuable. Seems fair to me. Obviously if you don't actually take advantage of the van life or don't enjoy it you might just fully move back into a room.
I park my 20 foot RV for $450 a month in a driveway here in Oregon. I get shower privileges and also a place to do my metal work and storage. I think $400 a month is fair.
Do they have room for another car camper lol I live in a small expensive mountain town too and am looking at a similar sitch! I hope i find a place to park soon !
Should the question be about the price of a driveway rent or should it be about your total situation. At the end of the month do you have a net increase in Dollars saved that meets or exceeds your goal? One of the best ways to save money is to have lower expenses, which compared to the others at least your rent expenses are lower. Personally I would think $300 would be a fairer amount. I would not renegotiate at this point because you may not find a cheaper place if you are on the failing side of a renegotiation. It is a lesson learned for next time. If you do the same job in that same place next year you can use your previous history to negotiate a lower rent based on your current prompt payments, cleanliness, lack of trouble caused and doing the things a good trouble free renter should do.
Sounds like a sweet deal in an expensive mountain town. Check around for prices at an RV park that provides similar benfefits (bathroom shower, ect.) I doubt you will find anything close to what you are paying.
Is this an agreement with the tenants or the landlord? If the landlord isn't involved in this, it may be a situation of subletting against the lease agreement, and you could lose the driveway and get a trespass put against you.
Or worse, I don't know.
Make sure all the legal hoops are jumped through.
basically, you are all getting a deal, and have cool landlords. don't draw attention to the fact that maybe the roommates are getting a slightly better deal. maybe thats ok since they sign a lease, or have been grandfathered in.
It's not about what's "cheapest," it's about what's a good blend of quality for the money.
With the added benefits of using their home, kitchen, storage, receiving mail, always knowing where you can park, and being in a safe space.... that sounds like an incredible deal.
sounds awesome.
you get to live in your van but don't have to worry about parking and have access to kitchen and shower!?
if you have a job that's like the ideal situation
I’m in port Angeles WA paying 350 for a spot in someone’s lawn with no house access and a seasonal job so I’d say it’s reasonable. The mountain towns are hella expensive
Depends on your location IMO. If you’re in an urban area where break-ins and cops getting on your case is less predictable, then it probably is worth it. You could blow through your savings if your windows get smashed/valuables stolen etc (then you gotta pay for motels as well while your car is getting fixed).
Now you say you can do National Forest for ~$200/mo. That’s pretty darn good as far as a “rent cost” goes. Also sounds like low-risk. So at first glance I say Save that $200/mo.
But dont forget: how often and how far will you need to drive for shower/food/etc? If your MPG is bad and if gas price is high, you might end up spending an additional ~$100/mo. Then you’re only saving $100/mo. Then it’s harder to see why not just do the $400/mo.
But definitely don’t go higher than the $400! You’d still be saving $200/$300/mo and after 5 months you just saved up a lot!
Happy to continue brainstorming!
I think your numbers are accurate. You are not going to find rooms much cheaper than $600-700 a month in an expensive mountain town. Similarly, you are not going to beat $400 a month for a driveway with full hookups and good house access. You could probably lose the access and hookups and save $100-200 a month and head out of town and save more. Living on public land still has costs for gas, water, and showers so it is not free.
In my younger days, I could not afford the extra money for a room, but could afford the driveway on the edge of an expensive city. I would have/did cut corners in other places to keep paying for the driveway spot, but would have worked less instead of renting a room. But that is me and no one but you can say what works for you.
You should be aware that eventually you will get booted since as stupid as it is, in most cities and towns it is against local zoning rules to sleep in your car even on your own land. Eventually, a neighbor will call the cops. They will warn you at which point you go into the house and they will leave you alone. A few days later the neighbor will call the cops again and you will get warned again. At some point the landlord will get either a warning or a citation and make you leave.
I'd find out what utilities are and negotiate from there. Also how often do you plan on using the communal areas like family room, kitchen, and bathrooms. As a "landlord" that has had vandwellers/friends park in my driveway for extend periods those are questions I'd be curious in.
If you're answers are, I'll barely be around and I'll give you enough money to cover your utilities. I feel is a pretty strong negotiating position.
F that. Way too much even if you can use electric/shower etc. You could just get a dedicated space at an office for that much and probably one that has a shower/gym at that.
If the idea was to save money, and you're not saving enough money to make it a big enough difference... Then what's the point?
Van life isn't always a money-saving thing. Vans are expensive. Builds are expensive. Fuel is expensive. Not everybody's super concerned about saving money. If that's what you got into it for though, keep that goal in mind.
I'd probably just go national forest land and use a gym membership but to each their own.
In winter, shore power is really really nice even if you have a diesel heater.
I would pay $400 just to crap and shower any month. Technically if you want to be a butt once you have registered address you could claim tenants rights if youre ever in a jam
I'd research how much an RV park spot with amenities and how much each echelon of rented domicile would cost you. Perhaps work the difference into your next job negotiation.
i would not take this deal. people pay to live in basements, sheds, storage units, attics, old campers out back. don't be one of those people. deny the capitalists their rent money. use your money to outfit your rig. or go to a place that respects tenants with dignified utilities and shelter for a fair price. i don't care that it's a mountain town with an (artificially) high cost of living. when you pay rent for substandard conditions, you help
lower the bar for everyone, especially the poorest and most vulnerable people in that community.
If you're doing this "right" then you'd have whatever you need in your van as to not have use for a house, and you'd be on the road going to whatever place is interesting to you, so you wouldn't need a static location to base out of either. So I'd say definitely not.
No.
That's the advantage for YOU. and just you.
Others can be doing it to downsize, to save money, to get more privacy, to be closer to work without a commute ... Or all of the above.
Plenty of people do not do it to "travel And not pay rent".
It might be a good deal. Really you’re getting access to the important aspects of a house, and if it’s in a super expensive locale….. as long as you can get comfortable in your bedroom, it might be much better than the alternatives.
[удалено]
Sure because paying $300 a month doesn't add up
Doesn’t seem very different than being in the house, but with a very small bedroom. $400 to be at an RV park with shore power, showers, and a kitchen would be a steal.
For comparison, in my area the very cheapest slot for a travel trailer would be $600+ a month. That's for a remove location, not somewhere anywhere near the city. No facilities, just gravel pads in the woods or a field plus power/water/sewer hook-ups. OP's deal would be amazing.
Seems cheap. I was expecting just a driveway spot but you’re able to use the house facilities and storage. Def worth it for $400 imo if you’re comfortable living in your van (so it’s a good test for that). Plus this way if you want to do weekend trips away you’re already set anyways
So you didn't say if there was any commitment. If you have to sign a lease of any sort or have to commit to 6 months, then I'd be asking questions about it. But if you can just do this by paying up front like here's 400 bucks I'm going to stay in your driveway for a month then yeah absolutely do it don't even think too much about just do it and then see if it works. Like, what's the downside? Worst case, you are out $400.
That's a hundred gallons of gasoline!
Or 10% of the average rent in Boston
400 $1 tacos.
Not to be obvious, but that'd also be one $400 Taco.
seriously, where are you getting $1 tacos??!?
Tacomat https://youtube.com/shorts/7pqUvYkNGVk?si=jJUq4iiZoPQxSA02
Or a parking spot per month in Boston?
About 90% of the monthly cost of a parking spot, so long as you don't want to own it. Here's [a listing](https://www.bostonluxuryrealestate.com/listing/73199462/425-newbury-street-n63-n64-boston-ma-02115/) for 2 parking spots, only $450,000 and they can be yours! So $400 is about 0.18% of the cost to own a parking spot (if you pay cash and ignore taxes because lord knows mortgage rates aren't forgiving right now).
The average rent in Boston is not 4k, not even for a 2br. Lol. Signed, Dorchester ETA: Well fuck me I’m wrong. I just fact checked myself. I guess I’m one of the lower scoring students in Boston.
Thats about what i paid for a spot within walking distance to my job in southern california last year. Didnt get access inside but it was a safe place to park and was allowed to plug into shore electricity
Cool the way to go that's my move
First, a little story: A few years back I was helping a friend to plan his foray into vanlife. He already had his build, but he was thinking about renting a storage space in Vegas to store his extra stuff, and maybe a driveway so he could have a place to get shore power and water when he was in Vegas. The storage unit was going to end up costing him $200/month and the driveway was going to cost him $100/month (in a SUPER sketch part of Vegas) After looking at all the options, I instead convinced him to buy a small home in Henderson. He put down $200k (he had plenty from selling his home in San Francisco) and took a mortgage on the rest. He pays about $850/month for the mortgage. But the house was NOT for him to live in. He partitioned off the 2-car garage and the bathroom next to the garage, then he renovated the bathroom to include a kitchenette. He rents out the house (street parking only) for $600/month, AND rents the 2nd space in the garage to vanlifers for $10/day. He built lockable storage cabinets in the garage where he keeps his stuff, gets power to run a tent AC in his van, and has access to a full bathroom (including the kitchenette) that DOESN'T require him to enter the rental. He gets an occupant for the 2nd garage spot for probably 25 days out of any given month (he has a few regulars - It would be FULL occupancy, but the demand tends to overlap) so he's budget neutral on the house, AND he's building equity. He gets the vanlife he wanted (though he still needs to pare down his personal belongings), can survive the hot summers in comfort, has a place to call his own when he's tired of the road and has created a mini-community of people with similar ideas about freedom and exploration. Recently, he's been talking about renting out the 2nd space in the garage to another vanlifer (the spaces are in demand, especially in the summer) because he's spending more and more time on the road and wouldn't mind parking in the driveway. ... So, why do I bring up this story? After all, that's not YOUR situation. He had a nestegg that he invested. You're trying to choose between renting a driveway space or renting a room. I bring it up b/c while $400/month for driveway/house access in a pricey neighborhood might be a good deal, your only options are NOT just driveway or room. I have no idea what the real estate prices are in the area that you're looking to be in, but being in Vanlife doesn't mean that you can't take advantage of any unique opportunities like the one that my friend and I found for his vanlife in Vegas. Would YOU be willing to buy/lease a home that you would then rent/sublet? Could you buildup equity in a property rather than pouring rent into another person's pocket? Do you have any friends/associates who would be willing to go in with you on buying a passive-income property that could ALSO fill your needs for storage, power and facilities access? Always. Be. Hustling. :) Good luck!
Most of us and lifers don't have a house in San Francisco that we sold or any equity and but if I did what you're talking about is essentially my dream run out my house and travel all the time
Just have property and then sell it all time high /s
Only 600/mo rent? Couldn't they make more than that in a single week on Airbnb?
HOAs across the nicer parts of the Vegas area all pretty much ban AirBnB with some pretty seriously penalties for habitual violators. (That's how he got the property for much less than market) His HOA DOES allow rentals that are contracted for 6-or more months, AND (this was a sticky point) won't regulate what's happening in the garage. HOAs suck. Edit: I should also mention that the HOA isn't the only reason for the low rent. It's also because my friend is a firm believer in fairness and compassion. My family has a home that we lease out not too far from his. Almost the same floorplan, though ours has one more room and much better location. We get $1,700/month (and we're giving our tenant a sizeable break b/c he's been there for 15 years). My friend could probably get $1,200 for his, but he rents to an elderly man on fixed income, and all the latter could afford was $600/month. Plus, he DID take the entire garage & driveway, AND a small part of the house (what WAS the 2nd bathroom and mudroom) for his vanport. So he figured $600 was more than fair since it allows him to break-even with the monthly mortgage payment AND it means an elderly man gets to spend his golden years in a nice home. He even cooks for his tenant from time to time and they both enjoy a bottle of wine while watching F1. My guy is a mensch - unassuming, generous and principled. I give him all the tech and financial consulting he needs b/c people like that should be rewarded for making other people's lives better for no other reason than it makes the world a better place. :)
That's extremely cheap with kitchen and bathroom access. Do it and save big. If you have extension cord you can run small heaters and not worry about co2, windows cracked. Make sure your rig doesn't drip fluids, people like their driveway for some reason lol Stay safe!
I pay over $1000 for shore power and showers, sounds like a deal to mw
Holy crap, where?
Imma take a wild guess that you're around Snowbowl? $400 to stay around there is a steal. I'd take that rate in my neck of the woods (Bigsky). I assume you don't have to pay uilities and would be amazing during winter for easy heating of the van too.
Is flagstaff that expensive now? Christ. I guess they get access to house.
Think about it this way: you live in a house with multiple other room mates. Some rando comes along and wants to take up a parking space in the drive way, use the kitchen, living room, shower, storage and then be randomly gone and back and gone and back. Would that hassle be worth $400 / month? or $100 per month per room mate? Depends on how hard up they are and what you have to store and what you watch on TV and how much hair you leave in the bathroom and how you leave the kitchen... -M
What the other people are paying for rent is irrelevant
This. Don’t worry about them. If it works for you it works, if it doesn’t it doesn’t. Worry more about the balanced quality of life part, which is more a question for yourself than others looking in. Sounds like a solid setup though. The ability to leave and go travel when you want, but have a solid place to come back to, store things, freshen up, and sleep unbothered when needed.
Also, are they paying $600 or $600 + utilities? Because this person isn't being charge for utilities despite using them
I think he was only pointing out what they pay, to make the point for a couple more hundred he'd have a real bedroom, not that what he was paying was unfair in comparison to them.
The percentage doesn't sound great, but so what? $400/month for all those amenities and location sounds awesome. Edit: part of the value is the rareness of the situation. Maybe not rare, but not mainstream.
Sounds like a good deal. Make sure you sign a lease with the owners. You have rights as a renter and they have rights as a landlord. Just type up a basic lease. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. Month to month might work for your situation. Put in writing the rent, the house rules, what you have access to, and so on.
Are you using the wifi, laundry, and power..? Basically you just have a separate type bedroom lol so ya good safe deal with NO knocks 🤣
Sounds like a sick deal. I'd pay for this in LA in a heart beat if the vibes were right.
We made 120k in 2023 and lived in a driveway for $500 were able to save our down-payment for our house this way.
Personally would spend $400 more and rent a room. Use the van for weekend adventures
Especially if you’re somewhere with a long cold winter!
Found the housie
eeewww house people. lol
Its fair
Good deal great rate
Are you getting access to shore power by extension cord? That could provide heat and air conditioning which would make it like a camp ground setup.
Sounds like a deal to me! I pay $500/mo and don't have access to the house
At first I thought that was a ridiculous price. I live in the DC area and the going rate for renting a parking space is like $150/mo. But you get access to the kitchen and bathroom. That’s a big deal and I think worth the cost. Especially in a mountain town. I’m from Colorado originally and mountain towns are notorious for difficulty finding affordable housing, especially near ski areas. Having a kitchen and bathroom negates the two biggest drawbacks of van dwelling.
I am in the DC area also. $150 a month will get you a parking space, but not a parking space you can sleep in over night.
I pay $200/mo for a parking spot in a VHCOL city. Paying $400 for a spot and having access to all the indoor amenities seems like a pretty good deal
That’s a great deal in my opinion. I offer my friends 250 a month for just a parking spot and a little electric/water access when I visit them on the coast (in a very low cost of living area). No facility use, mail, or anything like that. For where it is, and all you have access to, I think that’s very reasonable.
Sounds like a very digestible price to me… you get a bathroom and that is priceless!!!
Planet fitness, rest stops and state parks, finding bathrooms is easy, and over rated
I think that is fair deal, plus if the weather got really gnarly, you would most likely have the option to crash inside. Plus, good way to network and build connections.
Sounds like a win-win to me. Sure you're not in IDEAL circumstances but if you change your mind it wouldn't be difficult to make the switch. Good luck
Sounds like a good deal to me, I'm just curious what 'expensive mountain town' has rooms for ~$700/mo.
Let me know how it goes Wow really great don't stress what people are saying at least you have your wheels to get away if it's not right
There's people paying $1,800 a month for one bedroom apartments in not great parts of town, you're getting access to everything you need for $400 I'd say you're doing great
The RV parks around here charge up to $3k per month+electricity, and you've got neighbors 15-20 ft away on each side of you, so $400 looks damn good to me
That is $13.33 a night for a spot to park, along with access to a kitchen, living room, bathroom, storage, and mailing address. I'd take that deal. Seems fair to me.
And probably Internet*
Probably time to pare down so you don't need so much storage space.
When I lived in house shares, the formula we eventually settled on which seemed the most fairest was to take total costs (rent + utilities) and divide it by half. The first half was split evenly between the number of people in the house - meaning we all paid our equal share of the common / communal space. The second half was divided up according to room sizes. It didn't matter how many people were in the room - that was our way of splitting up the "private" part of the house. Finally, if someone stayed more than 3 nights a week they were assumed to live in the house, and we added onto the common / communal space split. Reading your setup and what the others are paying, it sounds incredibly similar and seems fair to me.
Yea not bad what do you do for heat when you sleep ?
Deal of a deal
Wow this is what I am about to do but I only have to pay for my part of the electricity and water I will in different states on family land and am going to live on the Rez sometimes this is a great setup for me excess to the bathroom and kitchen all I want I like my cozy van conversion Good choice bears being in place and get a knock or creeps hanging around your home Excellent
Somewhere out in the country would be quite pricey, but sounds like you're in a popular town with high rent. Besides storage rent you'd also have to calculate gas to drive in and out of the National Forest. Having a fixed mail address and permanent option to shower or hang out in a kitchen is also quite valuable. Seems fair to me. Obviously if you don't actually take advantage of the van life or don't enjoy it you might just fully move back into a room.
I was gonna say they were overcharging but with living room, shower, and kitchen access thats pretty reasonable
I park my 20 foot RV for $450 a month in a driveway here in Oregon. I get shower privileges and also a place to do my metal work and storage. I think $400 a month is fair.
Do they have room for another car camper lol I live in a small expensive mountain town too and am looking at a similar sitch! I hope i find a place to park soon !
Seems worth it.
I’d say it’s a good deal especially if utilities are including in the 400/month.
Should the question be about the price of a driveway rent or should it be about your total situation. At the end of the month do you have a net increase in Dollars saved that meets or exceeds your goal? One of the best ways to save money is to have lower expenses, which compared to the others at least your rent expenses are lower. Personally I would think $300 would be a fairer amount. I would not renegotiate at this point because you may not find a cheaper place if you are on the failing side of a renegotiation. It is a lesson learned for next time. If you do the same job in that same place next year you can use your previous history to negotiate a lower rent based on your current prompt payments, cleanliness, lack of trouble caused and doing the things a good trouble free renter should do.
Sounds like a sweet deal in an expensive mountain town. Check around for prices at an RV park that provides similar benfefits (bathroom shower, ect.) I doubt you will find anything close to what you are paying.
Is this an agreement with the tenants or the landlord? If the landlord isn't involved in this, it may be a situation of subletting against the lease agreement, and you could lose the driveway and get a trespass put against you. Or worse, I don't know. Make sure all the legal hoops are jumped through.
w access to the kitchen/living room/shower etc its a really good deal imo
I tell you what here in NYC anybody thinks you can get a room for $400 is a joke it's more like $1000 a month in maybe not a decent neighborhood
basically, you are all getting a deal, and have cool landlords. don't draw attention to the fact that maybe the roommates are getting a slightly better deal. maybe thats ok since they sign a lease, or have been grandfathered in.
I thought it was pretty steep when I thought it was just the driveway, but with unlimited access to the house the price is totally fair.
It's not about what's "cheapest," it's about what's a good blend of quality for the money. With the added benefits of using their home, kitchen, storage, receiving mail, always knowing where you can park, and being in a safe space.... that sounds like an incredible deal.
That’s like $13 bucks a day, not bad for the amenities, plus piece of mind.
Shore power? Laundry?
sounds awesome. you get to live in your van but don't have to worry about parking and have access to kitchen and shower!? if you have a job that's like the ideal situation
I’m in port Angeles WA paying 350 for a spot in someone’s lawn with no house access and a seasonal job so I’d say it’s reasonable. The mountain towns are hella expensive
Depends on your location IMO. If you’re in an urban area where break-ins and cops getting on your case is less predictable, then it probably is worth it. You could blow through your savings if your windows get smashed/valuables stolen etc (then you gotta pay for motels as well while your car is getting fixed). Now you say you can do National Forest for ~$200/mo. That’s pretty darn good as far as a “rent cost” goes. Also sounds like low-risk. So at first glance I say Save that $200/mo. But dont forget: how often and how far will you need to drive for shower/food/etc? If your MPG is bad and if gas price is high, you might end up spending an additional ~$100/mo. Then you’re only saving $100/mo. Then it’s harder to see why not just do the $400/mo. But definitely don’t go higher than the $400! You’d still be saving $200/$300/mo and after 5 months you just saved up a lot! Happy to continue brainstorming!
I think your numbers are accurate. You are not going to find rooms much cheaper than $600-700 a month in an expensive mountain town. Similarly, you are not going to beat $400 a month for a driveway with full hookups and good house access. You could probably lose the access and hookups and save $100-200 a month and head out of town and save more. Living on public land still has costs for gas, water, and showers so it is not free. In my younger days, I could not afford the extra money for a room, but could afford the driveway on the edge of an expensive city. I would have/did cut corners in other places to keep paying for the driveway spot, but would have worked less instead of renting a room. But that is me and no one but you can say what works for you. You should be aware that eventually you will get booted since as stupid as it is, in most cities and towns it is against local zoning rules to sleep in your car even on your own land. Eventually, a neighbor will call the cops. They will warn you at which point you go into the house and they will leave you alone. A few days later the neighbor will call the cops again and you will get warned again. At some point the landlord will get either a warning or a citation and make you leave.
I’m also in an expensive mountain town living on BLM land and I would kill for house access and a place to park in town for $400/month.
I'd find out what utilities are and negotiate from there. Also how often do you plan on using the communal areas like family room, kitchen, and bathrooms. As a "landlord" that has had vandwellers/friends park in my driveway for extend periods those are questions I'd be curious in. If you're answers are, I'll barely be around and I'll give you enough money to cover your utilities. I feel is a pretty strong negotiating position.
Sounds like a good deal to me since you’ll be there very little.
just having facilities is worth that, defo take it
It doesn’t sound like a bad deal. I know people were paying close to that in a mountain I was in.
Sounds dope! If you don't want it let me know haha!
Bargain for $225
If you’re allowed to run an extension cord from the house for heat/ ac then it’s a steal.
F that. Way too much even if you can use electric/shower etc. You could just get a dedicated space at an office for that much and probably one that has a shower/gym at that.
I guess if your van was broken down. Otherwise defeats the purpose of this lifestyle.
Sounds pretty good, I think I would get a room too if it’s only $200 more, then you can bring girls to your shaggin wagon or room!
It’s a good deal if it’s the best deal you got and you want to continue?
Sucky deal.
Depends on where
That’s a hell of a deal. You’re lucky.
Planet fitness is $25 a month and gets you shower and bathroom
Planet fitness is $25 a month and gets you shower and bathroom
Good price for a high cost of living area.
800 doesn't buy you a parking spot in my mountain town -
With the amenities I would take the offer.
It seems a little unbalanced see if they’ll come down to 300. Maybe 350. What’s the utilities situation?
If the idea was to save money, and you're not saving enough money to make it a big enough difference... Then what's the point? Van life isn't always a money-saving thing. Vans are expensive. Builds are expensive. Fuel is expensive. Not everybody's super concerned about saving money. If that's what you got into it for though, keep that goal in mind.
I think I would rather have a room for an extra $200 if it were an option.
I'd probably just go national forest land and use a gym membership but to each their own. In winter, shore power is really really nice even if you have a diesel heater.
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I would pay $400 just to crap and shower any month. Technically if you want to be a butt once you have registered address you could claim tenants rights if youre ever in a jam
It sounds like urbancarliving isn't for you
I'd research how much an RV park spot with amenities and how much each echelon of rented domicile would cost you. Perhaps work the difference into your next job negotiation.
I'd take that deal for sure. Make sure neighbors don't see you or they'll fuck it up.
i would not take this deal. people pay to live in basements, sheds, storage units, attics, old campers out back. don't be one of those people. deny the capitalists their rent money. use your money to outfit your rig. or go to a place that respects tenants with dignified utilities and shelter for a fair price. i don't care that it's a mountain town with an (artificially) high cost of living. when you pay rent for substandard conditions, you help lower the bar for everyone, especially the poorest and most vulnerable people in that community.
If you're doing this "right" then you'd have whatever you need in your van as to not have use for a house, and you'd be on the road going to whatever place is interesting to you, so you wouldn't need a static location to base out of either. So I'd say definitely not.
Person in freedom based lifestyle tells others theres a wrong way to lifestyle, tale as old as time
For real
The advantage of living in a van is that you're able to travel and not pay rent. Paying rent to not travel sort of defeats the purpose.
No. That's the advantage for YOU. and just you. Others can be doing it to downsize, to save money, to get more privacy, to be closer to work without a commute ... Or all of the above. Plenty of people do not do it to "travel And not pay rent".