Ten Reasons to Rent Out Your House and Live in a Camper
80No need to leave home. . .
Consider the Alternatives
Ok, so it's not a great photo, but it's a great view of the river, and I didn't want to leave. I reluctantly put my house on the market when I realized I would not have enough income to pay the mortgage; of course, with the current economic instability depressing housing sales (and me), there was no buyer. So I decided to take my house off the market and rent it out. A small annuity allowed me to put a decent downpayment on a 26ft camper, and with the great good fortune of having a friend who wanted to rent the house, I managed to keep the camper in the yard, overlooking the river, and am now in the process of adapting to camper life.
Out in the desert region of the US, I would imagine, camper, motorhome, and general RV living is a commonplace. It's not so prevalent here in the southeast; at least, not in the area where I live. A couple of my friends were visibly shocked when I told them of my intentions. Check your local zoning codes, too, for regulations on having an RV or Camper on your property. My camper is obviously a temporary set-up, ready to hit the road when the whim hits me. It makes good sense, however, and here are an arbitrary selection of reasons why you might want to consider it if you are worried about the immediate future of your finances and concerned about the number of foreclosures the banks have had to handle from folks who just can't make the mortgage payments anymore.
- People give you money on a monthly basis. Now, depending on your income and the state of your house (whether or not it might need immediate renovation or extra maintenance before you can rent it out), this can hardly be bad. If you have any other income at all, and can cover your mortgage payments and keep your house, then you are in a much better position than the real estate agents out in L.A. I read about who have been reduced to sleeping in their cars.
- You still own your house, and can itemize the mortgage in your tax returns. True, you will have to report the income that the rent brings in.
- If you are financing the camper (or motorhome, or whatever), then you can usually claim that against your taxes, too, as it can often count as a second domicile.
- The housing market can't stay so bleak for ever -- if, like me, selling is an option, you would be best to wait until the market recovers before selling your primary residence.
- You can either travel or stay put. I may venture out into the wilds in a few months, but for the moment I'm hooked into my own electricity account and plumbed into my own septic tank. This cuts costs (gasoline, renting a truck to haul my camper, park fees, etc) to a minimum, as I am now splitting the costs of electricity with the woman who is renting my house.
- Dang! When I emptied my house I got rid of a lot of crap! I put the rest into storage, but it felt really good to divest myself of much of the detritus of just twelve years of living in one spot.
- The camper is cheap to heat. I haven't endured a South Carolina summer in it yet, and that might be another story, but it certainly is economical here in the wintertime.
- It's compact, has clever use of storage space, and is perfect for one person. Yeah -- I wouldn't recommend this for a family of six or seven. . . .
- It's comfortable. The armchairs are cosy, the couch is stain-resistant, the floor is easily swiffered clean. It's easier to live here than in a house.
- My view. In my case, that's important. I didn't want to feel as if I'd been dispossessed or exiled from my own home, and I know that I am in a singular situation with having a friend rent the house. But it's an important reason.
You CAN Take it With You
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I may find myself in a similar predicament, having bought a house at almost the same instant my spouse once again became a jobhunter. Such resourcefulness is becoming an economic necessity for a lot of people. Good luck.
Teresa, Sounds as though you are really lucky to have found a friend as a tenant. Hope that it continues to work well for you and that this housing situation turns around sooner rather than later. Best of wishes!
Thank you! I'm happy to be here -- the view is superb.
Teresa,
You will be quite comfortable in the camper come summer if you have a shade tree. I spent several years living the same and lived in Texas. It was ice cold in there with the air on and in the night time the cross breeze in a camper is wonderful. It does get a bit dusty with the windows all open but hey!
I think you made a great move and in some ways I envy you. I liked the RV and it got me outside plenty which is where I love to be anyway. Keeping a house up is far more work and it takes little to keep the RV up. Good for you!
Thanks, C.S. -- I think it turned out well. I love the view, and I don't have to clean so much!
Actually, I think this is a brilliant idea. I would do the same if I were single.
About the clever use of space for storage in campers-- I've always wondered why houses arent built in the same manner.
Yep -- the cat loves it, as there are cupoards and nooks and spaces for her to play in -- much more fun than the boring old house!
I'm completely charmed by the idea of a woman from Ireland starting a sentence with the word "Dang!" (#6).
Well, Jules, you know what they say, "When in Rome," and all that. And people understand it beter than "Feck!"
How are you finding it now things are warming up a bit? I imagine it doesn't get terribly cold in Carolina in the winter, but might get rather warm in summer?
The AC is keeping me cool -- it's working out well. Five months into the experiment, I'm still loving it.
Good!
I think to get more income. It's suitable for adventures. thanks
You're right -- money always comes in handy for adventures. Thanks for stopping by, prasetio.
I think it's a great idea! My husband would do it in a heartbeat.
What a great Idea, I have always wanted to do that, live in a camper where I could get up and go at any time! But being a Carolinian, the national weather service is expecting one huge hurricane this year, one of very few and it is expected to make Landfall on the East Coast, which could or could not hit us but be careful and have a plan!!!
Amazing idea.I will think about it.
Please put more picture of your camper.
Teresa,
I love your writing and sense of humor.
We have lived in an RV (5th wheel) for about 4 years now. The most beautiful place in the world to park an RV for up to 6 months at a time is Newport Dunes in Newport Beach, CA. (www.newportdunes.com) The rent space is higher than most other parks, but the cost is less than renting a decent apartment in Southern California! We are two blocks from delightful Balboa Island and about three blocks from the ocean. I would stay there forever if I could - never mind the hassle of trying to make on RV bed by almost standing on your head.
sounds like a good plan to me.
We kive in a boat for half of the year and the other half of the year we RV, We have done this for several years and wouldn't change a thing. Getting rid of the "junk" we had acquired over the years was the best thing. We love the views and the excitment of working only part time because our bills are low. This is really living!
Hey, JaCee -- glad to hear you are enjoying it. We accumulate way too much junk just because we have room for it, don't we?
Really great thought. In fact in ancient Indian books there is a story with a moral which goes like this: Who is the wealthiest person? Ans. The one who has the least needs. I am not translating exactly in English but I hope you do get the idea.
There are other inexpensive alternatives like mobile manufactured homes which are rented on a monthly basis. One of my office colleagues moved into such a home recently and she showed us the pictures (which looks almost like real regular homes).
Countrywomen -- love what you translated, about having the least needs. I'm glad I don't live in a tent, so I have wealth indeed! Thank you for coming by.
As you can imagine, this sounds very appealing to me at the moment, Teresa. Unfortunately, my house is in the suburbs - no place for an RV on the premises. What I'd like to do is trade this 1700 square foot house for a Class B RV and head for my childhood stomping grounds on the Oregon coast. Any takers?!
The Oregon coast sounds wonderful --
Yes you are indeed very "wealthy". My father says "a persons true wealth in life is having wonderful friends" and I am sure you have no dearth of them. :-)
Eat the rabbit. It is high in protein.
Hi. I have been married for 32 years and have one teen left at home. We were the normal middle class family living in a nice part of town. Well, we lost our home last fall when my husband was laid off from his job. He had worked for the same company for 26 years, and the bank refused to work with us with a defferment until he found work. We only had seven years left on the mortgage, so I guess the bank saw potential in that fact, and foreclosed on us fast. Fortunately, we owned a Holiday Rambler 34 foot camper with a slide out in the livingroom that we used for vacations, and so we decided to buy five acres of land with a septic tank and well water. We found a nice piece of land about nine miles away from our old house but in the country. We bought the land for $16,000 cash (the exact amount of my husband's lay-off package) and set up the camper on it. We now have chickens, and peacocks. We have a beautiful stream running at the side of the land, and we are surrounded by equestrian homesteads, and a church. I have never been happier. Yeah, we lost our home, but the bank did us a favor. We will start building a 2,800 sq ft. rammed earth house in September, and we will NEVER use a bank for financing ever again. My husband landed an excellent job two weeks ago, and we are looking forward to saving our money instead of giving it to the banks.
Hey, Gina--
what a wonderful piece of news -- many, many congratulations on your great decision and happy location. Oh, and your husband's new job doesn't hurt!
I do really think we get forced into bank-financed home purchases because it's what we think we should be doing. I'm looking forward to whatever happens next; I know it won't involve a regular house.
I'd love to hear how you get on with the new building project -- you could write some hubs on your progress, and include some photos -- I'm sure there are lots of folk here who would be very interested indeed. Good luck with it, anyhow, and I hope you continue to enjoy your land and country life.
All the best,
TMcG.
This is really interesting. I never thought about that.
You gave me a good option for living low cost. I may be moving to Carolina I love the river there I was born in Charleston. It sounds wonderful,been doing any fishing?
My grandson is currently staying with me, and he has been fishing down the street at a tidal lagoon. I don't like sitting in the sun (that fair Celtic complexion, I'm afraid), so I don't fish. But I love the view.
Thanks for coming by, myawn.
Runway: give it a try -- it's becoming more and more popular (necessary, I mean). Thank you for reading.
Whatever works! Sounds like a great idea, all considering. Hope you have not suffered with the terrible heat this summer. But at least you still have your view!
Hey, Dolores! It's easy to keep cool, too, since it's a small space. I'll be moving it soon (the renter didn't last but a couple of months), as I'm going to be moving; but I've enjoyed the view while I was here.
Thank you for stopping by to read.
This has a been a dream of ours for a while now and we are at long last starting to put this into focus. Thanks for a great article - however, my reason is through choice rather than financial - I want freedom of movement and with 'stuff' hanging around us, it slows us down. The conclusion? Give up the stuff!!!
Have fun!
Congratulations. My son and I are moving into an RV. After 22 years in the Military, he was 'diagnosed' with diabetes, and discharged By the time he learned he didn't have it, he had lost 1/3 of his income and we faced foreclosure. With rental prices out of sight, we finally settled on and RV. With an 84 lb. Malamute. ;)
All the best, Ournewhome. . . make the Malamute wash the dishes!
goldentoad 3 years ago
I would definitely live out on the road if I could, I just have to find a way to get rid of this pesky wife, spoiled kids, loud ass dogs, and terd machine rabbit I got at home.