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Life in the slow lane By Ruby Harfield
T
he thought of paying off a large mortgage for the rest of a Canterbury woman’s life led her down an unusual
ABOVE: The 11-metre 1993 Mitsubishi Fuso called ‘Ilene’ BELOW: Canterbury ryy woman Michelle Nelson now lives in a bus. Photos/Su upplied
path. With many people nearing the end of their working lives considering downsizing or moving into a retirement village, Michelle Nelson broke the trend by moving into an old school bus. Four years ago Nelson sold her home in Mount Somers and bought an 11-metre 1993 Mitsubishi Fuso, fondly referred to as ‘Ilene’. “She was a decommissioned school bus, converted by the guy I bought her off. “She’s not a luxury fit out, but she’s rustically homely, fully self-contained, with a deck of solar panels atop, and a 12-volt inverter onboard.” There’s a three-way fridge, gas cooker, gas hot water and a wood burner. “I don’t miss living in a house at all, what is there to miss? I can get my housework done in 30 minutes tops. “It’s tiresome when it rains for days on end, but such is life. “ Ilene is the ultimate lock-and-leave home and if necessary, I can drive her out of here.” Nelson’s decision to downsize was for a lifestyle change, freedom and to spend more time with her grandchildren. “I was 60 years old and likely to be paying off my mortgage until the day I popped off the mortal coil.” Add to that, insurances, utility bills, rates and on-going home maintenance costs and it was really a no-brainer, she said. “I don’t have a fortune but count myself very fortunate. “This year I’ll get my SuperGold card and accompanying pension. I’ll probably have more disposable income than I’ve ever had. “I wanted off the treadmill, I needed a freehold home, and at the time Ilene ticked all the boxes.” Once she had decided on the change she needed to work out how to do it – especially making the choice between a tiny house and a mobile home. “I researched my options and to be honest, would have preferred a tiny house.
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“I liked the idea of an urban tiny house community, however, there’s an on-going bureaucratic battle between tiny house dwellers and local councils in this area and I wanted to simplify my life. “It’s also way easier to move a mobile home than a tiny house.” The bus is currently parked up on a lifestyle block in North Canterbury. “I work a couple of days a week at dog boarding kennels nearby. I spend two or three days a week in Christchurch caring for my grandchildren. “Obviously, we had no inkling that Covid was looming four years ago, but with two new additions to the family, both born in the first lockdown, the landscape has changed. “It’s my absolute joy to be free to care for these babies in such uncertain times.” The process of downsizing was a challenge but also fulfilling. “It was initially daunting sifting through the endless stuff accumulated over 60-odd years, and that left behind by three kids as they moved out, moved home, traveled, moved home, studied and finally started their own families. “Could I really part with that hideous pottery vase carefully crafted by little fingers in an art class long ago?” She became ruthless in getting rid of her possessions, which was cathartic, but the vase earned a spot in a storage box of precious things. When Nelson first contemplated buying a bus she felt she needed a big one but she’s now considering swapping Ilene for something smaller. “On reflection, I realised I only ever lived in a small area of the houses I owned, and suspect others might find the same. “Aside from the kitchens and utility areas, I sat in the same chair, ate at the same table and slept in the same bed. “Those are still my habits, and I could happily live in a smaller, more maneuverable bus.” Ilene is hard to drive, with a top speed of 80km, and Nelson said she would travel more in a smaller bus.
