A mother-daughter duo who transform old, dilapidated school buses into stunning tiny homes have revealed how they were inspired to start their business after the sudden deaths of their son and brother.
Lisa, 58, and Megan Donahue, 25, of Graham, North Carolina, began converting derelict vans into lavish living spaces back in 2017 — two years after Lisa’s son and Megan’s sibling, Michael Donahue, died in a fatal car accident.
Speaking to Insider recently, Megan explained that her brother was “infatuated” with the outdoors – and as they grappled with his sudden death, the two began to reflect on how to share his love of the outdoors and “her passions for design.” could combine. to keep his “legacy” alive.
In 2017, they decided to customize their first car together – and soon after, Lisa, who worked as a visual coordinator and professional organizer, and Megan, who recently graduated from college with a communications degree, decided to combine their skills and make it happen a full-time career and founded their company Live Simply Buses in 2019.
After the sudden deaths of their son and brother, a mother-daughter duo have devoted their lives to converting old, dilapidated school buses into stunning tiny homes
Lisa, 58, and Megan Donahue, 25, of North Carolina, began converting derelict vans into lavish living spaces back in 2017 after Michael Donahue died in a car accident
The couple then decided to combine their love of the outdoors and “her passion for design” to keep their “legacy” alive. Megan and Michael are seen as children with their parents
In 2017 they converted their first car together (see photo) – and soon after, Lisa and Megan decided to combine their skills and make it a full-time career
They have now modernized 14 buses – and collected tens of thousands of dollars. One of the buses they converted can be seen before (left) and after (right) the renovations were completed
They have now modernized 14 buses over a five-year period – raising tens of thousands of dollars in the process.
Most importantly, they said they felt Michael was with them every step of the way.
Lisa, who worked as a visual coordinator and professional organizer, and Megan, who recently graduated from college with a communications degree, officially launched their company, Live Simply Buses, in 2019
“All these buses are in his name.” “Every place these buses go, he goes,” Lisa explained.
The couple told Insiders they would buy the old buses on Facebook Marketplace.
They then spend months with their boyfriend Bob converting the cars into beautiful homes – and the renovations cost them around $25,000 on average.
When it comes to selling the new home, prices vary based on the size, features, and the amount they spent building it, but they say they can make more than $60,000 per vehicle.
“We invested months [fixing up the buses] “And at the end of the day, we love them, so we make sure the people who buy these buses love them as much as we do,” added Lisa.
One of the homes they built in 2021 was built from a 2011 Chevy Express Cutaway that had served as the New York City school bus for many years.
They said they felt Michael was with them every step of the way. One of the buses they redesigned can be seen above
The couple told Insiders they would buy the old buses on Facebook Marketplace. They then spend months with their friend Bob remodeling the cars into beautiful homes
They said they could make more than $60,000 per vehicle. A van they remodeled can be seen before (left) and after (right) the renovations were completed
Megan handles all of the buying and selling, as well as her Instagram account, where she often features before and after photos of her designs
They spent four months remodeling it and when complete it featured a kitchen, dining area and bedroom. It ultimately sold for $55,000.
One of the homes they built in 2021 was built from a 2011 Chevy Express Cutaway that had served as the New York City school bus for many years
“Everything in it was custom made,” Megan recalls. “We usually buy the cabinets for the buses, but back then Bob built them all by hand.”
The 25-year-old explained that they try to make the most of the small space by making sure each piece of furniture serves more than one purpose.
She said, “Any type of seating has to have storage as well.” People pack up their lives and then move into these things. So it’s like, “What would you pick and how would you put it?”
Megan handles all of the buying and selling, as well as her Instagram account, where she often features before and after photos of her designs.
They spent four months remodeling it and when complete it featured a kitchen, dining area and bedroom. It ultimately sold for $55,000 (seen)
“We make sure the people who buy them love them as much as we do,” added Lisa. One of the buses they converted can be seen before (left) and after (right) the renovation
According to Megan, the best thing for her is to connect with the people in the homes they create. One of the houses they created can be seen
She said they try to make the most of the small space by making sure each piece of furniture serves multiple purposes. One of the buses they redesigned is shown before (left) and after (right).
And according to Megan, her favorite part of the whole process is connecting with the people who will live in the homes they create.
In fact, she said she’s still in touch with many people who also sold buses.
Describing Lisa as an “enforcer,” Megan explained, “She brings a lot of experience and knowledge to her.” “My mom is super detail-oriented and captures things that you don’t even notice.”
In the end, the women explained that they hope the sale of the vans will inspire families to spend more time together, see more of the world and reconnect with nature – all things Michael was passionate about.
“After what happened to us, we want people to know that you don’t always have tomorrow,” Lisa concluded. “Make time for the people that are in your life.”