Hybrid-Living Vanlife Iveco Daily Van Conversion Build Week 19

Hybrid-Living, what even is Hybrid-Living? Basically Hybrid-Living is when you are in the in-between.  Currently we are hybrid-living. We are not quite full time living in our van and yet we are also not living in a house.  For us it means Mark and I are sleeping in the van which is parked on Mark’s Parents driveway while the girls are sleeping in their house.

Is it ideal? No, not really.  Firstly,  it is not our space.  It means normal daily life takes on a few additional layers.

We’re not in our usual routine and no matter how well meaning and welcoming people are you are constantly trying to ensure you do not overstep the mark or interfere with the routine of the people you are staying with. Which of course is impossible as you are going too and we certainly are.

It’s awkward and trying to find that balance can be a challenge.

We are very grateful. It means we get to finish the van. However, in our own space we could just crack on as the girls had their activities to do in the house or were in bed. At Mark’s parents we actually need to oversee so much more than we did before which ironically means we actually have a lot less time to spend on the van.

Think about…

There are a few other things to think about too.  The additional cost and disruption to the person you are staying with being a huge aspect.  For us it means an additional 6 people using facilities such as water, gas and electric.  A huge and hot topic in the UK due to the constant price increases.  Our way of dealing with this is to pay the electricity bill.  However there is also wear and tear on appliances etc… space, time of usage etc… as well.

So, for us we have an additional hybrid situation.  Some of our washing is done at the house and others, at a laundrette to ease pressure on how much the washing machine and tumble dryer are on.  And let’s face it we would be only be using this option when full time in the van anyway so it is no big deal.  Just another factor to layer in.

Tensions can run high!

8 people in a space means 8 personalities, 8 ways of doing things, 8 different ways of thinking and tensions can run high.  In our own space we know each other well enough to know when to give someone space, when to open the space up to talk, when to have a laugh, how to approach tidying up etc… We also had a semblance of a routine to assist with these things.  When you are living or staying in someone else’s space all of that goes. You are now in their routine or trying to figure out a whole new one.

That is not always very easy.  We have the additional layer of it being family and that means that the girls behave differently because it is ‘Nanny and Grandpa’ but Nanny and Grandpa are very different when it is a visit for a few hours verses a stay for a few weeks and that is a challenge for all parties to get around.

Is it worth it?

That depends! It depends on so many factors.  We just pretty much descended on Mark’s parents as we hadn’t met our van build deadline and yet we had met our handing the keys back to the house deadline!  Maybe if it was preplanned the transition would be much smoother.  Also if we were able to work on the van more so we could get it finished and give them their space back that would also be better, however, there are also pros on both sides.

Many family members and friends enjoy and love helping out, it makes them feel good to support you.  You get the space in mind and body to finish the project (in our case a van conversion) and it can bring you closer together sharing a space.  You are making history.  Both parties are part of something bigger. Whether that be a tiny home on wheels, a tiny home, a house renovation or something completely different like a migration to another country, you are both a part of the story that will be shared and remembered.

Patience and understanding

It probably really goes without saying that patience and understanding is needed in bucket loads and so is respect.  Respecting another persons space as well as the person. Different things have a very different level of importance.  To you something may not seem a big deal, to another it is a huge deal.  Trying to understand another’s perspective can really help.

Join us in Week 4 to see how our Iveco Daily van Conversion is progressing, if you missed week 2 we shared our first appliance purchase!