I have a plan

That’s right, I’ve got a plan. Finally!

After weeks of back and forth and lots of uncertainty around what I want to do next, I’m happy to report that I have a new plan. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind again, but at least I have a plan for now.

But let’s start at the beginning…

In June, I listed my van for sale. It didn’t sell right away, and the longer it sat there unsold, the more doubts I had about whether I really wanted to sell it. Every time someone came to view it, I was kind of worried they might actually want to buy it, which would force me to make a decision. But, no one made a decent offer (just a few time-waster offers).

Part of the problem was that I had decided to be a full-time housesitter for a while. Having the van would be great as it would give me somewhere to stay between sits and if one would fall through at short notice. But on the other hand, I wanted something easier to drive and cheaper to maintain.

So I kept going in circles.

Since I had a week between housesits in July, I stopped trying to sell the van after a while, thinking I’ll just have another trip in the van while I still could. However, I was then offered an amazing housesit in Tutkaka with epic views, a spa pool and a super cute dog and cat, and so I chose that over travelling in my van. I’m glad I did because the weather was pretty average that week, and it would not have been a lot of fun to be in the van.

However, I had three nights in the van between finishing housesitting in St Johns and starting in Auckland. I was looking forward to it! But I didn’t enjoy it.

The first night, crazy wind was shaking the van all night, tree branches were scratching along the roof, and the rain was so loud I couldn’t sleep. Lying awake at 3 am, I thought to myself, “if someone knocks on my door right now and offers my $20k for this van, I would probably pack my bag, get out into the rain in my PJs, take the money, hand over the key and check in at the nearest hotel.” But no one came knocking…

The next couple of nights were much better, and I had a lovely stay at Ruakaka Holiday Park with rainbows and beautiful sunrises. But somehow, it wasn’t the same anymore.

I didn’t love the van as much as I used to.

So once I was settled in at this beautiful spot in Tutukaka, I made time to reflect on what I want – and that’s when a plan began to emerge.

I realised that, right now, I really want to focus on the book I’m working on (yes, I’m writing another book. More about that soon).

I also decided that I want a tiny house! Whenever I think about how I could see myself live long term, I return to tiny houses sooner or later. I just love how cosy and creative they are and how minimalistic but comfortable. However, getting a tiny house means I need to decide where I want to live permanently (or at least for a few years).

I realised that, to be able to make that decision, there is something else I need to do first; spend a winter living on the South Island (ideally in a few different spots). I love the South Island and could totally see myself living there, but I think I need to do at least one winter down there before I make any big decisions.

If I want to spend next winter on the South Island and this winter focused on writing another book, I should probably work over the summer (tiny houses cost money, after all).

I’m currently housesitting in Devonport till the end of August and will then be staying in my friends’ tiny house while they are overseas until the end of October. It will be an excellent opportunity to test tiny house living! And a great time to focus on writing. So from now until the end of October, I will make the book my top priority while working enough to cover my costs.

After that, I will prioritise work over summer. There is a good chance that this means I will be around Auckland as it’s usually easiest for me to get work while I’m here.

I’m hoping to find housesitting gigs on the South Island for next winter (let me know if you need a sitter or know someone who does!). If I can’t find housesits, I will look to rent places for a month at a time in 3 or 4 different parts of the South Island.

After that, I will look to make the tiny house dream come true – assuming that’s still what I want by then.

With that plan in place, the big question that remained was;

sell the van or keep the van?

I liked the idea of having the van for in-between and backup accommodation. But it’s such a pain to drive around town. Besides, I was really excited about having a proper 4WD car again, so I could drive onto beaches and get to some of those epic kiting spots.

Turns out, I can have the best of both.

The answer is a Mitsubishi Delica. They are mini-van type cars that have proper 4WD. You probably don’t want to go off-road racing in these, but you can definitely drive them onto the beach. And, as a mini-van, they offer enough space to convert them into a camper, but they are much easier to drive around town than my Transit. I went to test drive one on Saturday and loved it. Automatic, cruise control, electric windows… It doesn’t take much to excite someone who has been driving a 20-year-old van for the last four years, haha.

So that’s the plan. I will sell the Transit, get a Mitsubishi Delica 4WD, and convert it into a simple camper. It won’t be as comfortable as the Transit, but it will be great for short trips away and time between housesits. And the rest of the time, I will have a car that’s easy to drive and (hopefully) easier to maintain.

One thing I’m still working on with this whole plan is the who/how/when of the Delica camper conversion. The reality is that I don’t have the skills or tools to do it properly myself, so I will probably pay someone to do it for me. Let me know if you know someone who might be able to help!

But, I can always buy the car now and do the conversion later.

I’ve got my eye on one and think I will buy it even before the van sells. Turns out that selling a van in the middle of winter is not that easy. I’m starting to think that if I just hold on to it for another month or two, I might get a much better price for it. It’s listed for sale now, and if I get a decent offer, I will let it go. But if not, I will just wait. I’m in Auckland until the end of October anyway, so there is no rush.

So there is my new plan; Get a 4WD mini-camper, write another book, earn money over summer, spend winter on the South Island and then get a tiny house.

Of course, things might change…

But right now, I’m feeling very excited about this plan :)

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