Alamance County mother, daughter duo renovate buses into small homes as a way to 'Live Simply'

WELL, TO SEE FIVE GENERATIONS. THAT’S BEAUTIFUL. THAT’S INCREDIBLE. AND WE KNOW LOVE CAN COME IN ALL FORMS FOR MOTHER DAUGHTER, DUO AND ALAMANCE COUNTY. THEY ARE TRANSFORM ING THE WORLD OF TRANSPORTATION. THEY RENOVATE AND SELL OLD SCHOOL BUSSES TO TAKE LIFE ON THE ROAD. WXII 12 AUDREY AUDREY BIESK TAKES US INSIDE THE SMALL HOMES AND SHARES THE SPECIAL MEANING BEHIND THEIR BUSINESS. LIVE SIMPLY IN THIS STORY, ALL NEW AT FIVE. HOW ELSE DO YOU LIVE SIMPLY THAN IN A BUS? PRETTY MUCH. YOU JUST START BY TAKING OUT THE SEATS AND EVERY SEAT HAS LIKE EIGHT, LIKE FOUR INCH BOLTS. SO YOU TAKE THOSE OUT AND THEN YOU CLEAN, YOU SEAL, YOU PREP THE BOTTOM, AND THEN YOU DO INSULATION, FLOORING. AND LET THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. INSIDE AND OUT. THIS WAS LISA AND MEGAN DONAHUE’S FIRST BUS, TRANSFORMED. IT WAS A LITTLE WHITE SCHOOL BUS. HIS NAME WAS GUS AND IT WAS FILLED WITH HORNETS AND WE GOT IN THERE AND WE WEREN’T ABLE TO TAKE IT FROM THE JUNKYARD FOR THE FIRST YEAR, SO WE WORKED ON IT. MY MOM AND I WOULD GO THERE EVERY WEEKEND. THAT WAS IN 2017. ONE BUS TURNED INTO 16. TODAY. THEY SAY IT’S A BUS BY US AND THEY NAME EACH ONE TO GIVE A SENSE OF IDENTITY. WE FIT WITH ITS OWN UNIQUE INTERIOR DESIGN. SO THIS IS OUR BUS. LUCAS. IT’S A COTTAGE FARMHOUSE THEME. IT’S ORIGINALLY FROM ATLANTA, AND WE DROVE IT HERE AND WE STARTED OUR RENOVATION ON IT. WOW. I LOVE IT. EQUIPPED WITH ALL THE ESSENTIALS YOU’D FIND IN A TYPICAL HOME. BUT LUCAS, FOR EXAMPLE, IS JUST ABOUT 250FT. ALL OF THEM RANGE IN PRICE FROM $11,000 UP TO 90,000. WE’VE HAD PEOPLE SELL EVERYTHING IN THEIR HOMES, QUIT THEIR JOBS JUST LIKE FLY HERE AND DRIVE AWAY FOR PERMANENTLY. AND PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE TOO, IS THAT THEY’RE VERY SAFE. THAT’S WHY PEOPLE ARE GOING TOWARDS BUSSES MORE THAN RVS NOW, BECAUSE THE METAL BRACKETS AND EVERYTHING THAT’S IN A BUS IS JUST THE STEEL IS SO MUCH SAFER BECAUSE CHILDREN WERE IN THESE AT ONE TIME. ONCE THE DONAHUE SAW ALL THE INTEREST, THEY KNEW THIS JOURNEY OF PROVIDING SIMPLE LIVING TO PEOPLE WOULD CONTINUE. THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER DUO HAVE A SPECIAL WHY FOR WHAT THEY DO AND WHO IT’S FOR. NAME WAS SIMPLY STARTED WHEN MY BROTHER HE HAD TWEETED A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY. IT’S A SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT MAKE IT WORTH LIVING. SO I KIND OF JUST TOOK THAT. I WAS LIKE, HOW CAN WE TURN THIS MOTTO INTO A LIKE A PROJECT THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM WHEREVER THESE BUSSES GO, MICHAEL GOES, YOU’LL FIND THE INITIALS OF MICHAEL JAMES DONAHUE ON THE WALLS OF EACH ONE. IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE. IT’S THE QUALITY TIME THAT YOU SPEND WITH YOUR CHILDREN LEARNING TOGETHER WITH EACH PAINTBRUSH, STROKE, AND THESE MOMENTS OF JOYFUL DANCING. I’LL SAY YOUR NAME NEVER TO TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED. AFTER SOMEBODY GOES THROUGH A TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY THE LOSS OF A CHILD, THEY REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW IT’S NOT IMPORTANT. ALL THESE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY THINKS THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE IS, IS NOT A REALITY. WE JUST REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT YOU DON’T NEED A LOT IN LIFE TO BE HAPPY. AND THAT’S THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO CONVEY WITH THESE IS JUST ANYTHING YOU CAN FIT IN HERE IS ALL YOU NEED. YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY, YOU HAVE YOUR FRIENDS, YOU HAVE YOUR HEALTH. YOU HAVE WEALTH IN GRAHAM FOR WXII 12 NEWS I’M AUDREY AUDREY BIESK. WHAT A GREAT MESSAGE. SELL EVERYTHING AND JUST GO YEAH, AND JUST TO REALIZE THAT WHAT’S IMPORTANT REALLY FITS IN A REALLY SMALL SPACE. IT’S THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? 250FT. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE BUSSES FOR SALE, VISIT

A mother and daughter from Alamance County are transforming transportation as many people know it.Lisa and Megan Donahue started a business called "Live Simply" by renovating old school buses into small homes to take life on wheels. “You start by taking off every seat, it has four 8-inch bolts, you take those out, clean, seal and prep the bottom, then you do insulation and flooring,” Megan said.The renovations include every inch of the bus from top to bottom, inside and out. Top StoriesNorth Carolina man convicted in killing of Winston-Salem police officer Sgt. Plouff released from prisonMount Airy man attacks wife, mother-in-law in deadly assault before shooting himself, deputies sayNorth Carolina woman charged after hitting two men with her car in Greenboro, killing oneGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereIt all started in 2017 with their first bus.“It was a little white school bus. His name was Gus. It was filled with hornets, but we were able to work on it from the junkyard, so my mom and I would go every weekend when I was in college," Megan said. That first bus turned into 16 to date. The Donahues said their slogan is "A Bus, By Us," and they name each one to give a sense of identity, each fit with its own unique interior design. They are equipped with all the essentials people would find in a typical home. The buses range in size and price, some are around 250 square feet and can cost anywhere from $11,000 to $90,000. “We’ve had people sell everything in their home, quit their jobs, fly here and drive away with it permanently,” Megan said. There is special meaning behind what they do and who they do it for.“The name 'Live Simply' started when my brother tweeted a couple weeks before he passed away, ‘It’s the simple things in life that make it worth living.’” Megan said.She talked about how that motto gave her the inspiration to start a project to benefit other people.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsAfter losing her brother, she thought "Live Simply" would be the perfect way to honor him.Mom, Lisa agreed and said, “Wherever these buses go, Michael goes.”The initials of Michael James Donahue are written on the walls of each bus. The mother and daughter agree there is no better way to live simply than in a bus. It all started out as a way to bond and they learned through each renovation to never take life for granted.“After someone goes through a tragedy, especially the loss of a child, they realize that it’s not important, all these things that people think they have to have is not reality. It’s not about what you have, it’s the quality time you spend with your children,” Lisa said. As Lisa reflected on her son, Michael, she wanted people to know his wish on earth was to be an organ donor.“It really has changed a lot of people’s lives. That’s what keeps us going every day,” she said. Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.The interest and following of "Live Simply" caught on over the years and the Donahues learned the journey of providing simple living will forever hold a special meaning to them. “We really want to emphasize that you don’t need a lot in life to be happy,” Megan said. “Anything you can fit in here is all you need. You have your family, friends, and you have your health, then you have wealth.”To get in contact with the Donahues and learn more about the buses for sale, click here. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |

GRAHAM, N.C. —

A mother and daughter from Alamance County are transforming transportation as many people know it.

Lisa and Megan Donahue started a business called "Live Simply" by renovating old school buses into small homes to take life on wheels.

“You start by taking off every seat, it has four 8-inch bolts, you take those out, clean, seal and prep the bottom, then you do insulation and flooring,” Megan said.

The renovations include every inch of the bus from top to bottom, inside and out.

Top Stories

Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here

It all started in 2017 with their first bus.

“It was a little white school bus. His name was Gus. It was filled with hornets, but we were able to work on it from the junkyard, so my mom and I would go every weekend when I was in college," Megan said.

That first bus turned into 16 to date. The Donahues said their slogan is "A Bus, By Us," and they name each one to give a sense of identity, each fit with its own unique interior design. They are equipped with all the essentials people would find in a typical home. The buses range in size and price, some are around 250 square feet and can cost anywhere from $11,000 to $90,000.

“We’ve had people sell everything in their home, quit their jobs, fly here and drive away with it permanently,” Megan said.

There is special meaning behind what they do and who they do it for.

“The name 'Live Simply' started when my brother tweeted a couple weeks before he passed away, ‘It’s the simple things in life that make it worth living.’” Megan said.

She talked about how that motto gave her the inspiration to start a project to benefit other people.

Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts

After losing her brother, she thought "Live Simply" would be the perfect way to honor him.

Mom, Lisa agreed and said, “Wherever these buses go, Michael goes.”

The initials of Michael James Donahue are written on the walls of each bus.

The mother and daughter agree there is no better way to live simply than in a bus.

Hearst Owned

It all started out as a way to bond and they learned through each renovation to never take life for granted.

“After someone goes through a tragedy, especially the loss of a child, they realize that it’s not important, all these things that people think they have to have is not reality. It’s not about what you have, it’s the quality time you spend with your children,” Lisa said.

As Lisa reflected on her son, Michael, she wanted people to know his wish on earth was to be an organ donor.

“It really has changed a lot of people’s lives. That’s what keeps us going every day,” she said.

Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.

The interest and following of "Live Simply" caught on over the years and the Donahues learned the journey of providing simple living will forever hold a special meaning to them.

“We really want to emphasize that you don’t need a lot in life to be happy,” Megan said. “Anything you can fit in here is all you need. You have your family, friends, and you have your health, then you have wealth.”

To get in contact with the Donahues and learn more about the buses for sale, click here.

Alamance County mother, daughter duo renovate buses into small homes as a way to 'Live Simply'

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Top Picks