Mother and daughter who renovate old dilapidated school buses and turn them into STUNNING tiny homes show off incredible transformations of the vehicles – which they sell for upwards of $60,000 EACH

• Lisa, 58, and Megan Donahue, 25, launched their business in 2019
• The North Carolina-based duo turn run-down vans into lavish living spaces
• They started it after Lisa’s son and Megan’s brother died in a car accident 

A mother-daughter duo who transform old, dilapidated school buses into stunning, tiny homes has revealed how they were inspired to launch their business following the sudden death of their son and brother.

Lisa, 58, and Megan Donahue, 25, from Graham, North Carolina, started turning run-down 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.

While speaking to Insider recently, Megan explained that her brother was ‘infatuated’ with the outdoors – so while coming to grips with his sudden passing, the pair started to brainstorm ways that they could combine his love of nature and ‘their passions for design’ to keep his ‘legacy’ alive.

In 2017, they decided to convert their first motorcar together – and soon after, Lisa, who worked as a visual coordinator and professional organizer, and Megan, who had recently graduated from college with a degree in communication, opted to put their skills together and make them into a full-time career, launching their company, Live Simply Buses, in 2019.

A mother-daughter duo has dedicated their lives to transforming old, dilapidated school buses into stunning, tiny homes following the sudden death of their son and brother

Lisa, 58, and Megan Donahue, 25, from North Carolina, started turning run-down vans into lavish living spaces back in 2017 after Michael Donahue died in a car accident 

The pair then decided to combine his love of nature and ‘their passions for design’ in an attempt to keep his ‘legacy’ alive. Megan and Michael are seen as kids with their parents

In 2017, they converted their first motorcar together (seen) – and soon after, Lisa and Megan opted to put their skills together and make it into a full-time career

They have now revamped 14 buses – and have raked in tens of thousands of dollars. One of the buses they transformed is seen before (left) and after (right) their renovations were finished

They have now revamped 14 buses over five years – and they have raked in tens of thousands of dollars in the process. 

But most importantly, they said they feel like  Michael has been with them every step of the way.

Lisa, who worked as a visual coordinator and professional organizer, and Megan, who had recently graduated from college with a degree in communication, officially launched their company, Live Simply Buses, in 2019

‘All these buses are in his name. Every place that these buses go, so does he,’ Lisa explained. 

The pair told Insider that they buy the old buses from Facebook Marketplace. 

They, along with their friend Bob, then spend months turning the motorcars into gorgeous abodes – and the renovations costs them on average around $25,000.

When it comes time to sell the new home – the prices range depending on the size, amenities, and amount they had spent on the construction, but they said they can make an upwards of $60,000 per vehicle. 

‘We put months into [fixing up the buses] and end up loving them, so we make sure the people who buy these buses love them just as much as we do,’ Lisa added.

One of the homes they built back in 2021 was made from a 2011 Chevy Express Cutaway, which had served as a New York school bus for many years.

They said they feel like Michael has been with them every step of the way. One of the buses they transformed is seen above

The pair told Insider that they buy the old buses from Facebook Marketplace. They, along with their friend Bob, then spend months renovating the motorcars into gorgeous abodes

They said they can make an upwards of $60,000 per vehicle. A van they revamped is seen before (left) and after (right) their renovations were complete

Megan handles all the buying and selling, as well as their Instagram account, where they often showcase before and after photos of their designs

They spent four months transforming it, and by the time it was done, it boasted a kitchen, dining area, and bedroom. It ultimately sold for $55,000.

One of the homes they built back in 2021 was made from a 2011 Chevy Express Cutaway, which had served as a New York school bus for many years

‘Everything in there was custom-built,’ Megan recalled. ‘We usually buy the cabinets for the buses, but Bob built them all by hand that time.’

The 25-year-old explained that they try to make the most of the small space by ensuring that every piece of furniture has more than one purpose.

She dished: ‘Any kind of seating also has to be storage. People are packing up their lives and then moving in these things. So, it’s like, “What would you be taking and what would you be putting it?”‘

Megan handles all the buying and selling, as well as their Instagram account, where they often showcase before and after photos of their designs.

They spent four months transforming it, and by the time it was done, it boasted a kitchen, dining area, and bedroom. It ultimately sold for $55,000 (seen)

‘We make sure the people who buy them love them just as much as we do,’ Lisa added. One of the buses they transformed is seen before (left) and after (right) their renovations

According to Megan, her favorite part of the whole process is connecting with the people who will be living in the homes that they create. One of the homes they created is seen

She said they try to make the most of the small space by ensuring every piece of furniture has multiple purposes. One of the buses they transformed is seen before (left) and after (right)

And according to Megan, her favorite part of the whole process is connecting with the people who will be living in the homes that they create. 

In fact, she said she’s still in contact with many of the people that they’ve sold buses too. 

As for Lisa, Megan described her as the ‘executor,’ explaining, ‘She provides a lot of experience and knowledge. My mom’s super detail-oriented, and she’ll catch stuff you wouldn’t even notice.’ 

In the end, the women explained that they hope selling the vans will inspire families to spend more time together, see more of the world, and reconnect with nature – all things that Michael was passionate about.

‘After what’s happened to us, we want people to know that you don’t always have tomorrow,’ Lisa concluded. ‘Make time for people who are in your life.’

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