Woman Hatches A Genius Scheme To Get Her Husband To Stay Home More Often
In a perfect world, most people would spend all their time hanging out with loved ones. Life, naturally, has a knack of getting in the way of those plans. We have to constantly navigate around big responsibilities and differing schedules, which often can push us to our very limits.
One British couple drove each other up the wall trying to find a way to spend more time together in 2019. But that crisis ended up inspiring a secret plan for the ages. You might say it's a tale best told over a pint or two.
For Jayne Tapper, her husband Paul was her entire world. She wanted nothing more than to maximize their quality time together, but one nasty habit was driving them apart. Jayne was fed up.
Paul had a good job as an engineer, standing out as one of the most accomplished blokes in Southern England. What he got up to after business hours, however, made Jayne want to scream.
Rather than zipping back to their home in Newton Abbot, Paul regularly took a detour to a less wholesome destination. He'd meet his mates in the parking lot, and then they would get down to what they did best.
Drinking! Paul and his buddies knocked back pint after pint at the pub. The mischief never got out of hand, but it irked Jayne that her husband spent more time at the local watering hole than he did at home.
And when the engineer did make it back to their cozy domicile, he was shocked to find his wife in such sour spirits. Paul recalled that he found himself "in the doghouse" on a regular basis. Still, he had no plans to change his behavior.
Jayne, meanwhile, was desperate for a way to see more of her husband. It wasn't that she was anti-social. In fact, she loved entertaining friends and family. The beleaguered wife wondered if she could pull Paul back home.
Previously, Jayne toyed around with the idea of opening her own restaurant or bar. But after hearing about the difficulties of getting such an enterprise off the ground, she decided it wasn't worth the financial risk.
Still, was there a more feasible middle ground? Perhaps, but that wasn't the question on Paul's mind. He was too busy wondering, when he got back home one night, why his beloved was having their entire backyard leveled!
But Jayne wouldn't spoil the big surprise. Even as the lumber came together as a building frame, she wouldn't reveal what she had in store. Obviously, this was no ordinary garden shed.
The construction became increasingly elaborate. Paul got a little miffed at Jayne's radio silence, especially since the project was costing them close to £20,000. But the day of reckoning was just around the corner.
With the flip of a "Come In, We're Open" sign, Jayne unveiled her big secret. She built a pub in the backyard! Paul barely knew what to say at first, but he knew one thing: he wanted to go in.
Playing off of her husband's favorite catchphrase, Jayne called it The Doghouse Inn. Fortunately, the door was big enough for both two-legged and four-legged customers to venture inside. Paul was stunned by what he saw.
Blowing away your average man-cave, The Doghouse Inn was the pub of Paul's dreams. Fun knick-knacks, impressive hardwood features, and a cozy interior made it the perfect place to enjoy a cold one. And this bar packed way more than just a mini-fridge.
As a mother of three (adult) children, Jayne knew how to be prepared for any situation. That's why she stocked the Doghouse with a full bar, guaranteeing that even the pickiest drinker could find a beverage of their liking.
And Jayne planned on inviting tons of people over too. Though she wanted her hubbie to spend more time at home, she looked forward to chewing the fat with their favorite neighbors and drinking buddies. After all, there were a surprising number of activities in the pub.
Besides the usual dartboards, cards, and board games, Jayne went out of her way to grab a true classic. She installed a genuine Space Invaders arcade cabinet, taking Paul back to his gaming prime in the 1980s.
While the Doghouse cost a pretty penny, Jayne was savvy when it came to certain purchases. Instead of commissioning new seating, she bought a couple pews from a shuttered church for next to nothing. Plus, she predicted the whole venture would save them money.
Paul fell into a rut of going out and blowing tons of dough at the bars every night, but now the Doghouse could be his primary haunt. He was pretty sure the bartender there would give him freebies now and again.
Paul immediately made himself at home in The Doghouse, which even had a beer garden for when the British summer would finally appear! When he asked Jayne how she made this all happen, it turned out she'd combed the web for other DIY inspirations.
Jayne learned about other innovators, like Jesse Lipskin, who made treasure out of another man's trash. Jesse wanted to go out and explore the world while providing for herself in a way that didn't harm the planet. Unfortunately, this dream looked to be miles and miles away.
Her current situation had her bogged down in a New York City office. The crowds, litter, and concrete were wearing her down. One night, however, a movie gave Jesse a monumental idea.
She devoured the documentary Garbage Warrior, which detailed the work of eco-architect Michael Reynolds. He advocated a lifestyle that repurposed old materials in order to exist more sustainably. This got Jesse thinking.
What if she could live out on the road? If Jesse got permission to work remotely, she could go wherever she pleased, never tethered to one place. She started looking at some RVs, but most of those clunkers just didn't fit her vision.
When scrolling through eBay one night, she devised a crazy plan. Jesse came across a 1966 bus for sale, and she wondered if she could turn it into her dream home. Of course, it wouldn't be a walk in the park.
The old Greyhound was over 50 years old, but it looked like it could've been 100. That's why it was only listed at $5,000. Jesse realized it would require a ton of work to make it livable, but she didn't listen to the naysayers. She made the purchase.
One factoid that motivated Jesse was that her bus was the same model driven by Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Speed. Jesse's vehicle, on the other hand, wasn't going anywhere for the time being.
The battered Greyhound was barely road-worthy, let alone a viable home. It sat idle in Jesse's driveway longer than she'd like to admit. Finally, she knew she had to get started on her big project. Otherwise, the bucket of bolts would rust there forever.
So Jesse dove right in. She'd undertaken some DIY projects before, so she had no problem tearing out the old interior and assembling the wooden frames for the cabinets and furniture.
One year passed by, and then another. The bus-home started to take shape, though Jesse understood she'd need a little help fitting it out like a proper house. Crafty as she was, she didn't have any experience with plumbing or electricity.
With a little help from her friends, Jesse outfitted the Greyhound with all the proper amenities. She'd have light, running water, and — most importantly — WiFi. From there, she had to make it look sleek, both inside and out.
With the proper furnishings and a ton of white paint, the 1966 bus finally looked like it was beyond the scrap heap. Jesse invited her friends and family to inspect the final product, and they could hardly believe their eyes.
The three years of renovation really paid off. Stepping through the door, you would almost forget that you were inside an old bus! The 400-square-foot interior was incredibly chic and modern, with enough decor to make it feel personal.
Aside from looks, the Greyhound contained all the essentials of any home. Jesse built a full kitchen, ideal for cooking a gourmet meal. In all likelihood, she'd be eating better on the road than she ever did in her apartment!
Naturally, the Greyhound also featured a full bathroom with a shower. Just because Jesse planned on living out on the road didn't mean she had to be roughing it, after all.
Impressively, she managed to cram a ton of storage into the narrow bus. Because she planned to be driving through every terrain and every type of weather, Jesse included a closet capable of holding her entire wardrobe.
With a luxurious bedroom at the tail end, the bus turned out better than Jesse ever hoped. She exclaimed, "It was a labor of love, and I felt a true sense of accomplishment once everything came together."
Jesse absolutely fell in love with her new lifestyle. Each morning she'd wake up in a different part of the country, her view perfectly framed by her personal library and velvet curtains.
The adventurer wound her way all over America's highways, working remotely while leaving enough time to explore her surroundings. After countless journeys, however, she found herself starting to miss her stable home.
After years of fun and hard labor, Jesse decided to part ways with her beloved bus. In 2018, she put it up for sale with a $149,000 price tag — a true testament to all the improvements she made.
Fortunately, the Greyhound found a second (or third) life as a mobile AirBnB. It has no shortage of customers either. Tons of people are curious to try out the mobile lifestyle, though a few are embarking on awe-inspiring DIY projects of their own.
Martin Hill and Iona Stewart liked the sound of a mobile bus. The UK couple planned an outdoor trek through Europe, so it didn't make sense for them to book a series of hotel rooms. They didn't exactly want to rough it on campgrounds either.
After a few beers one night, Martin mulled over buying a big RV. But then a more creative thought popped into his head. What if he and Iona built their own mobile home? Martin went on eBay and found exactly what he was looking for: an old bread truck.
Fortunately, Iona was all for Martin's plan, especially since they got the truck for less than $5,000. Still, there was no denying that it was in pretty rough shape. Could they really turn this old scrap heap into a livable vehicle?
Most people wouldn't have dreamed of attempting such a daring renovation, but Iona and Martin were the perfect pair to pull off this stunt. They drew up plans for their truck house and bought all the materials necessary to turn it into a real home.
A talented artist, Iona was in charge of interior decoration. She figured out the best arrangement for all the furnishings and added certain touches to make the house feel more like a home.
Meanwhile, Martin handled the actual construction aspect. Installing the hardware, electricity, and plumbing into the truck proved to be quite a tall order, but that didn't stop him from having some fun while he was at it.
Iona also enjoyed herself as they worked their way closer to the final product. Once the basic bed frame was up, she broke out her killer Dracula impression. Or maybe she was just exhausted and needed a nap!
At the same time, they put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their project. Construction took four months of full-time work. Martin and Iona could only hope that all their efforts wouldn't be a bust.
At last, the time came to unveil their tricked-out truck. With a fresh coat of sleek gray paint, it definitely looked like it could handle Europe's most mountainous roads. But would it be comfortable enough for Martin and Iona to kick back and relax in?
The transformation was unbelievable. The cold and empty truck trailer now looked like it came straight out of an interior design magazine. On top of that, Martin and Iona managed to split the limited space into four separate rooms!
These travelers didn't need to worry if there were no restaurants nearby because they had a fully-stocked kitchen on their hands. With a fridge, stove, oven, and microwave, they could whip up any recipe they wanted after a long day of hiking or snowboarding.
Their attention to detail in the kitchen was impressive too. Just take a look at the trendy hardwood countertops and tiled walls. Most homes would be hard-pressed to have interiors that are so sleek and up-to-date.
Although the entire length of the "apartment" was only 28 feet long, Iona and Martin still had plenty of room for visitors. Iona's mom and dad even dropped by for a visit. You can't diss the house-truck idea once it's got the parental seal of approval!
All the inhabitants — whether the couple had guests over or not — were guaranteed to stay toasty thanks to a stove that heated the entire truck. This feature was especially useful as Martin and Iona spent a lot of time in the Alps. That's also where they met years ago.
On the other side of the trailer, these two had a bedroom that would rival accommodations at a five-star hotel. "It's amazing what you can do. We are not exactly slumming it," quipped Martin, clearly proud of his handiwork.
In addition to the space under the bed — where Iona liked to pretend to be a vampire — the couple included storage spaces just about wherever they could. That way, they could bring along all their cold weather and athletic gear without it clogging up the living room.
When nature calls on a wintry night in the Alps, you'd hate to have to pull over on the side of the road. Thinking ahead, Martin and Iona fitted out a full bathroom. It's pretty impressive that they somehow included actual plumbing in a bare-bones truck trailer.
Iona also squeezed in plenty of her artwork throughout each room to give their house on wheels a little more character. With any luck, the wolf in this painting would be the only one they come across on their travels!
Of course, the couple didn't spend all their time inside their luxury vehicle. They had too many scenic views and hiking trails to explore. Hopefully, they had enough wall space to hang up all the fantastic photographs they took during their trip.
All in all, Martin and Iona spent an additional $25,000 refitting the old truck into a home. However, it was certainly worth the cost: they now had a dream home they could take anywhere! And it sure beat the heck out of an RV.
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