Where would you like to live in the future? Most of us don’t really think too much about this in our 20s. Now don’t get me wrong, we know roughly where we want to live and how much we’re willing to spend on rent/mortgage. We mainly know that we don’t want to live with our parents forever. Help!

Have you ever thought about thinking outside of the box when it comes to your home? A buddy once told me that he wanted to buy a van for the summer and just live out of it. I laughed at first and then I realized that maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. At least he would always be mobile. He would be able to take naps on his lunch break. It seemed pretty cool.

Well, I think there’s someone that takes the cake for weirdness in location. Does this person live in a van? Nope. It’s sort of close to a van.

I found a video on CNN Money about some dude that transformed a gas station into a modern living space. Yup, he lives in a gas station.

Check it out.

Do you find this to be strange?

I’ve noticed an emergence in unconventional living the past few years. There are many vagabonds online that are essentially homeless because they are digital nomads. They’re on the go constantly and never really have a place to call home. They go from hostels to couches to any space on the planet. The adventure never ends and I’m totally fascinated by it.

Now a new breed of dwellers is developing. Folks that enjoy living in random places. Gas station? Not any more!

It’s funny because my condo used to be a factory. Ditto for the condos in that area. The developers just turned old factories into living spaces and they sold like crazy. Can you imagine what some older gentleman must be thinking? Imagine driving by your old factory only to find out that people are now LIVING inside of this factory that you used to work in. That’s pretty stranger, yet very common.

Is a gas station the strangest place to live?

Not at all! Check out the church that has been converted into lofts below…

Living in a church

Living in a church

I have seen many churches in Toronto get converted into condos/living spaces. Yes, churches. Can you believe that?ย This one article looks at an expensive converted-church property. There are many pictures included. They might entertain you.

I personally could never live in a church. Just the visual of seeing an old church every time I come home after a few drinks would frighten me. But that’s just me. If I was more creative, I’m sure that I could have some fun with a gas station. Not sure you ever get used to the smell though.

As always, before you buy a property you should consider life insurance. Why is so? I’m a strong believer that you have to not only meet bank criteria for a mortgage, but also make sure you can pay for all the costs related to owning a house. You can check out ANZ life insurance for more details on advantages to life insurance, but here are a few:

-While your home insurance will cover your house from fire, vandalism or burglary, a life insurance should cover your financial needs so your relatives don’t have to worry about the mortgage if something bad happens to you (even more important to consider when living in a church… just kidding! ๐Ÿ˜‰ ).

-Many life insurance plans cover your financial needs, including mortgage payments, during important sicknesses or injuries. I doubt that you want to worry about such payments when you have to deal with health problems.

-The two points above are even more important when you have kids. Of course, you might not want to go as wild in your house picking when it’s the case, but since a home should be a long-term contract, think about what it implies when babies arrive! You should consider a life insurance plan as a top priority when you are a parent to be.

Why am I talking so much about life insurance in a home post? Many financial planners will recommend you to include your insurance or taxes costs into your mortgage payment. I would say that including a life insurance one is a smart move as well. So before answering the title of this post: How wild are you willing to get with your home? Also consider how much you are willing to pay in insurance to get your home! I wonder if insurance costs get higher when you live in a different property such as a gas station or a church… Might be worth asking! ๐Ÿ˜‰

What do you guys think about all of this stuff? Do you want to live in a traditional home/apartment or would you be open-minded to the idea of living in a church?

Martin Dasko

Martin Dasko