Sleep in a Used Minivan with Nowhere Else to Go

“A used minivan, parked outside your rental in case you get evicted?” 

• Some low-income people must settle for sleeping in a van, because the alternative is sleeping on the streets.

• Many low-income people would gladly settle into a low-cost good-quality minivan with its back seats removed, when they have nowhere else to go.

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On the topic of sleeping in your minivan when you get evicted.

If you had your finances in order, then you’d have enough money to pay your rent every month.

If you don’t have enough money to pay your rent, then your landlord may move to evict.

Getting evicted accompanies hefty fines and significant burden. It’s best to fulfill the lease agreement you signed.

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***Seriously, nobody likes eviction. Not the person getting evicted. Not the landlord and their on-hand lawyer who’s got an unfortunate duty to notify and follow-through with the tenant to evict.***

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If you become evicted, where will you go?

Where will you sleep?

If it happened exactly… You break the lease agreement by not paying rent in full, then you can sleep in a minivan.

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***Uh oh, you should only sleep in a minivan overnight in designated areas that you must track down in your local area. You could get in trouble with the law for sleeping overnight in a minivan somewhere not permitted by the local government zoning authorities.***

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Graycare is NOT a lawyer.

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Minivans for Home Insecurity

For Americans feeling home insecure, owning a minivan fathoms possibility. But remember to remove the back seats. 

You must first learn how to remove the back seats from the minivan. Only with the back seats removed, can a minivan sleep one or two people with reasonable comfortability.

A makeshift mattress or yoga mat would provide enough padding to sleep overnight.

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When evicted, would you rather have cash or a minivan?

It makes perfect sense… The cost of a month’s rent ranges between $750 to $1,500 per month if you’re lucky.

• A used minivan that costs $4,500 equals 3-months rent.
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• A used minivan that costs $9,000 equals 6-months rent.
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• A used minivan that costs $13,500 equals 9-months rent.
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Would $4,500 to $13,500 liquid cash savings be better than a minivan?

When the cost of 12-months ren is $18,000 if you’re lucky…

…then maybe a minivan paid-off and parked by your rental is a viable type of “Quote on Quote Insurance” in case you suddenly get evicted.

If you’re kicked out the unit today, you can sleep in the minivan tonight.

The question isn’t whether $18,000 cash or an $18,000 minivan is better, because there’s plenty of room for negotiation here.

When good minivans sleepworthy for a few nights cost $4,500 to $13,500 for a reliable one that’s comfy for two people, for a couple of nights… You could feasibly make your move on a new used minivan.

1. You have $18,000 cash savings.
2. You buy a good condition used minivan for $9,000.
3. You still have $9,000 cash savings.
4. $9,000 equals 6-months rent

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Minivans Make Sense When You Still Have Good Savings

For low income people who could afford to have a couple thousand dollars in the bank after buying a minivan for a couple thousand dollars, might approach life with a confident attitude.

Knowing I can sleep in my minivan for fun and in case of emergencies makes me feel more home secure.

Probably, a minivan is not a suitable long-term home.

You probably shouldn’t plan to switch overnight.

1. You lived in an apartment with your family.
2. You now live in a minivan with you family.

However, if it’s wintertime in Michigan, or raining Hurricane Elaine outside, then sleeping in a minivan for a couple of nights doesn’t sound so awful.

Considering the alternatives, a minivan could be a nice place to sleep.

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The Price Range of Used Minivans

A person with the budget to do so, will look for a minivan in their price range. We hope you can afford a minivan that costs between $4,500 and $18,000. But we want you to think hard whether cash is better than a minivan.

To hit a good price range between quality minivan and low cost, I’d shop for a used minivan with 100,000 to 200,000 miles shown on the odometer, and I’d check for ZERO accidents in its history on a CARFAX report.

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When You Have a Minivan to Sleep In

• You don’t have to call and reserve a hotel.
  
  
• You don’t have to call your buddy asking for a place you and your wife can stay tonight.
  
  
• You don’t have to crash at your buddy’s place, when the initial agreement was to stay a couple of nights, but after a couple of nights, you still have nowhere to go.

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Summary

Not everybody price checks minivans in the context of camping, travel, or weekend leisure.

A minivan might be a helpful tool for a tenant facing eviction by their landlord.

Living low income comes with challenges wealthy persons might not ever experience in their lifetimes.

While renting an apartment, I experienced job insecurity. I was worried if I’d suddenly get fired or laid off, without a safety net to fall back on.

If I lost my job and didn’t have money to pay rent, please tell me what should I do?

The crazy idea to sleep in a minivan after becoming evicted isn’t the craziest idea in the world when you don’t have other options.

So when you’re at risk of being evicted from your apartment, it’s best to have a plan.

Think of the minivan like an emergency response plan in case of sudden homelessness.

Remove the back seats from your minivan, and place an inflatable mattress, memory foam mattress pads, or yoga mats to lay a bed worthy of overnight sleep.

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