There is a Youtube channel I follow about home renovation.
The woman who runs the page is named Angela, and she posts videos about simple ways for people to do their own home repairs projects.
She is delightful and charming, but more than anything else she is very wise in the ways of home renovation. I have learned many tips and tricks from Angela. Her latest series of videos was about buying an old school bus and converting it into a mother-in-law-suite. When completed it would have a small bathroom, a kitchen, with plumbing, power, and full climate control. I thought Angela would take the easy route, because there is nothing easier than driving to the hardware store and buying a portable air conditioner. When you have a portable A/C unit you plug it in where you want, and it immediately starts cooling down that room. She didn’t want to do that, of course, because she wanted to install a central HVAC system that could provide heating and cooling all year around. She installed ductwork on the roof of the bus, so that it wouldn’t take up extra space inside. After removing the engine from the front of the bus Angela put the central HVAC components under the hood! I thought this was a stroke of genius, as it allowed the system to connect to the old and junky ventilation system the bus already had. It took a few months for the bus to get fully outfitted with HVAC, electricity, and plumbing, but now that it’s done it’s nicer than my own house!