Is a school bus shelter the original tiny house?

You don't have to live in the most rural, remote areas to appreciate a well-built, attractive school bus shelter for your kids. Even if you don't live in a snow belt or receive lake-effect snow, or have a driveway that is miles long, shelters can protect children. That also goes for parents who wait with their kids, sometimes with younger siblings in arms.

No snow and bitter cold where you live? Ok, but it rains most everywhere across the country and nobody wants to send a child to school in wet clothing. Bus shelters are also a good way to keep kids safer if they are properly located away from the road. Safety experts say to place a shelter at least 10 feet from the side of a road. Local ordinances may have other specific requirements or restrictions.

Children should be taught to remain inside the shelter until their bus comes. No running in the street, playing tag in the driveway or looking for "stuff" in the roadside ditches. The shelter becomes a sort of subtle, but convenient boundary for active kids. Some parents who remain inside their house while their kids wait for bus like a shelter to have a window in the back wall. The widow faces the main house, so parents can keep an eye on what goes on inside the shelter.

The best residential school bus shelters are the ones that are safe and practical. And cute, too, but we'll get to that. Mindy Fisher is an associate with Jamaica Cottage Shop in South Londonderry, Vt. Fisher said the most important thing that parents should know about erecting a bus shelter for their children is "to make sure it is sturdy and strong."

"You wouldn't want to build a flimsy structure that would be unsafe for children," said Fisher, whose company offers bus shelter kits. "We use a post and beam style framing and 4 x 4 posts and beams made of rough-sawn hemlock, ensuring that it is going to be standing for a long time."

A complete kit includes Vermont lumber that is cut and ready to assemble, corrugated metal roofing, fasteners, hardware, windows and doors and step by step plans. The company says this kit is "geared to a do-it-yourselfer homeowner with beginner knowledge of carpentry."  The company's standard size bus shelter is 16 square feet (4 foot 10 inches wide by 6 foot 5 inches long by 8 feet 6 inches high). A recommended foundation is three to four inches of crushed gravel.

The creators of Jamaica Cottage Shop's 4 x 4 Bus Stop say the structure is a "picturesque retreat reminiscent of old New England."

Oregon TimberWerks in Eugene, Or., offers its Rural School Bus Stop Waiting Shelter Kit. Constructed of solid wood (fir) and plywood, the shelter features a roof of cedar shingles over roofing felt and 1/2 inch CDX plywood.  The structure is 4-feet-wide by 4-feet-long by 7 feet and 5 inches high, excluding a 6-inch overhang. Plastic windows provide a rain tight shelter and safer materials.

Oregon TimberWerks claims it takes about one to two hours to assemble its Rural School Bus Stop Waiting Shelter Kit.

The kit is delivered partially assembled and pre-stained with oil on the exterior. Windows, door opening and roof panels are completely assembled. The company estimates an assembly time of one to two hours. Four concrete pads (patio blocks) are needed for the base.

"Make sure the kids can see the bus coming and the bus driver can see them," advised Jan Kronke, owner of Oregon TimberWerks. "And watch out for strangers making a home in your kids' shelter, if that's a problem in your area. I've found a couple beer cans in ours, most likely from teenagers."

In these high tech days, some parents may opt for a security camera or motion detector in or near the shelter if there are serious concerns.  Most shelters are just occasionally invaded by nest-building birds, wasps or an inquisitive squirrel.

Kits are great because they are quick to build, you don't have to be a master carpenter and you know exactly what you are getting. (Pay attention to shipping and handling costs if there are any - that can get expensive if you are far from the source.)  But there is also something to be said for building your own bus shelter from scratch.

Material costs are always more than you think. But you may be able to cut expenses and make a unique shelter by using recycled and repurposed windows, doors, lumber, metal roofing, columns and more. Just remember that nothing is standard with that plan, so be prepared to spend more time hunting for pieces and getting them to all work together.

Involving your children in the design or building (even if it is just a couple nails pounded into a board that you can remove when they are not looking) is a great family project. A bench for at least two is a must. But a few shelters have heat and electricity.  Even simple shelters can be customized to look like log cabins, phone booths, old train stations, forest ranger stations and even miniature replicas of the homeowner's house. Bus shelters have been constructed to resemble space ships, submarines, watermelons, strawberries, pumpkins and even Dr. Who's TARDIS.

One mother said an unexpected benefit was that her kids talked to each other more in the mornings when they are sitting side by side in their cozy shelter.

It goes without saying that residential school bus shelters should be kept in good repair and never become an eyesore in the community. Shelters that are no longer needed by children sometimes became roadside vegetable stands, potting sheds or little free libraries where homeowners offer no longer wanted books to others.

But if shelters are beyond salvaging, remove them completely, especially if the house on the property is for sale. Even before they see your front door, it is likely potential buyers will see the shelter. Make it cute or make it gone. You know what they say about first impressions and curb appeal.

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This article was written by Jill Sell. Jill Sell is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, & home and garden. Sell can be reached at jillsell22@windstream.net.