2 couples who have turned vans into tiny homes share their best tips on how to get started in vanlife — and how to make a tiny space feel big enough to live in

Sara and Alex James have converted more than a dozen vans into homes.Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

• Making the best use of space in a camper van is all about recognizing your priorities from the start.
• Sara and Alex James, a couple who converts vans into tiny homes, say that you should go in with three priorities in mind for how to transform the area, like a bed, a bathroom, and a workspace.
• Kara and Nate recently bought a converted sprinter van and renovated it for life on the road say that selecting the right van for their lifestyle was crucial for making the best use of it.
• Sara, Alex, Kara, and Nate shared tips with Business Insider on how to best maximize space for life on the road.
• Both couples recommend prioritizing space for a shower and a convertible bed.

Sara and Alex James have transformed more than a dozen vans into tiny homes since 2017 when they started living in their own self-converted sprinter van.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

While they no longer live on the road, they still customize vans, and they have some tips for getting started.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

First, Alex said, it's important to pick the right van for you. To do this, he recommends consulting with a van builder and test driving a lot of vans.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

When selecting and customizing a van, you should have three priorities in mind for how to use the space.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

For Alex and his wife, Sara, being able to shower and use the restroom in the van without having to set anything up was important.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

Others might want to find space for their bikes or other large equipment in the van. Some people may need their vehicle to fit dog crates or make room for a family of four.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

Sara added that your bed and bathroom situations should be the most important factors when it comes to designing the layout.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

The couple recommends prioritizing having a bed that converts into working and eating space because beds take up a good amount of a van's interior.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

New to the van life scene, Kara and Nate Buchanan told Business Insider they bought a van when the coronavirus pandemic slashed their international travel plans and renovated it to suit their needs.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate

When selecting and renovating their van, Nate and Kara prioritized having a work station, a bathroom, and securing their electronics.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

To accommodate their work station, Kara and Nate bought a van with a convertible bed.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

The couple turned the van's closet into a charging safe for their electronics.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

They keep their clothes in the cabinets.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

For the bathroom, Kara and Nate put their toilet in the shower, because privacy was important to them. This way, they can use it behind a curtain rather than having a toilet slide out of a drawer in the middle of the van, Nate said.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

Once you have your essentials squared away, Sara and Alex said that you can work around the leftover space to add additional things.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

Nate and Kara converted their van's TV nook into a coffee station because they don't watch a lot of television.

Courtesy of Kara and Nate Buchanan

Sara and Alex warn van builders not to get too creative with their layouts and to know when to let things go. "There's only so many ways you can do things in a van," Alex told Business Insider.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

For example, Sara said her clients often want to include a stovetop in their van, but ultimately they typically decide against it because it takes up necessary counter space. "You're probably not going to cook as much as you think you are," she added.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James

The most important thing about laying out a camper van is ensuring that it's functional for your lifestyle, she told Business Insider.

Courtesy of Sara and Alex James