It sounds to me like you've planned out a solid path forward - glad to hear it. Also, tubs, particularly for a single snake, really don't have to be the minimalistic route that people with a larger number of ball pythons have. Mine, which I used for my ball python until I upgraded him to his pvc enclosure, is very oversized compared to the recommended and has a removable wooden perch for climbing in addition to all the fake foliage and such (cheaply and easily made with a wooden dowel and eye hooks). With a little creativity, it's a good option for even those who want to give a more complex set-up but are waiting on making the big investments for whatever reason.