Couple Spend £20,000 Transforming 1997 Double Decker Bus To Live In
Key Highlights :
Conrad Kirk and Nicole McCarthy from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were tired of their rented home and wanted to try something new. So, they decided to take a leap of faith and buy a double-decker bus for £2,000 and convert it into a holiday home on wheels. After completing the renovations, which cost them around £8,000, the couple decided to move their family-of-six into the bus full-time and save £12,000 a year.
The fully-refurbished bus now has a bathroom, a living area, separate kitchen, small garage and an open-plan bedroom with a double-bed and two bunk beds. The couple and their four daughters – Luna, four, Poppy, seven, Summer, seven and Phoebe, eight – have been living in the bus since September 2021 and are loving it.
The family now has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, where they share their daily adventures and details about their life. They are often asked how they fit six people in a bus, but the kids are at school during the day, and they prefer being outdoors in their free time. Conrad thinks of the bus as a base unit for their outdoorsy lifestyle. He said: “We don’t lounge in front of the TV – we’re out and about doing things with the kids. This weekend, we went paddleboarding and rock climbing.”
The couple’s little girls were a big part of the conversion as they helped their parents with tasks such as cutting wood and measuring. Conrad added: “They’ve learned skills that normal kids wouldn’t get the opportunity to learn at school.”
The family have even installed a TV in the open plan living room which hangs off the wall to save space. Conrad said: “We have the freedom to actually go and experience things as a family that we didn’t get to do before. Trying new things and spending time outdoors have become quite a big bit of our lifestyle now.”
Conrad’s plan for the future is to save up to £10,000 in the next three to four years to be able to buy land and build a home for themselves. He said: “We have the freedom to actually go and experience things as a family that we didn’t get to do before. Trying new things and spending time outdoors have become quite a big bit of our lifestyle now.”
Conrad Kirk and Nicole McCarthy prove that you don’t have to live in a traditional house to have a happy and fulfilled family life. By converting a double-decker bus into a fully-functional home, they have managed to save money and create a unique lifestyle that their children will never forget.
