How To Turn A Bus Into A Home – Learning From The Best

While most people chose to live in houses or apartments, some more adventurous types opt to live on a boat, under a dome or even inside a bus. That’s right, we talking about school bus transformations, although other vehicles can serve a similar purpose too. Of course, plenty have tried to make the conversion from bus to home but few were actually successful in their attempts. Today we’ll have a look at some of these projects and hopefully we’ll inspire you too to think outside the box, even if on a smaller scale.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

The first project we’d like to show you is called the Majestic Bus. It used to be a Panoramic Bus but it’s a cozy home. You can find it in garden in Radnorshire Hills. It has a kitchen, a dining space, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom so it’s like a tiny home with a linear layout. Lots of built-ins were used in order to save space and to make room for a double bed in the sleeping area and an l-shaped sofa in the living room. Solar panels on the roof of the bus provide the electricity needed on a regular basis.

Related: What It’s Like To Live In A School Bus – 15 Inspiring Skoolie Conversions

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

As it turns out, others had the same idea and there are quite a few old buses turned into homes around the world. This is one of them. It started out as an old and forgotten public transportation bus that was rescued from the scrapyard. After all its seats were removed, it was all cleaned up so it could become the shell of a cozy and tiny home. The bus was 12 meters long and 2 meters wide and its original layout was kept intact. Working around the wheel protrusions was a challenge but in the end it all turned out great.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

We’d also like to share with you the story of a school bus that became a mobile home. It’s a project completed by architecture student Meet Hank. As you may know, school buses are not particularly large or spacious. Even so, this one has plenty of space inside. The seats were obviously removed, the same as everything else inside the bus. Now the floor is covered in reclaimed wood and the windows stayed in place. All of the furniture sits below the window line and that lets plenty of natural light inside.

Related: Alternative Housing: A New Path For Future Living

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

Felix Starck and Selima Taibi from Expedition Happiness also decided to give an old school bus a second chance. They purchased a 20-year old bus online and transformed it into a cozy and frankly quite stylish home in only two weeks. The living spaces are clustered at the front of the bus and the back section was converted into a bedroom. It actually looks and feels like a home thanks to all the cozy accents, like the wooden floor and walls, the light fixtures and the decorations. Find out more about this inspiring transformation on Tinyhouses.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

Next we’ll have a look at the transformation of a 2001 GMC BlueBird bus into a home on wheels. At the front there’s a mudroom/ entryway with plenty of storage. The driver’s seat is actually the original that came with the bus. Right behind it is the living room which is in fact a multifunctional space. There’s a couch with storage underneath, a flip-up dining table and some open space. There’s a kitchen too, equipped with all the basics. Across from it there’s a small office and the bedroom occupies the far end of the bus. Check out outsidefound for more details on this cool project.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

With a little bit of inspiration and dedication you can achieve wonderful things and the transformation of a school bus into a home definitely counts as one. This time we’re talking about a project done by Stephanie Adams. She gave the bus all the basics of a cozy home, including a kitchen with a fridge, a stove and a washer-dryer combo, a bedroom with plenty of closet space, a bathroom and a nice living space with a sofa. All the little personal touches give the bus a unique and welcoming look. {found on inhabitat}.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

When you think about it, giving an old bus a makeover and turning it into a home on wheels is a pretty cool and practical idea if you don’t want to invest into ready-made mobile home or a trailer. This way you can personalize the space in any way you like and only include the elements that you actually need and use. It’s what Mark Roberts did with this 1949 Ford school bus. {found on tinyhouseswoon}.

Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living
Old school bus into a house in Nairobi Open space living

Curious how living in a bus would be like? You can check it out for yourself by renting the Branby Bus. It’s a holiday home inside the shell of an old double-decker school bus. The bus itself was pretty big but still needed an extension at one end for this to truly be a complete and comfortable home. Inside you can find inviting living and sleeping spaces, a kitchen with a bar and a bathroom that was built as an extension. Outside there’s a deck and a garden with nice views. {found on livinginashoebox}.