A couple have renovated a £2,500 double decker London bus into a luxury home, and insist they have more space than people they know who live in cramped flats.
Charlie MacVicar, 26, and boyfriend Luke Walker, 27, knew they wanted to live together without paying a large mortgage or rent.
After toying with the idea of a shipping container or an old van, they opted for a 544-square Go-Ahead London Volvo Plaxton – in operation up until a few months before they bought it – which they spent £15,000 renovating, Metro.co.uk reported.
Luckily Charlie’s father was able to rent them a patch of land which he owns in Essex to park their home, and they’ve been living there since 2018, with the bus doubling as a workspace since lockdown hit.
The couple have access to half an acre of outdoor space, and say it’s a more roomy environment than living in a flat or being back with their parents houses, where they kept all their belongings in their bedrooms.
Beyond the kitchen and working from home space, there is a living space with comfortable seating and artwork
The upstairs has a space which the couple use as a dressing room, with a stool and mirror as well as clothes rails
Charlie MacVicar, 26, and boyfriend Luke Walker, 27, renovated a £2,500 double decker London bus into a home which even has a bath and a fireplace
Charlie, who works as a logistics coordinator, and Luke, who works for an insurance company, share their renovation on their Instagram @doubledeckerhome.
They have now lived on the bus since 2018 and spent a year converting the space, with it becoming their workspace during the pandemic.
Charlie said that the process was ‘challenging at times’ and admits she’d never picked up a screwdriver before the renovation, but they were lucky to have help from family with one of their grandfather’s building their bed frame, for instance.
‘Myself and my boyfriend are not your typical creative type. We have mostly worked office jobs and there were some parts of the bus we simply couldn’t do ourselves,’ she said.
They removed all the seats on the top deck, and made it into a large bedroom, complete with a dressing room and a bath
They knew they wanted to live together without paying a large mortgage or rent, so opted for the 544-square foot bus which they spent £15,000 renovating
The bus has a fully-fitted kitchen, complete with a black oven and a washing machine as well as a butlers sink with copper taps
‘The electric, plumbing and carpentry was done by either family or professionals. As much as we would like to take credit for the hard work we certainly couldn’t of done it without others.’
Gas gets delivered to the property, but it is connected to electricity, WiFi and water.
At the back of the bus, they have a record player, a keyboard and a guitar as well as comfortable seating and a log burner to keep warm.
The downstairs of the bus also has a working from home station as Charlie, who is a logistics coordinator, and Luke, who works for an insurance company, are working from home due to the pandemic
The downstairs of the bus also has a working from home station as Charlie, who is a logistics coordinator, and Luke, who works for an insurance company, are working from home due to the pandemic
The kitchen has cream-coloured appliances, including a toast, a microwave and a fridge freezer near the front door of the bus
The couple have a fully-kitted kitchen, complete with a microwave, an oven and a washing machine as well as a two-seater dining table.
Upstairs, there is a bathtub – which had to be lifted through an upsairs emergency window by a crane – a double bed and two night stands as well as a TV and a dressing room.
They have also added an outdoor space, where they can watch TV on outdoor seating.
The space is all open plan, with the enclosed downstairs toilet and sink the only private space on board.
There’s space downstairs for a two-seater dining table where the couple can enjoy meals together
At the back of the bus, the couple have a log burner to keep warm in the winter as well as a record player, guitar and keyboard
At the back of the upstairs, the couple have their bedroom, complete with a double bed and two nightstands
Charlie added that the bus can sometimes get really cold in the winter, saying that there are some ‘downsides’ to living on the bus but they ‘absolutely love’ it.
She said: ‘In the winter it can sometimes get really cold and the other side is in the summer it can be like a greenhouse.’
She added: ‘The land we live on means we have lots of outdoor space. The freedom of being able to travel back and forth without being tied down, but living together is the main bonus to living here.’
Although the couple have remained in the same spot, they planned their renovation around the driver’s seat and wheel arches to keep the bus functioning so they can move if necessary.
At the back of the upstairs, the couple have their bedroom, complete with a double bed and two nightstands
They said they had help from family in the renovations, including the bed frame which was built by grandad
The toilet has pastel accents and artwork on the door, with plants on the sink and shelves, including one pot shaped like a flamingo
Near the bedroom, there is a bath with a looking out on the pond outside the window and a trolly with towels and a cactus in next to it
The couple have also create a patio, with outdoor seating where they can bring pillows and duvets outside to watch TV in the evenings under the fairylights