A MAN spent nearly £10,000 turning a scrapyard bus into a beautiful home so he would never have to pay rent again.

Luke Whitaker, 37, moved back to his home town to live with his parents on their farm after growing tired of wasting money on rent.

The scrapyard bus had no working engine but it was structurally sound

8

The scrapyard bus had no working engine but it was structurally soundCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
Luke Whitaker had bought the bus during the first Covid lockdown

8

Luke Whitaker had bought the bus during the first Covid lockdownCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
He spent £10,000 transforming the inside of the bus into a beautiful home

8

He spent £10,000 transforming the inside of the bus into a beautiful homeCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker

But Covid lockdowns hit the UK soon after and Luke’s father Joe Whitaker, 63, was concerned about the impact of the virus entering their house.

They decided they needed a safer living solution so Luke and his dad found a BMC Falcon 2001 bus in a breakers yard in Hereford costing £1,300.

As the bus had a seized engine, there was never any question of driving it anywhere.

However, it didn’t leak and the structural elements were solid which made it a great base for a quirky homestead on the farm.

UK's 'smallest detached house' with incredible hidden basement on sale for £215k
I took my landlord to court as he charged me £800 over dent in kitchen sink

Luke then spent £8,500 on completely stripping and redecorating the interior of the vehicle, learning conversion and DIY skills from YouTube himself.

Living in the bus allowed Luke to continue working and save money for a house of his own, as well as keeping him and his family socially distanced.

He has been able to save £2,000 after living there for two months which worked out as triple as what he could save when he was renting.

Halfway through the build, Luke met media producer Nikisha McIntosh, 33, on Bumble and the two hit it off.

Most read in Money

And Luke’s new home has even impacted his love life with the couple using the bus as a second date spot when pubs were closed.

Nikisha got involved in the final stages of the conversion by choosing the soft furnishings and now stays with Luke in the bus at weekends.

Luke said: “I decided to buy the bus in the first lockdown. It was about saving money to get onto the property ladder.

“I had just moved back to my parent’s house to help save money to buy my own house when lockdown happened and I decided to buy the bus.

“My father was very worried about coronavirus and decided we needed a safer living solution that would allow me to keep saving money and go to work without the risk of bringing the virus home.

“We found the bus at a bus breakers yard. The engine was totally seized so it didn’t drive, but it was completely watertight and structurally sound.

It seemed like a great idea to turn it into a sustainable tiny home. It also meant I could stay on the farm, so it meant I could also have a day-to-day presence on the farm which made it easier on my parents too.

“The bus is very small but as it’s out in nature, I never feel like I need more space.”

The couple says the best thing about living on the bus is the outdoor space, being on the farm, and the connection to nature – as well as cleaning the house only taking five minutes.

However, there are downsides including the lack of storage space and the lack of a washing machine meaning trips back into the family home.

“I’ve loved learning all the really useful DIY skills,” added Luke.

“So far, we’ve had to strip the seats and heaters out, put in a new floor, insulate and panel the sides, build the bedroom and fit the kitchen.

“The hardest part was fitting the chimney. I watched loads of YouTube videos first – it was scary making the first cut as if I’d got it wrong we would have been left with a huge hole in the roof.

“I think to help pay for some of the costs we’re planning to Airbnb the bus exclusively for August and afterwards return it to a farm living space.

“Nikisha loves the bus and finds it a lovely and relaxing place to stay. Most people I tell absolutely love the bus and friends ask if they can stay in it.

“It’s had an amazing reaction from friends and on social media with loads of shares from tiny home and bus living Instagram accounts. It’s been really quite overwhelming.

“It’s amazing to see an idea come to reality. I still can’t quite believe we did it.”

Luke met Nikisha halfway through the build and she now stays in the bus with him on weekends

8

Luke met Nikisha halfway through the build and she now stays in the bus with him on weekendsCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
Luke learnt and put into practice many DIY skills from YouTube

8

Luke learnt and put into practice many DIY skills from YouTubeCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
The dining area in the bus is spacious and airy

8

The dining area in the bus is spacious and airyCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
Luke's father decided they needed a safer living situation during Covid

8

Luke’s father decided they needed a safer living situation during CovidCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker
The bus has a lovely interior kitchen which is very homely

8

The bus has a lovely interior kitchen which is very homelyCredit: mediadrumworld.com/Luke Whitaker

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk

You May Also Like

How to invest in an Isa to deliver income of £10,000 a year TAX-FREE

While the Isa is a good place to grow a nest egg,…

Amazon Prime Day best deals revealed including air fryers and kids toys

AMAZON Prime day is upon us and this time, it’s a two…

OakNorth bank chief Rishi Khosla ponders London listing

Vision: OakNorth’s Rishi Khosla says his mission is to help entrepreneurs He…

Betting addict gambles away £290,000 in just a month after it was paid into his bank account by mistake

A JAPANESE man who has mistakenly paid £287,000 from a Covid relief…