Couple spend “sweat and tears” transforming $7K school bus into dream home

A Canadian couple on a “perpetual quest for adventures,” has stunned the internet after releasing a 30-second tour of their incredible new home on wheels, built in what used to be a school bus.

In a post shared to Instagram last January under the username @the.queen.beep, Tanya Nestoruk and Arya Touserkani walk viewers through their new mobile dwelling, complete with all the comforts a home has to offer, including a sleeping area, a bathroom, a kitchen with a full stove and oven set, and even a terrace on the roof.

“FINAL REVEAL! Welcome to our home. It’s been two months now that we’ve been living in our little home on wheels; driving from Canada to Mexico… about time we cleaned it up and took some time to appreciate all of the hard work, sweat and tears that we, our friends, and families put into this build!” the video’s caption reads.

After finding a perfect retired school bus on Facebook Marketplace, Nestoruk and Touserkani, both in their 30s, watched an “endless supply of YouTube tutorials” and dove headfirst into their latest “do it yourself” (DIY) project, and after only six months they gave the old school bus a new life and purpose.

“With its up-to-date maintenance records, low milage, and good condition, we knew it was the one,” the couple told Newsweek.

But how did they manage to turn the school bus, which drove its last school run on the very day they picked it up, into a comfortable home on wheels?

“We started by gutting the interior, removing all the old seats and fixtures to make way for our new layout. It was a tedious process, also the most fun! Seeing the empty shell gave us a blank canvas to work with. We sold, donated or reused as many items as we could to try to help minimize waste,” they said. “We found a pile of old toys, candies, and a combined total of $2.50 in change stuffed between the seats.”

After gutting the old interiors, it was time to deal with insulation and framing, which they explained was essential for keeping their tiny home, cozy and structurally sound. Then they tackled the plumbing and electrical systems, from installing the kitchen sink to wiring up the solar panels for off-grid living.

When all of the most tedious parts were over, it was finally time for the couple to get started on the interiors.

“The interior design phase was perhaps the most exciting yet challenging part. We wanted to maximize space while maintaining functionality and style. Crafting custom furniture, building storage solutions, and adding personal touches turned our bus into a true home,” the couple told Newsweek.

They added: “Despite facing setbacks and unforeseen obstacles along the way, we remained dedicated to our vision. Whether it was battling the elements or troubleshooting technical issues, we embraced each challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.”

The cost of the bus was about $7,200, but with all the renovations and the new furniture, it came up to a total of over $40,000.

While it may look expensive, it’s surely much less than what it would have taken to build a house. In fact, according to Forbes, the cost of building a house in the United States, as of December 2023, was on average $329,000.

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“We had help where we could,” the couple said. “We picked up pizzas and invited friends over for a ‘Sip and Sand’ party to help wash and sand the bus before painting. We installed rigid foam insulation in the floors and hired a local company to spray foam the walls and roof with 22 percent renewable soybean oil and recycled plastic foam.

“Initially we ran all of our own propane lines later to find out that to receive propane certification most companies will only certify it if their own technician does the work (even if you do it to code).”

Nestoruk and Touserkani were lucky enough to have a carpenter friend who came to their rescue, helping with the finishing touches when they were running out of time and funds, as well as a friend of friend, a welder, who built the rooftop deck and rear Moto deck frames that they then built out and mounted cedar planks on.

“Finally, after months of hard work and dedication, our bus-home was ready for the road. It was hard, we hit breaking points, Tanya stepped away from the project at one point, then took on another job throughout the day to help fund the build, working again in the evenings while Arya worked all day and all night,” they said. “It was too much, if you’re thinking about doing this, please be kinder to yourself if you can—and give yourself more time then you think you need.”

Despite all adversities, the couple managed to finish their dream home, and they have so far driven it from British Columbia to Baja California in Mexico and back, and they’re currently on another “tiny home adventure.”

“The bus is still our full time home but when the day comes that we will sell, we don’t want our travel lifestyle to end, we’re looking into other set ups for weekend travels. Every day was a new challenge [while building their home on wheels], but it was all worth it,” the couple said.

Instagram Users React

The video has gone viral on Instagram and has so far received over 743,000 views and 51,064 likes on the platform.

Instagram user @deniseshabbycottage commented: “It’s so beautiful. I’ve been looking for one to buy as beautiful as yours.”

thewealthyblonde_ wrote: “Super crazy and amazing.”

gard3.nia posted: “INCREDIBLE!”

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