A family of six have put renting behind them after renovating a double-decker bus to permanently live in - and wouldn't ever go back to traditional housing. Conrad Kirk, 31, and Nicole McCarthy, 30, from Rotherham, were spending £1,350 a month on rent and bills when they made the decision to buy a second-hand bus in April 2021.
The couple, who have four children, Phoebe, eight, Poppy and Summer, both six, and Luna, four, plus two dogs, spend less than £10 a day and "would never live in a house again". Conrad told the Mirror: "When the cost of living began going up, our rent increased and the bills went sky-high so I jokingly said to Nicole, 'let's just move into the bus full-time' - then we actually did."
They enjoy having the freedom to travel on weekends but stay around Rotherham during the week, where Nicole works as a teacher and the children go to school.
"We first bought the bus for family holidays because we always have to get two rooms when we go away - so we wanted somewhere to stay together," Conrad explained.
"It cost us £2,000 and we've spent less than £8,000 renovating it. We've paid month by month and used a lot of recycled materials to try and save money.
"We were spending £1,350 on rent, council tax, gas, electric and water.
"Now the bus costs us £10 a day in the winter, when we're running the generator for one hour a day and there's not enough solar energy, or £6 a day in the summer.
"The most expensive part was buying the flat wood for the roof, which cost around £1,000.
"I learnt most of it from YouTube videos and we had some help from the local community. I used to be a bus driver and we have another bus that we previously restored."
Conrad, who runs an advertising company, fitted solar panels on the roof and uses a diesel heater and water heater to stay warm.
"We started by ripping it all out and built from the roof downwards. It's got one double bed, four adult-sized bunk beds, a toilet, bath and shower," he said.
"I think we'll live in it for a couple of years while we save money to buy some land and build somewhere new.
"We'd never go back to living in a house. With the knowledge we've got from building the bus, I'd like to renovate container units."
Conrad said living in a bus "takes away the insecurity of always paying a landlord rent" and helps them to save around £1,000 a month.
"We don't have to spend money on massive meals at restaurants because we can make a nice family meal on the bus using local produce," he explained.
"We get to spend a lot of quality time as a family and we can say that we've built our home together. The kids grafted as much as I did.
"They've learnt life skills that they won't in school. Phoebe can cut wood and use a tape measure accurately and Poppy knows the different wires in an electric cable.
"The children tell everyone they meet 'we live in a bus' - they love it."
The family-of-six had one big clear-out before they moved in this year and now the kids have one box they can put all their favourite toys in.
"Our family were sceptical about the bus at first but they're really supportive of it now and understand why we're doing it. Our friends love it and think it's great," Conrad said.
"We've not had any negative feedback, though everyone asks the same questions like where we wash our clothes - the laundrette - and how much we spend on fuel - it's about 12 miles per gallon."
You can keep up-to-date with Conrad and Nicole's family adventures on Instagram and TikTok @six_inabus.
Have you got a DIY transformation to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
