In 2021, Tanya Nestoruk, 31, and Arya Touserkani, 38, were living in a four-bedroom house in Canada when they decided to sell it and move into a van.
“I love the simplicity and versatility of being able to live and travel wherever you want with minimal impact and explore new places,” Nestoruk told CNBC Make It.
Nestoruk, an environmental educator, and Touserkani, a photographer, lived in the van for several months when they realized they wanted something bigger. They decided to take the school bus.
“We wanted to do something a little more adventurous, and we thought a school bus would be a fun way to give retired vehicles a second life,” Nestruk said.
Discovery of Nestoruk retired school bus on Facebook Marketplace. The seller is a school bus contractor, which the couple said was a blessing in disguise as it meant the buses would have up-to-date maintenance records and be relatively well-maintained.
“Someone drove it the last time it went to school and we took it home right then and there,” she said.
The couple purchased the school bus for $7,200, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
The pair agreed to renovate the property within six months of the big purchase. During the renovation, Nestoruk and Touserkani tried to recycle everything on the bus, including donating the seats to a local children’s camp and selling the luggage racks to people who planned to repurpose them into garages.
The couple wanted to renovate the school bus outdoors, but the Canadian weather had other ideas. They rented a workshop where they could continue working on the bus.
Touserkani told CNBC Make It that because they wanted to do the renovation themselves, the pair spent their days building and their nights googling and watching YouTube videos on how to do things for the next day.
“It’s non-stop and we’re doing our best,” he said. “I was fascinated by everything that needed to be done with that bus.”
“It’s a challenge because we can’t disconnect because we have to plan the next step while trying to execute the current step,” he added.
The couple needed to stick to a six-month schedule as they wanted to escape the Canadian winter and head to Baja California, Mexico.
“We’re like snowbirds training with the warm weather,” Nestoruk said with a smile.
The couple spent about $30,000 and one year Make the school bus their home. The bus features a bedroom with a king-size bed, a living room with a custom pull-out sofa, a kitchen with a three-burner stove and oven, and a bathroom. They also discovered RV washers and dryers on Facebook Marketplace.
There’s a hidden pantry for food, an on-demand water heater, the couple’s belongings and more.
Nestoruk and Touserkani said people’s favorite thing about the bus are the two skylights they installed — Touserkani, who is 6-foot-1, wouldn’t be able to stand up straight on the bus without them.
“They provide so much natural light, which really makes this space special to us,” he said.
Nestoruk adds that skylights are also a cost-effective way for them to raise the roof in key areas without having to complete the whole thing.
The school bus is equipped with solar panels so the couple can go completely off the grid.
Nestoruk and Touserkani built stairs to the roof and had a friend weld a rear hitch plate to secure their motorcycle, which they use as daily transportation. There is also a table outside the bus that they can use for BBQ when they have guests.
The two said they thought the bus’s refurbishment would never be truly completed, but they did stop work in November 2022 to travel to Mexico.
“We found that the bus attracted a certain type of energy, which was interesting,” Tusekani said. “Everyone has a strong connection to it. It’s a lot of fun interacting with the people who are attracted to the bus.”
The couple has been living on and off the school bus for more than a year and said, like every living situation, there are pros and cons.
“You have to be proactive and get the day-to-day chores done, good or bad. There’s also a freedom in that, which is great and we love it, but the reality is that sometimes it can be more work,” Nestoruk said.
“If you’re going to live in a vehicle of any type, there’s always going to be some level of maintenance that needs to be done. It’s not as carefree as living in a house,” Tusekani said.
The couple’s biggest concern is environmental awareness on the road.
“We want the impact to be as small as possible,” Nestoruk said. “We also hope to promote eco-friendly living to others.”
The couple is currently taking a break from school bus life and plans to eventually sell the property and explore other small living options. They also wanted to build their dream home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
“We want to enjoy this bus for as long as possible, and we hope the next owner will be able to take it on new adventures,” Nestruk said. “It still has a lot of life left in it.”
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