School Bus Turned Deluxe Beach House Cost Just $35K To Build, Rivals Conventional Homes

Buses are the closest you'll get to a beach house when dealing with tiny homes on wheels. They offer the most real estate by far, and with some creativity, a clever layout, and a reasonable budget, you can create a genuinely well-equipped home.

Dev and Bre are the owners and builders of a 39-foot (almost 12-meter) Blue Bird school bus. They've been traveling in this vehicle for more than four years, so it's safe to assume the couple has figured out what they need and made all the necessary modifications throughout all this time.

Before we take a closer look, let me mention their budget, as many of you are probably eager to know that information. The duo invested a total of $35,000 (€32,094) in their tiny home on wheels, although keep in mind the prices they got for most of their build were pre-pandemic, so you'll have to pay more than that to get the same result nowadays.

But how much does it cost to buy a beach house? In the United States, prices can vary between $100,000 (€91,697) in some areas and reach several million dollars in exclusive beachfront communities. Wherever you go across the globe, prices will start at about $100,000, give or take, way more than you'd have to spend on converting a school bus.

Step inside the bus, and you'll instantly notice a lovely interior. Just by the entrance, the couple devised two large shoe cubbies and a tiny shelf for keys and other small items.

For the driver's cabin, Dev and Bre installed a hidden litterbox for their cat behind a removable panel and devised a small cat door and a built-in slide that holds the food and water bowls. Moreover, they installed blinds for the driver's side window and added an air tool hook-up, which they can use to inflate the tires.

Next, we have the lounge area, complete with a couch on each side. Both are built over the vehicle's wheel wells – the one on the driver's side features a massive storage space underneath, while the other hides a portable table and a diesel heater. This table can be set up between the couches and can also transform the area into an extra sleeping space that can comfortably fit two people.

Moving deeper into the interior, you'll discover two desk spaces, perfect for eating or working. One has a tiny table, while the other serves as Dev's editing and gaming station. You'll notice a 34-inch ultrawide monitor mounted on a swivel, a streaming setup with a camera and a microphone, a sound bar, and wooden panels behind the desk with a striking finish.

Underneath the desk, Dev fitted an ITX mini gaming PC and several shelves for storage. My favorite thing Dev built in this setup is the ventilation system. When gaming, the PC hardware produces lots of heat. So, Dev fitted thermostatically controlled fans – if it's cold, the generated heat is blown toward him, and if it's hot, the heat is routed outside.

Of course, if the couple is traveling in a freezing location, these tiny fans will make little difference. The diesel heater will undoubtedly help, but given the interior is so big, they wanted an additional heating option: a Cubic Mini wood-burning stove. They put it next to the gaming/editing station, added a spot to store chopped wood underneath, and protected the back of the stove via metal plates.

You can't have a proper home without a well-equipped kitchen. This bus offers plenty of appliances to create your favorite meals – the kitchen features an apartment-size oven with a four-burner stove, a vent hood, a bunch of counter space, a large deep sink, and an apartment-size fridge/freezer with a microwave on top.

The couple created so many storage spaces in this bus's kitchen. You'll notice overhead cabinets, shelves, as well as additional cabinets and drawers underneath the countertops. If that's not enough, there's also a massive pantry beside the fridge. I'd say there's enough room in this kitchen to store at least a week's worth of food, if not two.

The following part of this bus is the living quarters, separated from the rest of the interior by a bi-fold custom wooden door. Open it, step inside, and you'll find the bunk bed area on the left. It's a simple setup, with five-inch (13-centimeter) mattresses, USB chargers, outlets, and some storage spaces underneath the top mattress.

Underneath the bottom bunk, you'll discover the electrical system. Given that there are so many things draining power inside this bus, the couple had to come up with a powerful setup. It consists of 600 Ah 12 V batteries, a 3,000 W inverter, and various other Victron components, including a solar charge controller connected to solar panels on the roof that have a staggering total capacity of 2,000 W.

Opposite the bunk area, Dev and Bre integrated the bathroom, separating it from the hallway with a sliding barn door. Most of it is finished in white tiles, both on the floor and walls. You'll notice a shower with a rainfall head and a composting toilet. Furthermore, due to the roof's curve, the duo had to raise the top to be able to stand up straight inside the bathroom.

There's also an emergency door that allows them to clean the composting toilet from the outside quickly and also enables them to bring the showerhead outside to shower. Another notable element inside the bathroom is a small bench with a beautiful wooden design on the ceiling above.

And lastly, we have the bedroom, separated from the bunk bed/bathroom area via another door. Before you get to the actual bed, you'll find a utility closet on your right side that houses the water heater, water pump, and accumulator. Right beside, the couple devised a laundry area, complete with an enormous drawer for dirty clothes and a washer/dryer. On the left side, the couple added a hanging closet and another large drawer.

Like in most other skoolie builds, the bedroom is located at the very rear of the rig. There's a window on each side, some storage spaces in the form of cabinets and shelves, and a mini-split near the ceiling. Underneath the bed, you'll discover a vast storage space and a 100-gallon (378-liter) freshwater tank.

And that's about it for this tiny home's interior. Let me briefly tell you about what you can find on the outside. The couple added various storage compartments on the vehicle's side. On the roof, you'll discover a deck, StarLink, 2,000 W solar panels, and a mini-split condenser.

As you'll see in the video below, Dev and Bre have camped out at the beach for this year's summer. For just $30K, they have built a stunning mobile beach house with more than enough off-grid capabilities. What's more, they have enough space not only to store things but also to bring friends and family along for the ride – they said they accommodated up to five more people on board.