"Childhood Dream"… Woman Converts Double-Decker Bus into Home and Library

Sold Her Apartment and Bought a Used Bus, Renovated It Herself
Contributing to the Local Community Through a Mobile Library Project

A woman in her 30s from the United Kingdom has attracted attention after purchasing a double-decker bus and converting it into both her home and a library. She stated, "I have dreamed of living on a bus since I was a child."

On July 25 (local time), foreign media outlets including the Daily Mail reported the story of Steph Lindsay, a 38-year-old woman living in Nottingham, UK.

Last year, Lindsay sold her apartment and purchased a used double-decker bus for 18,000 pounds (approximately 16,350 USD). Although she could have earned a monthly income of 1,000 pounds (about 910 USD) by renting out her apartment, she boldly gave up this opportunity.

The upper level of the bus serves as her living space, while the lower level has been transformed into a small library for local residents. She personally carried out all the renovation work, including demolishing walls, cutting wood, removing lighting, and painting. She also named her bus "Bus Different."

A British woman converted a double-decker bus into a home and library
[Image source=Capture from Steph Lindsay Instagram]

A video documenting the bus renovation process was released on TikTok and has now garnered over 320,000 views. Lindsay reflected, "I tried everything I could," and added, "It was literally a time of blood, sweat, and tears." She also obtained a Class C driver's license at a cost of about 2,000 pounds (approximately 1,820 USD) so she could drive the bus herself.

This has enabled her to travel freely throughout the United Kingdom. However, one drawback is that it costs 100 pounds (about 91 USD) in fuel to travel 150 miles (about 241 km).

Lindsay has participated in several Vanlife Festivals and has even won awards. In addition, her mobile library has been welcomed in various locations. Recently, she drove the bus to a kindergarten in Nottingham and spent time reading books with the children.

This event was in collaboration with the kindergarten's "Reading Promotion Program," and she commented, "Activities like this align perfectly with the values of my project."

On social networking services (SNS), there has been a wave of support for Lindsay's challenge, with comments such as "It's amazing and admirable that she put her idea into action," and "A small contribution to the local community."