The real estate scene is scary and it gets even harder to buy.
Two friends who struggled with this decided to take matters into their own hands – by creating a luxury caravan to rent out.
Alex Nicholson and Raife Maddox, both 29, bought a 1995 Northern Ireland Mercedes Plaxton bus for £ 5,500 in April 2020.
They then worked on renovating the old school bus – converting it into a luxury house on wheels.
It now has laminate flooring, a tiled kitchen and even a wood burning fireplace.
Alex, Raife and their girlfriend Alix Keetley decided to work together after they could not afford a first home of their own.
The 34-seater bus was originally used to transport passengers in Northern Ireland by the end of the difficulties until 2017.
Today it looks very different.
The impressive 8 meter (26 foot) long and 3 meter (9 foot) wide vehicle features its own bathroom, shower and a bedroom space – which sleeps three adults.
Alex, who sometimes sleeps in the vehicle after visiting the bar, says he did most of the work during lockdown when he was looking for a creative project to take up his time.
The carpenter, from Moseley, Birmingham, says: ‘We bought it at the beginning of the curfew in April 2020.
‘It was planned as a restraint project. We were far away to be able to afford a first home of ours.
‘So it was our way of climbing the ladder of real estate as a way of putting money into something to make money with.
‘We knew we would have the time with everything closing, we thought it would be a good idea to try something creative with all this free time.
‘We bought it from a guy in Coventry who started converting it into a caravan, but he only got as far as the plumbing and roof panels.
“He ripped out the seats for us, but it was still a blank canvas. We threw out everything that was there and we designed as we went along.
It took just over a year to complete from start to finish.
“We just wanted to make it look desirable. We did have plans to make it an Airbnb and that was part of the plans. ‘
While planning it, they have since decided to make money for their fix bean – after struggling to find a place to store it in Birmingham.
The trio are now selling the mint-colored caravan on Facebook Marketplace for £ 25,000 after investing £ 10,000 in total.
Alex continues: ‘We wanted to find land, near a beautiful countryside and rent it out.
“It was hope. It could still be the appeal for someone who wanted to buy it. Should anyone have the land, it would be a popular business opportunity.
‘We threw thousands at it. I would definitely be open to doing something like that again.
‘It’s just because a change of circumstances forced us all to sell it, unfortunately. We struggle for storage while living in the city.
‘I also struggled to get my C1 license to be able to drive it. There was a backlog due to Covid and it also costs to get lessons.
‘So we thought the best idea was for someone else to enjoy it. We’ll be sad to see it go, but whoever buys it will get a great place. ‘
The sleeper couch inside is made of scratches with interlocking slats that Alex has added – so it can be pulled out and manipulated to make the most of the space inside.
There is also a wood-burning fireplace for cold nights, a water tank for showering, and a cute barn-style door.
Alex adds: ‘I like to design well and make things. I think the inspiration was the thirst for creativity.
“Projects really appeal to me. It’s like a mental challenge. We can all kind of give each other a kick if needed.
“It has all the home amenities – hot water, wood stove, stove – you can live in about here.”
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by sending an email to [email protected].
MORE: Couple renting house to travel with baby in caravan
MORE: Woman turns old minibus into a sunflower-themed caravan for £ 20,000
MORE: A life-size Barbie caravan now exists in Malibu
Get every week all the real estate news, features and advice you need to know about Metro.