Michael Talley decided that he needed to make drastic changes after he became tired of paying so much dough each month on rent. He bought an old school bus for a modest amount. This was Michael’s next project, and it would not go as smoothly as he hoped it would, probably because Michael had never really been a skilled craftsman. However, despite the ups and downs of the up and coming project, Michael’s ambition was well worth it in the end. Behold the exciting journey of Michael Talley; the man who converted an old school bus into a compact luxury home.
He Had Enough
Michael was a resident of North Austin, Texas. He became fed up with paying $1,200 a month for his tiny studio apartment. He knew he had to come up with a more reasonable option, as the rent was becoming a joke. After noticing a new trend in mobile homes, he decided to jump on the bandwagon and join the exciting new movement of minimalists. Michael knew he would save a fortune, and he was also a graphic designer, with plenty of amazing ideas to build his ideal home.
He Had Enough
The Bus
“Ultimately, I decided upon a school bus because I thought ‘Hey, there’s already four walls and a roof’”. Initially, Michael assumed the project would be quite simple and that he would only really need to put up some wood and a few light bulbs. However, converting the school bus into a functional home would prove far more difficult. Despite the light bulb Michael had in his head when he realized a school bus would make the perfect structure, he did not yet know just how much work he would need to put into creating his ideal bus home.
The Bus
Learning The Hard Way
Unfortunately, Michael learned the hard way that his attitude towards the project was all wrong; he realized just how much work he would have to dedicate to this project. Despite realizing just how laborious the project would be, Michael; determined to build his own mobile home, set out to shop for a bus.
Learning The Hard Way
Michael’s Background
It is quite a common notion to believe that everyone from Texas is skilled with their hands. This was, unfortunately, not the case for Michael, who had a background in graphic design. Michael was not exactly the practical type, he had never built anything in his life. Luckily, Michael did not let this factor keep him from his dream of converting an old school bus into an affordable mobile luxury home.
Michael’s Background
An Old School Bus
While Michael was shopping around for a bus, he couldn’t have imagined just how much luck was on his side. He came across 10 school buses on PublicSurplus.com, all of which were on auction. There weren’t many bidders, so Michael ended up purchasing a school bus for just $2,200. He knew this was the perfect bus for his project.
An Old School Bus
Michael’s Plan
Even though he initially wanted to use the bus as a frame for his tiny home, Michael decided it would be more ideal to convert the old school bus into a fully functional mobile home. This meant that his mobile home would be fitted with a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen.
Michael’s Plan
Sleepless Nights
Michael Talley knew he wanted to take on this large project; however, he knew all the odds were stacked against him; he was unable to sleep for months due to his concerns about the building plans. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done”, admitted Michael.
Sleepless Nights
Adventure Bus
While planning the project, Michael was considering several different designs for the floor plan. One of the plans was based on that awesome vehicle from the beloved 1997 movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park. He later decided against the idea and went with a different plan.
Adventure Bus
A Tall Order
The school bus measured 6 feet and 1 inch tall, which was one of the problems that Michael had to work with. Michael was quite a tall man, standing at 6 feet and 6 inches. This meant that he would need to add height to the bus and he was not at all sure how he would manage such a big project. Michael learned a lot from YouTube tutorials that would allow him to continue with his plans.
A Tall Order
The Design
Even though the Jurassic Park adventure vehicle would make quite an incredible tiny home, Michael had a better idea. His final design would allow Michael to entertain in public areas at the front of the bus, while all the private areas would be hidden at the back of the bus. The plan would allow his visitors to enjoy a grill and relax with him in his tiny home. For this plan to work, he would need a larger kitchen for his guests to have access to. Michael also wanted a larger desk than what his studio apartment allowed. Additionally, he wanted to keep his couch and have enough space for a Queen size bed along with significant storage space.
The Design
Movie Room
Michael’s social media is packed with photo’s of him and his favorite movie star, such as Matthew McConaughey. This is because Michael is such a huge movie lover. It is no wonder he felt he needed a decent sized living room to make the most ideal movie room. Naturally, Michael wanted a larger living room to make space for his TV so that he could continue enjoying movies in his tiny home.
Movie Room
Moving To A Tent
There’s no denying Michael was extremely determined to turn his dream into a reality, so much so that he even moved out of his studio apartment and into a tent. “I moved into a tent in order to save money while working on the bus, commuting 40 minutes to work every day, just to afford more steel and more wood”, Michael explained. He also had his bus parked at a friend’s farm during the project for free, which helped him afford to live while he was building his dream home.
Moving To A Tent
Additional Funds For Michael’s Dream
In order to convert the school bus, Michael needed to think of alternative methods to fund the project. He started a Go Fund Me campaign and even though his target of $5,000 was not met, some of Michael’s friends decided to help him reach his goals. This encouraged Michael to keep on building his compact mobile home.
Additional Funds For Michael’s Dream
The First Step
The first part of Michael’s project consisted of needing to remove all the seats from the bus, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than he anticipated. According to Michael, the process of removing the seats was extremely grueling and that if he was to ever do something like this again, he would make use of an angle grinder. Michael removed all the seats without the use of any power tools.
The First Step
A Little Help From Friends
Michael managed to remove all the seats with the help of a couple and it wasn’t long before the couple could collect all the seats an take them to a scrap metal place. Michael explained that a friendly man, his 7-month pregnant wife, and their 8-year-old daughter helped him to remove and collect all the old seats. But this was not the only help that Michael had, his stepfather also helped him remove all the bolts from underneath the bus. Michael thanks everyone that helped him during the process of reaching his dreams.
A Little Help From Friends
Michael’s First Mistake
Without the use of any power tools, Michael had to move onto the next step of the project. He would need to remove all the paneling from the ceiling of the old school bus, and he never even knew was an impact drill was! This was “the absolute worst” according to Michael. Next, he would need to remove the insulin, which he later wished he had rather left in. The insulin was in quite a good condition and would have saved Michael a lot of struggles later one.
Michael’s First Mistake
“Kick Me”
Michael discovered quite a few funny things while converting the old school bus. One of which was an old sticky note that said: “Kick Me”. These findings kept Michael amused during the process.
“Kick Me”
What’s Next?
While the small findings surely entertained Michael, he would need to focus all his attention on the next step of his project. He needed to remove the rubber flooring from the school bus. Thereafter, he would need to remove the windows, which he managed to do. He originally thought that he would be able to leave the windows in, although, later decided against it as they would have rattled and not provided much privacy at all. Keeping the windows would also look a bit strange with his chosen roof and final design.
What’s Next?
Adding Height To The Roof
By creating a scaffolding system and 2x4s, Michael prepared to increase the height of the roof. He would need to do this to be comfortable in his own tiny home, considering he was quite a tall man. “As soon as I stepped onto the bus for the first time I knew me being 6’6 was going to be a huge problem. The ceiling is only 6’1” stated Michael. He knew he would need to put in a large amount of work to make the bus tall enough for him.
Adding Height To The Roof
Enough With the Jokes!!
Michael was getting quite fed up with all the “raising the roof” jokes, which is quite understandable. They eventually ended up having to cut the roof from one end of the school bus all the way to the other end and Michael later stated that he had never been so nervous as he felt as though it was completely destroying the bus. However, he managed to raise the roof and the next step of the project was to fit custom bolted metal ribs. As soon as the scaffolding was in place, he could begin cutting. Michael was understandably concerned that the roof would fall on top of him during the process. The next step in the project seems just as frightening: cutting the school bus in half!
Enough With The Jokes
Time To Cut The Bus In Half
With the help of some friends, the roof was raised 20 inches, giving Michael adequate space in his mobile home. They needed to cut the roof in half in two separate places and then they could screw jacks in place to increase the height of the roof. Even though Michael wanted to increase the roof height by 24 inches, it seemed slightly too ambitious for Michael’s friends and they settled on an extra 20 inches. This changed the plans, but only slightly.
Time To Cut The Bus In Half
It Was Settled
After they increased the height of the roof Michael admitted that it was surprising just how much more spacious it was inside the bus. It seems that settling on 20 inches extra was the right decision. To secure the roof, Michael had to purchase a few custom-made steel ribs. He needed 25 identical steel sleeves, which would slip over both ends of the ribs after the roof had been raised. It seemed that the project was all coming together at last!
It Was Settled
Scarred By Hard Work
Next, Micheal needed to enclose the bus. In order to do this, he would have to use metal panels to enclose the middle section and during this process, one of the metal sheets cut Michaels arm, scarring him permanently. After completing the project, Micheal said that the process of securing the metal sheets was “the most painful and bloody part of the build.” However, all of the hard work surely paid off.
Scarred By Hard Work
Building An Oven
The bus was now enclosed and the roof was high enough to allow Michael enough comfort. Next, Michael could build something he would never think possible; an oven. Michael stated that “the bus is basically an oven right now what being solid steel and in Texas.” Michael even added in some fairy lights to give the bus a bit of festive feel, especially because it was Christmas season. He would have to install new windows next.
Building An Oven
No Power Steering
Unfortunately, one of the setbacks Michael experienced during the project was getting the bus stuck in the mud, which in turn destroyed the power steering. Just imagine trying to parallel park a 40-foot bus without any power steering! Michael realized he would also need to put new insulation in the bus to help regulate the temperature inside, especially if he was going to be living inside.
No Power Steering
More Setbacks
As Michael continued to convert the bus, he realized that more and more problems were presenting and one of them was the reason why the bus had been so cheap to purchase in the first place. Both the engine and the steering power were not at all what they should be and they would need to be fixed. This would be a huge setback for Michael’s budget, considering just how expensive changing even a tire on a school bus is. However, Michael was determined not to let this keep him from his dream.
More Setbacks
Farm Life
During the project, Michael’s living expenses were basically $0 each month. This was because he lived in a tent on his friend’s farm, located just outside Texas in Austin. The fact that Michael had practically no living expenses meant that he could save money while he was working on his compact mobile home. Michael commuted to Austin daily and saved a significant amount of money that he used to purchase steel and wood for his mobile home. All while he thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures of the farm life.
Farm Life
A King’s Kitchen
Everything was starting to come together, the bus had four walls and a roof. The next step of the project was the interior of the bus. Michael built a frame out of wood for his couch and moved on to begin crafting a kitchen fit for a king! Even though Michael was somewhat unconventional, he decided to purchase a butcher’s block, drawers, and a cabinet from IKEA. Michael wanted the ideal kitchen because he enjoyed cooking. Luckily, Michael managed to save a lot by buying clearance stock and surprisingly, the cost of his items from IKEA totaled at about $150. The size of the kitchen in Michaels mobile tiny home was actually significantly bigger than his kitchen in the studio apartment, which was exactly what he was hoping for!
A King’s Kitchen
Repurposed
To save a bit extra, Michael decided to repurpose old stuff and rather not waste anything. He repurposed his old couch by building a new frame for it and opted to build the couch into the bus and he also made a frame for the water storage system. Additionally, he also managed to build a frame for his bathroom.
Repurposed
Goodbye Beard!
Michael’s tiny house was starting to take shape, although, there would still be a few more setbacks before completion. While spraying the new insulation on the ceiling, he accidentally got some in his beard and had to shave his beard!
Goodbye Beard!
Best April Fools Joke
This was by no means a simple project for Michael. Building his own compact home required a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Michael was quite a quirky individual with a great sense of humor. One particular morning, he decided to play a prank on his friends and when he posted the below photo captioned “Best April fools joke I’ve ever pulled. Everyone on Facebook freaked out and my mother nearly had a heart attack haha” on Facebook to amuse all of his friends.
Best April Fools Joke
Time To Install The Power
Jokes aside, Michael needed to focus on the next part of his project. He would need to install tanks, generators, water, and electricity in order to be self-sufficient while living in the converted bus. He would also need to save money while for this part of the project. What’s more, this was not the last of Michaels plans.
Time To Install The Power
Solar Power
Texas is quite a sunny place, which allowed Michael to carry out his desire to avoid conventional power. By installing solar panels Michael would be able to live off the grid. This was possibly one of the hardest parts of the entire project, considering that Michael installed the solar panels by himself while it was quite windy. Michael explained that “this was the most frustrating day of the build.”
Solar Power
It’s All Coming Together
Michaels project was starting to come together more and more each day and he started fitting furniture items into the converted bus, while also finishing off the interior.
It’s All Coming Together
Power On
Now Michael could power on and move to the next step of the project. He finished the walls of the bus with Masonite, which is a cheap, light, flexible, and sturdy material. However, it would be Michaels next effort that would really tie the project together.
Power On
Kitchen Details
The finishing touches on the kitchen are what really tied everything together. Michael installed kitchen tiles onto the wall of the kitchen, adding notable style. He knew he wanted a luxury feel to his compact home and knew he needed to add dark hardwood flooring, butchered block, and contrast with white subway tile and black grouting. After a crash course researching methods of tiling an RV, Michael began work. Later, he admitted that he didn’t exactly do the best job, although, it was his very first attempt at such a job. Michael was simply being modest, considering how appealing it actually looks!
Kitchen Details
Meals On Wheels
A fully-functional fridge was a very important part that would ensure Michael would have everything he needs. He would need to make accurate measurements to perfectly fit the fridge-freezer into his compact home. Next, Michael would need to fill the fridge with his favorite foods and in the beginning, he admitted that he only had “half a stick of butter and Karbach brewery” in his fridge.
Meals On Wheels
Repurposing
The ceiling and the walls of the living room area were fitted with wooden panels. However, rather than buying brand new wood, Michael found extra wood and opted to save significantly by repurposing it. The reclaimed floorboards from a house in Austin was a lucky find for Michael that he also used to finish the sides of his accent walls and couch.
Repurposing
Movie Break
Michael’s converted bus was fitted with two TV’s and during the process, he made sure to take a few breaks and enjoy a movie. This should be expected, taking into account that Michael is a huge movie fan. Michael enjoyed wiring the HDMI cables from the wall to the TV and over a desk to his Apple TV and computer, although, he did make a bit of a mistake in the process and now only plugs in his PlayStation 4 when he wants to use it.
Movie Break
A Place To Work
Being a graphic designer, Michael would need a suitable place to do his work and he was not at all willing to settle for a tiny desk. Michael wanted a large desk that would be comfortable and he now has a large desk of 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep, the largest desk that he has ever owned!
A Place To Work
Next, The Bathroom
Michael moved on to the next part of the project, adding a fully-functional bathroom with a shower and a toilet. He opted for a stylish restored wooden barn door. However, Michael admits that he actually does not use his bathroom all that often as he often showers in the outside shower that he built, or at the gym.
Next, The Bathroom
Sweet Dreams
The compact mobile home still needed a cozy bedroom for Michael. He decided to keep the front and back walls of the bedroom original and uses the back emergency door at night and in the morning. The bedroom is essentially what transformed the entire place into a home.
Sweet Dreams
A White Bus
After the interior was complete, Michael would still need to tend to the outside of the bus and decided that the best color for now would be white. “White is best for the heat here in Texas, and leaves me open to add colors down the road.” Painting the bus white would also prevent anyone from mistaking it for a school bus! Michael parks his bus home in South Austin and he pays under $100 per month for rent and utilities, a massive difference from $1,200 a month for his old studio apartment!
A White Bus
Heartwarming Nostalgia
It turns out, there was more to the actual reason why Michael had purchased this specific school bus for his project. As a child, Michael’s bus was nicknamed the Armadillo bus. Additionally, two of Michael’s friends used to ride on this bus as children. Unfortunately, he would have to remove the armadillo from the bus to add his finishing touches, a sacrifice he decided he needed to make.
Heartwarming Nostalgia
A Difficult Year
The process of converting the old school bus into a functional luxury home took roughly 5 months. Even though he had to work extremely hard and sacrifice a lot to reach his goal, the efforts were more than worth it for Michael. However, while Michael was following his dream of converting the school bus, he ended a long-term relationship with his girlfriend and he also had to deal with the death of his beloved grandfather and his dog. This was quite understandably, an extremely trying year.
A Difficult Year
Starting Fresh
Even though it was a rough year for Michael, he has chosen to see things in a positive light. Later, Michael explained that having nothing but the bus was a good thing as he was able to focus on the one thing that he did have. The bus is more than just an old school bus to Michael, it is the symbol of a new start and it gave him so much ambition as he dedicated himself to his dream of converting it into a home.
Starting Fresh
Time To Move In
Now that Michael’s project was complete he could move in and enjoy his hard work. The cost of the project is estimated at around $15,000 and he spends less than $100 per month on rent and utilities. This essentially saves Michael an awful lot in the long run and he is now saving and making additional renovations to be able to travel more around the country.
Time To Move In
A Better Job
While it may have seemed like quite a setback when Michael lost his job during the project, he managed to land an even better job designing T-shirts after he finished converting the bus. Michael is now responsible for all the “Keep Austin Weird” T-shirts.
A Better Job
Inspiring Others
Despite having absolutely no experience in building or renovating a home, Michael Talley was able to reach his goal and successfully converted the old school bus into a liveable tiny mobile home. He is hopeful that his story will inspire others to reach for their dreams and says “if I can do it, you can do it too”. Now that Michael saves so much in rent and utilities, he is able to travel in his luxury mobile home.
Inspiring Others
What’s Next?
The bus may be finished, although, it does not exactly end there. Michael has already started planning his next big project and wants to give his mobile home a complete makeover with all the money that he has been saving. Michael is currently using his bathroom to store some of the materials that he will use for his conversion project, which is ideal because he mostly uses his bathroom at work, even though he has a composting toilet that works well.
What’s Next?