This is not your average bus… or your average home.
Instead, it’s a rather special vintage double-decker that’s been turned into a one-of-a-kind home, and that’s now on the market for £35,000.
You might recognise the bus – which is painted bright blue, so it’s rather memorable – from George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.
It appeared on the show back in 2016, and was praised for its impressive transformation and ‘childhood storybook’ feel.
Ellie Banner-Ball, 36, of Exeter, Devon, has been the owner of the 1977 Bristil VR Series Two for the past six years.
She named the vehicle Betty, after a friend’s daughter, and has kept it as a stationary home since 2018, along with renting it out as a holiday let since 2020.
Ellie, who bought the bus in 2016, said: ‘I was living in West London at the time but I really wanted to get out to the countryside.
‘My friend invited me to Devon and I stayed in her Shepherd’s hut in a field. This was my first experience of Devon.
‘I loved the countryside, the fresh air and sleeping under the stars – it felt so liberating.
‘Living in a “tiny home” really appealed to me. It’s a change of mindset, rather than accumulating more stuff.
‘It’s about living with less, getting back to basics and just having what you need.’
She decided to take the old bus and turn it into what she describes as a ‘mini two-story house on wheels’, taking care to restore and repurpose some of the original features.
The bus stop buttons, for example, have been turned into light switches, while the driver’s luggage hold now serves as a helpful storage space in the kitchen.
The bus house can sleep up to four people, and has an open-plan design to avoid any sense of being in cramped public transport.
The front seats on the top deck have been converted into a study and dressing room area, a bedroom with a king-size bed – and there is even a bath on board.
There’s a fully equipped kitchen, with a hob and oven, a fridge-freezer, and a sink, plus a living room with a log-burning stove and a seating area that can fit up to 12 people.
The only thing missing? A toilet. So the future owner might want to consider a compost loo outside.
Ellie said: ‘George Clarke called Betty a “palace” because it’s done up to a high standard with all the mod cons you’d expect in a house.
‘It’s all open plan so it feels very spacious.
‘The best thing about her is the bath tub upstairs and the light that comes in through the windows showing off the fantastic views of the countryside.’
Ellie loved living in Betty, but is now ready to move on to a new creative project.
She’s selling the bus for £35,000 – the same amount of money it cost her to buy and renovate the vehicle.
‘There’s something magical about stepping onto Betty,’ said Ellie.
‘I used to love running up the stairs to grab the front seat of buses in my childhood.
‘I wanted to make the most of being close to nature, I can spend many magical hours go by watching the deer and birds outside”.
‘With more people working from home, she could be used by someone as extra office space or a just a fun space in someone’s garden for friends to stay in.
‘Or someone may want to make some extra income renting her out as a holiday let.
‘She also already looks like a wedding bus, so I also hoped a hotel may want her as extra bijou glamping accommodation.
‘I would really like her to go on to a good home!’
If you’d be keen to put in an offer, you can email Ellie at [email protected].
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