2 Oxford students living in a broken tour bus — previously owned by Sugababes — due to cost of living

August 27, 2025

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2 Oxford students living in a broken tour bus — previously owned by Sugababes — due to cost of living

We had to remove a tree to make room for it — we didn’t think it would fit at one point.

“It was a bit of a gamble because we didn’t know if we’d get it in, but it’s worked out well.

“We’re both very practical people, so we thought we’d give it a go. We had no idea how to convert a bus, but we thought it would be a good challenge.”

The two said they found dead rats, needles, and mold while cleaning the bus, and have ripped out the passenger seats, driver’s seat, tables, upstairs walls, and part of the ceiling while fixing it.

They have also installed a new floor, fridge, wood-burning stove, oven, and sofa, and plan to add a shower, solar panels, and a compost toilet.

Bevan said: “It’s a lot of work to convert the bus, but we’re really enjoying it. We’re making it our own and making it comfortable to live in.

“We moved in on September 1 and we’re still working on it, but we’re hoping to have it finished by the end of the month.

“It’s a lot better than living in a cramped student house or student halls. We have all the space and facilities we need, and we’re not paying through the nose for it.”

Renshaw added: “We’re both very happy with the bus and excited for the future. We’re really enjoying the challenges it brings and we’re looking forward to making it our own.”

The pair are now looking for a place to park the bus while they’re away during the holidays, and said they hope to sell it at the end of their studies to make some money back.

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Bevan said: “We’re looking for somewhere to park the bus when we’re away during the holidays, but we haven’t found anywhere yet.

“We’re hoping to sell it at the end of our studies, so we’ll make some money back on it as well as saving money on rent.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but we’re really happy with our decision.”

Leo and Kit now have a unique living situation that has garnered attention from their peers and the media. While it may not be the traditional student accommodation, the two Oxford students are making the most of their unconventional living arrangement and saving a significant amount of money in the process.

As they continue to work on their bus conversion project, they are proving that with a bit of creativity and determination, it is possible to find affordable housing solutions, even in a city as expensive as Oxford.

Bevan and Renshaw, a couple from the UK, recently embarked on the ambitious project of renovating a double-decker bus into a livable space. They purchased the bus for a bargain price of £40 and spent hours cleaning out the debris left behind from its previous life as a tour bus for the Sugarbabes.

The couple dedicated five hours a day to cleaning out the bus, which was filled with dead rats, needles, and mold. They removed the passenger seats, driver’s seat, tables, walls, and part of the ceiling to make way for their renovation plans. Despite the challenges they faced, Bevan and Renshaw managed to salvage the bus’s original leather upholstery, cupboards, electronics, TV, speaker system, and vinyl floor.

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To power their new home, they plan to use a generator and battery system, with the exception of the oven, which will run off an LPG tank. While the bus is still a work in progress, Bevan and Renshaw hope to move in full-time once they resume their studies. They acknowledge that living in the bus will be more like “camping” until they finish all the renovation work.

In terms of financing the project, Bevan admitted that they had to get a loan to purchase the bus and have been scavenging for materials in skips to keep costs down. They also buy and sell items on Facebook Marketplace to fund the renovations.

The couple still has a list of tasks to complete, including sanding, oiling, and varnishing the floors, setting up the power system, plumbing in a water tank and chemical toilet, and constructing walls and furniture. They have yet to install a shower, so they currently wash at a friend’s house.

Despite the challenges they have faced, Bevan and Renshaw remain optimistic about the project. They look forward to the day when they can enjoy the finished product and live in their unique home on wheels.