'I'd Had It With Rent': Man Builds $57K Dream Home Out Of A 2-Story School Bus

A 25-year-old South Carolina YouTuber turned a $7,000 school bus into a two-story home, spending $50,000 on renovations to create a full-time living space with two bedrooms, an office and a full bathroom.

Chay Denne, known online as President Chay, documented the six-month transformation on his YouTube channel. The project began with removing 28 seats from the 40-foot bus, which Denne selected for its reliable engine condition.

The renovation’s centerpiece involved raising the roof four feet – something Denne says sets a YouTube record for school bus conversions. His father designed wooden jacks to lift the roof “safely and squarely,” allowing for 9-foot ceilings and two-story living space in the rear section.

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“Once everything was cut, it was time to try lifting it. It took many tries to get it right, but eventually, we raised it. You might be surprised to know that we went another foot higher,” Denne told viewers in his documentation series.

According to a Realtor.com report, the build required extensive weatherproofing. The team clamped and welded steel tubing to cut metal sections overnight to secure the shell before adding exterior siding. The finished structure stands 10 feet tall.

Interior work started with a multilayered floor system: thick plastic for water protection, 3-inch closed-cell foam for mold prevention and insulation, two-by-fours and a rigid subfloor. The team opted for a flat ceiling rather than the curved design common in bus conversions.

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The floor plan includes two bedrooms, an office and a full bathroom with working plumbing supported by built-in water tanks. The kitchen features a four-seat bar, while a 9-foot attic above the bathroom provides storage space. A dehumidifier prevents moisture buildup.

Denne’s girlfriend, Kelsey, assisted throughout the project. Upon completion, he proposed on the bus’s roof deck during a beach trip. “She has been my biggest supporter since Day 1, even helping with the first video on this channel,” Denne said.

The renovation serves as Denne’s solution to rising housing costs. His previous experience with smaller vehicle conversions and micro-campers led him to tackle the full-size bus project. “I decided I’d had it with rent and bought a full-size school bus,” he said. “This bus was going to make the perfect house because it ran beautifully and was super powerful.”

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