When British entrepreneur Steven Northam came across the front section of an old Boeing 737 on eBay, he jumped at the chance to buy it. A self-confessed "big kid" who loves eccentric projects and upcycling schemes, the aeroplane offered Northam the ultimate opportunity to get creative.

He paid a mere £5,000 ($6.6k) for the plane, which dates back to the 1960s, and spent three months transforming it into the ultimate upcycled tiny home, as documented by Channel 4's TV show, George Clarke's Amazing Spaces.

The 29-foot-long plane previously belonged to Chichester College in West Sussex and was used for training aircrew, via its built-in flight simulator. The renovation cost Steven £15,000 ($19.7k), including £3,000 ($3.9k) on transporting the five-tonne vehicle 50 miles to its new home in Hampshire. This image shows how the aircraft looked before any work was undertaken. During the project, Steven found old passenger tickets tucked behind the seats, which revealed the Boeing had once been part of the Tunisair fleet.

Keen to create a unique interior space, Steven retained much of the original plane, including some passenger seats, signage and overhead lockers. He removed some seating in order to make way for beds and even installed Wi-Fi, heating, a shower and an entertainment zone, so those lucky enough to climb aboard can watch an in-flight movie – but do remember to fasten your seat belt!

Other original features include the compact onboard washroom, which still retains its authentic toilet, sink and signage. Over in the cockpit, you'll find a flight simulator with a 49-inch curved 4K screen, so guests can play pilot.

Designed for four people, the converted plane even boasts a cool and cosy master bedroom in the cargo hold. Outside, there's a BBQ and seating area, as well as a custom-made hot tub in an old jet engine cowling. How's that for cool?

Read on for more aircrafts that have been converted into dream homes

When the Coronavirus hit, it had a shocking impact on many industries, including air travel. With airlines unable to sell seats on their flights, many retired their planes in a bid to cut costs, sending dozens to the aircraft graveyard. Yet some savvy souls spotted the potential in these spacious, durable and self-contained vehicles, rescuing them from the scrapheap and transforming them into incredible residences. Grab your passport and let's step aboard the coolest converted airplane homes in the world.

This Boeing 747 jumbo jet can be found right next to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, but it's no longer used to transport passengers to new climes. The model 747-212B plane was decommissioned in 1976 and was last operated by Transjet, a Swedish airline that went bankrupt in 2002. Hotelier Oscar Diös spotted a unique business opportunity when he found the jumbo sat unused and abandoned at Arlanda...

Oscar was looking to expand his hotel business when he heard about the old wreck. He immediately purchased the vehicle, realising it could be transformed into a quirky airport hotel – the ultimate place for a stopover. 

In December 2007, Oscar received a building permit for the ultra-cool hotel and started the transformation by dismantling the plane's old interior, removing its 450 seats before fully sanitising it. He then installed 33 rooms across the plane's spacious internal floorplan, which created space for 76 beds, according to the hotel website.

In the summer of 2008, the completed plane hotel was towed to its final destination at Arlanda, where it was placed on concrete foundations with the landing gear secured by two steel cradles. As well as many guest suites, the aircraft also comes with a communal breakfast room, a kitchenette and numerous bathrooms for guests to share. Everywhere you look you'll spot original and unique design details, including cabin windows and emergency escape hatches.

Yet the hotel's best asset has to be the Cockpit Suite. This sell-out room gives lucky guests the chance to sleep in the original flight deck, which comes complete with the original switches, panels and screens from when the aircraft was still an airworthy vessel. How's that for an amazing bedroom?

Pilot and self-confessed aircraft enthusiast Joe Axline fulfilled his life-long dream when he converted two different aeroplane fuselages into an amazing plane home. Project Freedom began back in 2011, with Joe taking inspiration from the 70s TV show The Magician, in which Bill Bixby played an escape artist who moonlights as an amateur crime-solving hero and happens to live in a converted jumbo jet. On the left you can see the nose and fuselage of the MD-80 and on the right, a DC-9.

The MD-80 aircraft, developed by McDonnell Douglas in the 1970s, earned the nickname 'Mad Dog' due to its agile design, powerful engines, and high performance. With a unique T-tail design, this twin-engine, medium-range jetliner could once have held up to 172 passengers. Widely utilised by airlines worldwide, the MD-80 has been a prominent workhorse in commercial aviation, known for its efficiency, versatility, and reliability. 

It took Joe four months to find the two wingless retired planes, and once he'd bought them, he shipped them from Arkansas to an airfield in Texas. He then undertook a full renovation, finishing the MD-80 first and naming it Freedom. The space quickly became Joe's main residence and features three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and lounge. Joe then converted the second plane, a Spirit Airlines DC-9-41 (aptly named "Spirit"), which contains a movie theatre and an arts and crafts room. Inside, the planes still retain much of their original character, including their rounded ceilings and overhead cabinets, which now serve as storage spaces. 

The DC-9 plane was originally capable of carrying 125 passengers and was specifically tailored for the operational needs of Spirit Airlines, a budget American airline. Throughout both aeroplanes, details of their former lives have been lovingly preserved, including the flight attendant call buttons and even a refurbished cockpit, which dates back to 1979. 

There's also an amazing exterior terrace, where you'll find a giant chess board. Today, Joe offers unique tours of his much-loved property, including an interactive flight experience. He also plans to build a miniature control tower and terminal, to add to the experience for aeronautics buffs. Head to Airbnb Experiences to book your visit.

If you’re keen to enjoy a holiday in France and fancy staying somewhere just a little bit different, then don’t miss the opportunity to spend the night in a converted micro plane. This impressive property lies in Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department of France, and has been meticulously redesigned to accommodate four people.

Thanks to a purpose-built deck, guests can easily step aboard, where they’ll find a compact but well-equipped interior that’s light, fresh and cosy. The main section of the plane now features a snug living room and dining zone, kitted out with authentic touches such as plane seats and exit signs.

There’s a master bedroom with a double bed and two single beds can be found the living room. We love the clever use of space, built-in storage and porthole windows.

The original entrance now leads to a small but functional kitchenette, so guests can whip up a hot meal or morning coffee, before taking to the deck outside to soak up the scenery.

Yet the plane’s most incredible feature has to be its bathroom. Located in the original cockpit, one of the former pilot seats has been replaced by a toilet – allowing guests to pretend to be flying the vehicle while they spend a penny! Cool conversion projects don't get much better than this.

This incredible retired aircraft is the full-time home of former electrical engineer Bruce Campbell, who undertook a sensitive renovation to transform the vehicle into a unique liveable space. Most aircraft are destroyed when they're retired, but Bruce saw this as a huge missed opportunity. He pictured the interior without seats or people and realised how much space it could offer. In fact, a Boeing 727 measures 1,066 square feet. So, he decided to show others that vehicles like this could make amazing homes.

Bruce bought the plane in 1999, from an "airplane graveyard" close to Hillsboro Airport in Oregon, paying just £76,300 ($100k) for it. He then spent a further £91,500 ($120k) moving the plane into position. It sits on concrete plinths, designed to allow the aircraft to move freely during any sudden environmental disasters, which is handy since Portland is prone to earthquakes. 

Only minor modifications were needed inside, since the aircraft already had connection ports for water and sewage, so Bruce simply plugged them in and was fully connected. He also added polyethylene water lines and plumbing components in order to clean his clothes and enjoy hot, powerful showers. Plus, the structure features an electronics bay, a water tank and climate control ducts. And since the plane is basically a pressure canister, it stays clean, warm and insect-free all year round. 

Bruce can access his home via the original, retractable staircase that lies beneath the plane, which can be raised or dropped whenever needed. As for the interior, he kept much of it relatively intact, allowing the history of the vehicle to do all the talking. The home's bathroom, kitchen and living space –which doubles as a bedroom at night – are finished with original windows, seats and light fixtures. However, Bruce did switch out the floors for transparent acrylic panels, to expose the aft cargo compartment below.

The flight deck was lovingly repaired, too. The plane's panels and controls had previously been stripped, so he sourced replacement parts and recreated the original set-up as closely as he could. "It's a great toy. Trick doors, trick floors. Hatches here, latches there, clever gadgets everywhere... It's a constant exploratory adventure, ever entertaining, providing fundamental sustenance for an old technology nerd like me," he told us when giving us a tour. 

A holiday home like no other, the 727 Fuselage Suite is part of the Costa Verde hotel in Costa Rica. The luxury guest room is hidden inside a 1965 Boeing 727 and can be found perched on a 50-foot-high stone pedestal that cantilevers the plane out over the rainforest floor. 

The quirky hotel room was custom-built from the body of a former Colombian Avianca Airlines aircraft and meticulously assembled on-site. The old Boeing 727 was salvaged from San Jose Mineta International Airport and transported to the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, before it was converted into the world's most unusual guest retreat.

The unique hideaway comes with its very own wooden observation deck, built on top of the plane’s right wing – it's the perfect spot for enjoying an evening drink while you sit back and take in the monkeys, lizards, toucans and sloths that inhabit this lush natural habitat. 

Inside, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite is decorated with traditional carved wooden panelling that was sourced from tropical hardwood trees. The space offers a living area, a kitchenette, a dining space and a 360-degree ocean-view terrace with unbeatable views.

Guests can enjoy a cosy and tranquil night in the main bedroom, which benefits from original cabin windows, a rotund ceiling and plenty of warm wood tones. The suite also comes with access to the hotel's three swimming pools, breakfast bar and restaurants, including a converted antique rail car known as El Wagon. If you've fallen in love, then you can spend the night here whenever you like.

Perched on an incredible oceanfront plot on the glistening island of Bali, Indonesia, this retired Boeing 737 might look like it's just touched down to drop off some passengers, but it's actually been transported to this location to be transformed into a luxurious, £5,920-a-night ($7.8k) "private jet villa".

The clifftop residence was once part of Mandala Airlines’ fleet, an Indonesian firm that ceased operation in 2014. But when Russian developer Felix Demin heard it was up for grabs, he bought the plane, seeing an opportunity to turn the shell of the vehicle into an ultra-unique hotel. Demin told Business Insider that the vehicle was carefully dismantled “like Lego”, before being transported to Bali and rebuilt from scratch.

While the impressive conversion project isn't yet complete, the plane has been nestled on the clifftop in Pectau, in the Bukit Peninsula, for over a year and, thanks to its dedicated Instagram account, has attracted plenty of attention from around the world. As well as sharing updates about the progress of the renovation, Demin has also teased his followers with amazing CGI images of how the property will look when it's complete.

Stylish, modern and luxuriously decorated, the plane villa will come complete with a living area and two lavish bedrooms. As for design, the property will boast oversized beds, statement furnishings and mother-of-pearl details, which will catch the light thanks to the plane's restored cabin windows. The original cockpit will be home to an amazing bathroom, equipped with a sunken stone bathtub with views of the ocean below.

The hotel will also boast an infinity pool with amazing views of the ocean, a living room with a firepit and a lovely tropical garden where guests can sunbath and soak up their surroundings. Guests will also be able to lounge in viewing nets, which will be attached to the plane's fuselage, and even stand on its wings to catch incredible sunset vistas. We don't know about you, but we can't wait to see the completed project. Watch this space!

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