Despite knowing nothing about planes, entrepreneur and university lecturer Steven Northam chose to buy a 1960s Boeing 737-200 on eBay and convert it into an awesome rental home.

From how he found the abandoned aircraft, to the various stages of the enormous renovation, Steven talks us through how he took the plane from defunct fuselage to fabulous home and shares his tips for anyone looking to undertake their own unique conversion.

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So, where did it all begin for Steven? Well, over the years, Steven has operated a diverse portfolio of companies, describing himself as a "serial entrepreneur". In 2022, he decided to sell his main company and afterwards, found himself with a lot of spare time on his hands – something that he definitely wasn't used to.

Although not looking for a new project, during an eBay browsing session, Steven stumbled across an abandoned Boeing 737-200 fuselage and immediately began brainstorming. “I saw it as a quirky business opportunity, so I decided to place a bid without actually seeing it in person," he explains. Steven paid £5,000 ($6.7k) for the aircraft, with the idea of turning it into an Airbnb.

Built in 1968, the plane was originally part of the United Airlines fleet and took its last flight in 2002 with Air Mediterranean. It was decommissioned and broken apart in October 2006, with the front fuselage section relocated to Chichester College, where it was used for cabin crew training. 

Steven purchased the plane from the college in November 2021, but the hard part was still to come. He needed to figure out how to transport the vehicle from Chichester in West Sussex to his land in Winchester, Hampshire – a 40-mile (64km) journey. "The main thing that needed some research was the logistics of moving half a plane – not something you see every day going down the motorway," he says.

For the task, Steven hired a professional haulage firm, which craned the fuselage onto the back of a lorry. “The move took almost three months,” Steven says. This image shows the half-plane when it arrived on Steven's land.

The Boeing 737-200 had been left abandoned for more than a decade, so it was in a fairly sorry state. "It had been sitting outside for 15 years, so it was dirty and rusty," he said. "It needed a bit of work." By "a bit of work", Steven means it required a complete overhaul, both outside and in, and with no prior experience with planes, he certainly had his work cut out for him.

This image shows how the interior of the plane looked when Steven got his hands on it. The first job was to strip out most of the seats to make room for creating the living spaces and beds. "I also needed to reinforce the floor, to ensure its structural stability," Steven says.

Steven began the extensive conversion project in July 2022, working on it solidly almost every day. "The work took three months and I did the whole thing single-handed," he says.

Once the seats were removed, the fuselage was a large, vacant space that needed to be sectioned up to create all the different living spaces – including a kitchenette, a sitting area (with a dining table), and multiple beds. Steven did this by building stud walls to segment the space. 

Steven admits that the hardest part of the process was fitting out a space without any straight edges. "Everything is curved, in every direction, so lots of measuring and adjusting were needed to slot things in," he says.

This image shows the plane mid-way through the conversion, with new carpets and stud walls in place. Of course, Steven was keen to retain as many of the plane's original features as possible, including some passenger seats and seatbelts, overhead storage lockers, and the original bathroom. 

"I didn't want to strip everything out and render the plane unrecognisable," Steven says. "I definitely wanted it to look and feel like a plane, and retain its character and history where possible."

Taking a very hands-on approach, Steven did everything himself, including getting the home wired and plumbed in, so that it would have working lighting, hot water, high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs, and even games consoles.

He also installed a modern heat pump and air-conditioning unit to keep the interior at a comfortable temperature all year round.

Although not very glamorous, the plane's bathroom needed to be attached to a sewage system for waste disposal. Steven had to hire a digger and excavate a large hole close to the plane to bury this huge tank in the ground. "There was some creative waste drainage engineering, but I got the toilet, shower, and kitchen fully working," Steven says.

The conversion was completed in September 2022, and the project appeared on Series 11 of the British TV show George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, which aired in the spring of 2023. 

"It was great fun all round doing the show. There's a really awesome team behind the scenes, and George is just as he seems on TV – a really good laugh!"

Of course, it wasn't just the interior that needed work. Steven also had to paint the exterior of the plane. "I had to use a boom lift to tackle the exterior," Steven says. 

Refreshing the entire plane, including transportation fees, Steven spent around £20,000 ($26.8k). 

So, are you ready to see the finished plane conversion?

This image shows the incredible plane conversion. From rusty and abandoned fuselage to a stylish and cosy home, Steven achieved something truly remarkable in a matter of months.

From the outside, the plane looks like it has just touched down after a flight, with a huge jet engine sitting next to it, which only adds to the plane's character.

A set of restored aircraft stairs is connected to the plane, allowing access for lucky guests. "I painted the stairs and installed automatic lighting, so that there would be no issues with seeing in the dark," Steven says.

The stairs lead up to the original plane door, which opens into the cosy, 269-square-foot (25sqm) interior. In the front section, you'll find a single bed and a drinks trolley – the perfect welcome.

Beyond the immediate entrance, you'll find another bed and a snug sitting area, kitted out with the original aeroplane seats, which really add to the home's character.

Two original plane TV screens sit opposite the seats, allowing guests to watch in-flight movies while they relax or dine.

The kitchen might be small, but it has everything a visitor could need to prepare meals over the course of a few days. The kitchen benefits from a sink, a refrigerator, and ample storage. One of the plane's original emergency exit doors decorates the space.

This sleeping space is super-cool, thanks to the original windows, overhead lights, and lockers. There's also a large flat-screen TV, so guests can curl up and watch something from the comfort of their sheets. The tiny home can accommodate four people in total.

One of the home's best features has to be this glass floor. The window sits in the centre of the plane's aisle and allows anyone above to look down into the cargo hold. A staircase to the right connects the main floor with the space below.

"I'm really proud of the main cabin area, it's pretty cool; the glass floor, stairs to the baggage hold, lots of the quirky little features," Steven says.

Of course, when looking into the cargo hold, guests won't be looking at luggage. That's because Steven has transformed the area into a cosy bedroom.

Complete with a double bed, bean bag chairs, and a media centre with a TV, it's the perfect snug space for relaxing, sleeping, or simply taking in the plane's character.

No converted plane would be complete without a flight simulator, would it? Steven has set one up in the original cockpit, so all guests can have the opportunity to virtually fly the plane around the world.

A fun touch, this is just one of the cool extras that Steven has added to make the property a truly unforgettable experience for his guests...

Steven is currently converting a double-decker airport transfer bus into an on-site entertainment hub, which will include a games room, a photo booth, and a cinema room.

There's even an amazing outdoor hot tub – and it's no ordinary one, either. The Jacuzzi was created from an old jet engine hood.

Of course, we had to ask Steven for his advice for anyone looking to undertake a conversion project like this, and he had some excellent words of wisdom to share. "Taking on a scheme like this might seem scary, but the renovation work is fairly standard," he says.

"The important part to consider is getting your head around the world of planning permission – it's not every day that someone puts half a plane in their garden, so it did create a range of interesting hurdles to overcome."

Before Steven could rent out his newly-built accommodation, he had to wait for the work to be signed off by the local planning department. Once this was completed, Steven was able to welcome his first guests in March 2025, although he had hoped to open the cabin doors six months earlier.

So far, Marwell Mile High Airbnb has received rave reviews and is now available for bookings.

Now that his plane rental is ready to welcome guests, Steven is eager to take on another project. In fact, he's already purchased his next challenge – an old Army truck. "I'm looking to turn this into an armoured camper van," Steven says. "Again, with the plan to Airbnb the space in due course."

"I'll likely park the van next to a converted shipping container with shower and toilet facilities within it, as space in the truck is limited to sleeping really – but again, it's a fun themed space to rent." 

We don't know about you, but we can't wait to take a tour!

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