Sidney Batchelder’s search for a new home took an unexpected turn.

Batchelder, a Mattapoisett resident, recently purchased a 1978 Crown Coach bus off of Craigslist for $2,500 with the intention of converting it into a livable space.

On Monday evening, he showed off the bus at the Downshifters Club car show held at Plumb Corner Market. The bus was previously been used by the supermarket chain Safeway and the Kansas-based Mayflower Contractor Services.

Batchelder was researching tiny homes when he stumbled upon designs for converting old buses into living spaces.

Tiny homes, which are usually 500 square feet or less, offer an affordable and mobile alternative to home ownership.

Mobility was a deciding factor when he made the purchase. Batchelder said the bus held up well during a cross country road trip last month. Before the trip, he purchased new tires and had the steering column repaired. Other than that, the bus is mechanically sound.

“When I bought it it started right up,” he said. “It starts faster than my dad’s car.”

The cross country trip required him to take time off from work as an engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

At the research center, he manages a fleet of underwater remote controlled gliders used for gathering a variety of ocean data.

While he was away, the gliders still required his expertise.

“I found myself controlling the robots many, many miles from the ocean,” he said. “It was an adventure for sure.” Now that he’s back, Batchelder plans to convert the bus into a home. “The plan is to dodge paying a rent bill once this is finished,” he said.