Fed up of renting while their friends jumped on the property ladder, couple Joe Carter and Ruby Gove, both 28, decided to do something a bit different.
‘We lived in a rented house for two years during lockdown and we loved living together but we didn’t want to keep paying rent,’ said Joe.
‘All our friends were starting to buy their own houses, but we had no idea where we wanted to settle down.
‘We didn’t want to stop seeing people and going places but it’s so difficult to have a life at the same time as saving.’
Rather than scrimping and scrounging in the hopes of having enough for a house deposit, the duo from Farnborough, Hampshire, bought a used van they found on Facebook Marketplace for just £5,000.
Then, they set about transforming the vehicle into their perfect home on wheels – complete with a groovy 1970s theme.
The makeover took a lot of time, money (£8,000 just on the renovations, to be exact), and effort, but it’s oh so worth it – especially because the couple now save over £730 a month on bills and rent.
Plus, the pair and their cat, Stella, are now able to travel the country without leaving their home.
‘It was quite daunting moving into such a small space but it’s awesome – we work from home in the van but it’s like a little holiday every day,’ Joe said.
‘It was such a new progress for the both of us – we had no idea what we were doing.
‘You have to learn everything yourself, you’re a plumber, a carpenter and a mechanic all in one.
‘The insulation and painting is a bit of a pain at first but once we started building the furniture, it gave us so much more momentum to keep going.
‘It was terrifying to put the windows in because we were basically just cutting a hole in our future home.’
The end result is seriously impressive. The motorhome is decked out with velvet décor, orange wallpaper, and leopard print seat covers, along with a full bed and a dining area that doubles as an office.
Adjusting to the smaller space was a challenge, but Joe and Ruby have no regrets.
Joe shared: ‘We spent around £8,000 on renovations and £5,000 on the van itself, however I think the amount we spend on living now really makes up for it.
‘We pay rent at a campsite, which is £14 a night, but this has really helped free up our bank account to go traveling.
‘Before the move we were paying £1,000 a month just on rent.
‘We have a pre-paid metre for our electric – £10 has lasted us over 6 weeks which is a game changer.
‘We save a lot on water too, we have a 25L bottle that we fill up and that is used just for tap water.
‘There is portable shower, which isn’t hot but at the moment but we shower at the gym which gets us into a good routine.
‘The best part is that we have more access to open spaces outside, we’re surrounded by greenery so we always feel like we’re outside.’
Monthly savings breakdown:
The couple’s monthly bills when they were renting:
- Council Tax – £170
- Gas + Electric – £120
- Water – £27
- Rent – £950
Total: £1,267
Monthly bills in the van:
- Insurance – £50
- Gas (cooking) – £40
- Diesel (heater) – £20
- Electric – £5
- Rent – £420 (on campsite)
- Total – £530
Minimum saving: £737 a month
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