PICTURE someone who lives in a van and you’re likely to conjure up images of sun-kissed surfers or soap-dodging hippies.
But sky-high house prices and the cost-of-living crisis mean people of all ages, and life stages, are having to embrace van life — whether they like it or not.
From middle-aged accountants to smartly dressed web designers, people from all walks of life are now ditching a conventional residence for life on four wheels.
Jenna Winterburn-Hynd, 41, a travel content creator, who also runs her own jewellery company, lives in a £20,000 van with her wife, website specialist Cath, 36, and their kids Luna, five, and two-year-old Bodhi.
The family opted for #vanlife — as it’s hashtagged on social media — in 2021 after feeling “stuck” in their rented four-bed house in Lyndhurst in the New Forest, Hants.
“Cath took home £40,000 and we lived in a gorgeous home where the rent was subsidised to £900 because it was linked to her job,” Jenna says.
“But bills, and me being on maternity leave, meant we still had a shortfall of £200 every month.”
The cost-of-living crisis and a lack of cheap homes means many are turning to less conventional accommodation. The Government estimates 300,000 new homes are needed each year.
But National House Building Council figures show only 133,213 were completed last year — down 12 per cent on 2022.
So it’s hardly surprising more of us are living in vans and motorhomes. While not exempt from council tax if used as a sole residence, they do fall into the cheapest, band A category.
By 2030, UK ownership of vans and campervans is expected to increase by more than 40 per cent, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, polling on behalf of the Caravan and Motorhome Club.
Three years ago, Jenna and Cath realised they could not afford to buy an equivalent-sized home to the one they were renting. “Prices in the area were really high, so we’d be looking at a one-bed flat,” Jenna says.
Instead, she and Cath moved into the 14-year-old Mercedes Sprinter van they were already doing up as a hobby.
“When we told people, their opinions were mixed,” says Jenna. “Some said we couldn’t do it because of the space, but we needed a change.”
The couple — who married in 2017 after three years together — now say it is the best thing they could have done.
And their new home is far from the type of mobile rust-bucket you might imagine rattling along to a folk festival.
Their gleaming van has all mod cons, including a shower, 90-litre fridge and four-burner hob, while the cream curtains and fluffy cushions adorning their bedroom would not look out of place in a smart hotel.
“There’s a king-size bed for Mum and Mum, plus bunk beds for the children,” says Jenna. “It also has a play den and sofas.”
The van even has indoor heating, ensuring it isn’t freezing in winter. “It’s really snug and we have good insulation,” says Jenna, who claims they are saving £900 a month compared to when living in a house.
What’s more, the pair believe their nomadic lifestyle is enriching their children’s lives and say they have no shortage of friends.
“They’ve experienced so much of the world already,” says Jenna, who has visited Scotland, Wales, Malaysia and Thailand with her family.
She added: “We’re ‘world schooling’ them. We teach them maths through money and they learn life skills, too.”
“We have just left Scotland, where we were with five other families we met in Thailand and Vietnam.
When we told people, their opinions were mixed
Jenna
“So while Luna doesn’t go to school, she doesn’t lack friendships. She’s very confident and learns how to make friends very quickly.”
But there are downsides. Their shower is currently broken so they have to go to local service stations to wash. Privacy is also an issue.
“Compared to a house, there’s little in the way of peace and quiet,” Jenna admits. “But with two small kids, you’ve little privacy anyway.”
The couple are not the only ones to make the move to #vanlife.
In 2019, there were just 21,000 people in the UK living in campervans, trailers or caravans rather than houses. Now that figure has jumped to half a million, according to travel agent Call To Adventure.
Parents-of-six Lizzie George, 58, an accountant, and husband Pete, 56, a retired IT consultant, from Cheltenham, Gloucs, also ditched their home to live in a van.
They wanted their kids to have deposits to buy their own homes and realised they could provide them — but only by selling their own place.
After Pete’s job in Brussels was cancelled due to Covid, the couple decided to move into the Bürstner van they had planned to stay in while Pete was working overseas.
“At that stage, we’d rented our house to our two adult children, who are in their late 20s,” says Lizzie, explaining how she got into #vanlife.
“But it turned out we loved living in the van so much, we kicked the kids out and sold the house. They got their deposits and were able to buy new homes.”
Lizzie loves the freedom of #vanlife, laughing that, although nearing retirement, she is now part of a Gen Z social media trend.
“I love the lack of clutter and ease of cleaning,” she says. “You can go anywhere, too. We drove to Spain for the winter, which was great.”
The couple are now mortgage-free and spend virtually nothing on bills but pay around £3,000 a year on insurance and repairs. And while Lizzie is able to carry out her accountancy work in the van, the WiFi can be “patchy”.
As to the future, living in a van as a pensioner doesn’t sound like fun. But the couple insist they’ are taking it one day at a time.
Pete says: “We’re not thinking too far ahead. We generally plan about six months in advance and know we could go back to living in a house at some point.”
Single Helen Laing, 41, originally of Devon, is a marketing and strategy consultant in the hotel industry.
In March 2022, despite being able to afford to buy a home, she adapted a van for £25,000 to give her freedom. “It’s a 2014 VW Crafter — it was a delivery van and took eight months to build,” she says.
“Some friends can’t understand how I can deal with the stress of it — if it breaks down, my home is broken.
“But I love it. I sometimes see a picture of an incredible-looking place and just drive my van there. I always say, ‘My space is smaller, but my world is bigger.’”
Helen usually parks her motor at the roadside or in beauty spots – when it’s allowed.
She estimates she spends £750 a month, including a UK-wide council gym pass and access to a co-working space. “I’ve a shower and toilet in the van, but prefer gym showers,” she says.
Helen does not plan to give up her van for the “foreseeable future”, but admits it isn’t all roses.
Once you get ‘van fever’, it’s really hard to go back to a house
Helen
She collects her urine and takes it every few days to a supermarket toilet. “I’m used to walking down the street holding a bag of wee now,” she says.
Despite living alone, Helen insists she has no safety fears. I’ve never had worries parked up at night,” she says. “You get a sense if somewhere isn’t safe to park. And no one knows who I am when I’m locked away. I could be a 6ft man.”
Helen now runs VanLife Hub — a van appreciation website — and says there are multiple reasons #vanlife is such a growing trend.
“Single people who’ve come out of relationships often don’t want to move into a flat share or rented room, but can’t afford a house,” she says.
“I save around £1,000 a month compared to when I lived in a house. I’ve got enough for a deposit, but I love the freedom of movement and being able to go where I want, so at this stage I’ve no plans to buy.”
And the #vanlife trend does not look to be going anywhere soon. Helen says: “Once you get ‘van fever’, it’s really hard to go back to a house.”
