Reflecting its thirteenth consecutive rise, average monthly rent prices outside London hit a record £1,190 in the first quarter of the year, while tenants in the capital are now paying more than £2,500 on average, new figures from Rightmove suggest.
In a bid to avoid extortionate rents and house deposits, Robert (28) and Mariona Bolohan (26), founders of translation agency, lotuly.com, converted a mini-bus into a campervan to work and live off the grid.
Mr Bolohan said: “My wife and I ditched renting in London to live and work from our van, and it’s the best decision we’ve made. Not only has it transformed our lifestyle for the better, allowing us to travel as much as we like, but we have also saved a fortune in the process.
“We initially made the decision after we struggled to buy a house, despite having a £40,000 deposit, and so far believe we are saving around £1,400 per month.”
The couple’s idea was inspired by the social media trend #VanLife during the pandemic, and they thought it could suit their lifestyle as they work remotely and love to travel.
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Mr Bolohan said: “We bought the minibus in April 2022 and took eight months to convert it into a fully electric, self-sufficient and off-grid campervan. We opted for a minibus over a normal van as they tend to be bigger. It has its own challenges but I think we made the right choice.
“We sold our other car and reinvested the money into the van, recovering part of the investment, so to speak.”
Mr Bolohan said by making the transition, the pair save money each month on rent and energy costs, which already feels “significant” after just a few months.
He said: “The fuel costs of the van can vary depending on how much we travel, but right now it’s pretty cheap to run.
“We used to pay around £900 on rent, £150 on council tax, and £200 on energy bills each month; alongside other living expenses, we ended up spending around £1,800 per month. Now we don’t have to worry about any of those expenses.
“We pay around £400 on fuel each month, so overall this means we spend £1,400 less than we used to, thanks to our new lifestyle. Since we moved into the van in December, we’ve saved around £7,000.
“The lifestyle change has also meant that we’ve saved money in other ways, too. We live a much more minimalistic lifestyle due to the size constraints of a van, which tends to mean less spending.
“We find free spaces to park where we can, and we enjoy shopping at local markets for groceries which is usually cheaper than the supermarket.”
The move hasn’t impacted jobs as the van is kitted out with Wi-Fi and if anything, the couple said it’s helped them run their business “even better”.
Mr Bolohan said: “Being able to go outside and explore after work has helped us to prevent burnout.”
Mr and Mrs Bolohan’s goal is to save up to buy a house in the UK or Spain, but right now they’re focusing on enjoying life in the van.
Mr Bolohan said: “We’ve been working non-stop for ten years, and even though we are still working, moving into a van has changed our whole lifestyle in incomprehensible ways and will allow us to visit places where we may want to live one day.
“When the time is right, we can then sell the van and upgrade to a house.”
Commenting on the couple’s savings tip, personal finance expert Dan Whittaker from CashLady.com said: “We love Robert and Mariona’s story! Not only have they made a lifestyle change which is preventing burnout and allowing them to work and travel at the same time, but it has allowed them to start saving money to buy their first home in the future.”
