We quit our 9-to-5 job to live in a £11,000 van – we pay less rent, but there are downsides

A COUPLE have revealed how they gave up their old lives to travel the world in a van.

Nik and Yas, both 29, gave up their 9-to-5 jobs and permanent homes to move into a refurbished caravan that cost them £11,000.

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The couple revealed that they were inspired to travel the world in the near future future after a six-month holiday in Australia.

They both admit there are drawbacks, but they say it’s worth it and saves money on rent and bills.

“Life in a van started quite spontaneously for us,” Yas told Luxury Travel Daily.

“A two-week vacation in a luxury resort would not give us the freedom we were looking for.

“After a series of incredible adventures, we knew that the average 9-to-5 job was not for us.”

In 2017, the couple packed their bags and set off on what was originally supposed to be a six-month trip to Australia.

Yas said: “We bought a four-wheel drive and drove around the Australian coastline one day.

“We had the time of our lives, the first six months turned into almost three years of travelling.”

After exploring Australia, they went backpacking for a year in Asia and Fiji.

And when they finally returned to their homeland Germany In 2020, they quickly discovered that a so-called ‘traditional’ life was not enough.

The couple bought their van in 2020, went back to college and spent two years renovating their new home.

They bought their prized possession for €14,000 (£11,000) and worked on it 12 hours a day for seven months.

Nik said: “It took a lot longer than we thought, but we would say you can see the extra time and effort we put into the build.

“[It cost us] about €15,000 (£12,000), but we did everything ourselves, including the electrics. We were aiming for €10,000 (£8,500) for the bus and another €10,000 for the materials.”

Why Caravan Holidays Are So Underrated

CARAVAN park holidays are a quintessentially British phenomenon.

And with the cost of living crisis having a major impact on British wallets, more and more people are turning to the UK economy for an affordable holiday.

Josie O’Brien, Senior Digital Writer at Fabulous, explains why she believes caravan holidays are seriously underrated…

WHEN I was little, my mother used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers from The Sun.

She used them to book a few nights at a caravan park during the school holidays.

As an adult I know how easy a simple caravan holiday is.

No hassle with passports, no baggage limits and no average hotel breakfast with old bread and grey eggs.

As an adult, I still love caravan holidays.

In a world where we do everything for Instagram, a caravan park takes you back to basics.

There is no obligation to dress up, no stress about taking a million scenic excursions in one week and I don’t get upset in tourist attractions as easily as I do abroad.

I like to go to caravan parks on the coast and enjoy walking along the beach promenade.

What I like most are the fresh mussels, the ice cream and the classic pubs where you can have a drink in the afternoon.

And then of course there are the costs.

Staying in a caravan is definitely a lot cheaper than my international travels.

Because I don’t have expensive hotel bills and I can cook for myself, I spend hundreds of euros less than I would abroad.

I have had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans, I may buy one of my own someday.

But starting the renovation was not an easy task. Due to the huge ‘van life’ trend and Covid the market went up, making it impossible to stay within budget.

“It was a bit of a shock, but we would rather go over budget than jeopardize construction.

“After all, it was our first home as a couple and after living very basic and minimally while traveling, we deserved something Nice where we would feel at home.”

The couple admit that at times they found the process “completely overwhelming.”

Nik said: “We had no idea what we were getting into and couldn’t make too many mistakes as we were already over budget and wanted to get going as quickly as possible.

“This led to an intensive construction period with almost daily challenges that arose unexpectedly.

“Everything is crooked in a van, making building an absolute headache. And some things just didn’t work the first or second time.

“We underestimated the precision needed to build drawers and it took forever to get it right. We had no idea about plumbing or electrical.”

But the couple says it was more than worth it in the end.

Yas said: “There were so many highlights. “Every little achievement was celebrated and it was such a relief to have done it.

“But most of all we were full of proudNo one thought we could build a van like this, not even us, and it turned out much better than expected.

“When we moved into the home, we were filled with gratitude and felt a sense of excitement at the thought of the adventure that lay ahead.

“It was an expensive road, but if we compare [our outgoings now] With friends who live in our hometown, I would say we spend 30-50% less per month on fixed costs.”

The couple’s first bus trip was to Norway and Switzerland in the winter they would go to France along the south coast of Spain to Cadiz, before taking the ferry to the Canary Islands, where they spent a warm winter.

“The road trip has been going on for just over two years now and we have no plans to stop anytime soon. Our favourite place to take the bus is by far Fuerteventura,” said Yas.

“It is the warmest place in Europe to spend the winter.”

With plans to travel to Italy and Greece, they gave some advice to novice bus travelers.

Nik said, “Trust your intuition and go for your dreams. It may seem scary or impossible, but it’s worth a try.

“You can always go back to your old life if it doesn’t work out.” But you can’t get back the time you didn’t spend on your dreams.

Yas adds: “Campervan life isn’t for everyone, so we recommend renting a campervan for a trial period before committing to that lifestyle.”