A pair who stop their outdated life-style as they felt ‘suffocated’ by their repetitive jobs now reside in a £20,000 van that they transformed themselves.
Tom Ward, 36, and Amy O’Brien, 29, had been fed up of working a resort and pub, so that they merely determined to stop and journey across the UK with their rescue canine, Frankie, as an alternative.
Upon arriving again to the fact of their jobs after travelling for months of their van, Amy and Tom took an opportunity in March 2020, when the Covid-19 international pandemic hit the world, and haven’t regarded again since.
Tom and Amy should not the one ones who ditched their jobs for the van life, as a girl who misplaced her flat through the pandemic now additionally works remotely from her refurbished £21,000 van.
Their new cellular dwelling consists of a bathroom- which additionally acts as a drying room- with a sizzling water bathe and a compost bathroom, a set mattress on the next degree, a gasoline hob, sink and fridge within the kitchen and an out of doors bathe.
The now freelance photographers spent a complete of £28,650 on their van which incorporates the van itself, conversion prices, the insurance coverage and a 12 months’s street tax.
Tom Ward and Amy O’Brien spent a complete of £28,650 on their new cellular dwelling, which took them six months to construct
Cosy: The pair had been bored with residing the identical day over once more and wished a change, so that they stop their jobs to reside of their van and work remotely
The couple renovated the van themselves and ensured it was correctly insulated by putting in sheep’s wool for the chilly, damp, UK winters
While they are saying it may be costly to buy the automobile after which additionally spend the time and money changing it, the Tom and Amy say that they had been ‘very fortunate’ to work onerous and save their cash to spend money on their new dwelling on wheels.
It took the couple six months to transform and construct the entire automobile by themselves they usually have constructed 5 vans within the final 4 years, together with two earlier this 12 months for his or her buddies.
Amy, initially from Frome, Somerset, informed MailOnline: ‘I undoubtedly really feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. I am not on this worrying work scenario. I suppose I reached a degree the place I used to be simply working and dealing and I felt prefer it was in like The Truman Present.
‘I labored in a spot the place it was the identical each single day and other people would complain each single day about the identical stuff. I obtained to a degree the place I used to be like if I do not do something, that is gonna be my life without end.
‘It simply terrified me that I might be in the identical place in 5 or ten years time.
‘Properly, I met Tom and he was on the identical wavelength as me and it was nice. So we simply form of inspired one another and now we’re on this place. So I really feel, when it comes to society strain, I really feel freed from that. Which is superb, as a result of I did not realise how suffocated I used to be.’
Tom, initially from Farnham, Surrey, informed MailOnline: ‘To have that freedom is simply one thing that I’ve at all times craved. It sounds cliched, however simply opening the door and being in a brand new place and exploring, we love the skin. I imply you’ve got actually obtained to embrace and love the skin.’
The pair, who met in 2018, primarily earn their revenue by means of freelance images and have constructed a cellular studio of their van to allow them to work remotely from wherever.
They are saying they take primarily product images for manufacturers, as scenic location photographs are simpler for them to shoot. Nonetheless the couple say they’re ‘a jack of all trades’ as additionally they earnt cash by changing vans for buddies.
The adventurous couple adorned their new dwelling from scratch and made certain to make use of all of the area they’d. Pictured is their compost bathroom of their rest room, their kitchen space which has a hob, oven and sink and a seating space
The Volkswagen Crafter Luton turned their new dwelling on wheels in March 2020 once they determined to stop their jobs simply earlier than the lockdown
Tom and Amy like to journey across the UK of their van and say that Luce Bay in Scotland is one in every of their favorite locations
The pair transformed their £28k dwelling by themselves and constructed all of it from scratch, together with becoming in a fully-equipped kitchen
Above the driving force and passenger seat of the van they’ve a set mattress on the next degree, making use all of the area they’ve
The couple, who name themselves The Van Monkeys, pay round £10 to £15 for gasoline every month, get their electrical energy at no cost attributable to solar energy, and have insulated the van with sheep’s wool so it stays heat.
They’ve additionally mentioned they’re driving much less attributable to value of gas doubling, which means that they keep in areas for longer and might drive as a lot or as little as they need.
Petrol and diesel are set to rise by round 12p a litre in late March 2023, because the The Workplace for Finances Accountability pointed to a ‘deliberate 23 per cent enhance within the gas obligation price’.
The pair say Snowden in Wales is a reasonably space to go to however their prime nation to go to within the UK is Scotland due to its ‘stunning surroundings’.
Their favorite place to go to thus far has been Luce Bay in Scotland, however Amy says the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris is nice for recognizing Highland cows.
By way of the cost-of-living disaster and skyrocketing hire, Tom mentioned: ‘I feel if lots of people are struggling on the market and actually determined to seek out locations to go or cannot discover a dwelling, it may be an possibility.
‘We now have a variety of buddies which can be kind of mid-thirties that saved up a deposit to purchase a home and as an alternative purchased a van, and now residing their finest lives. That is form of what we did as nicely, so we took the the van possibility over the home possibility. I might say it is undoubtedly the perfect choice I’ve made in my latest years.
‘I’ve lived in some locations which can be a lot worse than our van and paid a lot extra. Landlords, sadly, do not at all times care about their tenants. I’ve lived in London and Bristol, locations which can be really very costly to reside and nonetheless you are residing with damp, mould, and issues not working.’
Amy added: ‘You must be gutsy, particularly in case you’re doing it by yourself. But it surely’s undoubtedly an possibility. It’s superb how a lot your life adjustments, I might say in our occasion, for the higher as a result of we find it irresistible.’
Amy says that additionally they do not need to earn as a lot cash as they used to. When working full-time jobs and residing in a bungalow in Somerset, the couple’s outgoings was round £850 a month earlier than spending cash. Now, they are saying if earn identical month-to-month revenue then it is a ‘nice month’, because the van’s payments are significantly much less.
The van runs on solar energy, which means that Tom and Amy get their electrical energy at no cost and might get energy when they’re journey to distant areas
They purchased their third van and it turned their ‘home on wheels’ in July 2020, after they’d stop their jobs
Tom and Amy have been requested by buddies to renovate vans for them, in whole they’ve constructed 5 vans, of which three have been their very own
Amy mentioned: ‘You must be gutsy, particularly in case you’re doing it by yourself. But it surely’s undoubtedly an possibility. It’s superb how a lot your life adjustments, I might say in our occasion, for the higher as a result of we find it irresistible’
Tom and Amy have additionally learnt from earlier van-building expertise to prioritise the practicality of the cellular dwelling earlier than making it look ‘fairly’. They opted for double-glazed home windows as an alternative of glass home windows and ensured that the van was fully-insulated for chilly and moist British winters.
When requested how residing in a van in comparison with residing in a home, Tom mentioned: ‘It is no completely different actually, apart from you’ve got obtained much less area to handle issues. I might say that it is higher than residing in a home as a result of you possibly can get up every single day and also you’re in a unique vacation spot.
‘I feel in a home, we will get form of bored or complacent with every thing. Whereas while you’re in a venue, it form of strips life again to survival in a manner as a result of the fundamental issues that you just want, like water and energy, and so forth, you really need to work for in a van. Whereas in a home, every thing is very easy. So I feel for me, it form of brings it again to a bit extra of actuality of life. I desire it to a home.’
The pair have mentioned that they now recognize the ‘little issues’ akin to on the spot sizzling water and energy showers, issues they mentioned they used to take as a right once they lived in a home.
When requested what she would say to somebody considering of taking the plunge and coming into van life, Amy mentioned: ‘There is not any hurt in giving it a go and I really feel such as you will be too snug simply ready for one thing to occur to you. You’ve got simply obtained to exit and do it since you’re the one which’s in charge of you and your choices.’
Tom added: ‘I might say simply do it. As a result of in case you do it appropriately, you are investing anyway. In the event you construct a good van, these days, vans are going for a lot cash that you could construct one and do one and if it would not work out for you, you possibly can promote it, you may make a revenue after which you possibly can return into the life that you just had been in.’
The couple now recognize ‘the little issues’ that they took as a right once they lived in a home, akin to having an influence bathe and on the spot sizzling water from a faucet
The couple have pushed much less for the reason that worth of gas has skyrocketed, which means they keep parked in locations for longer
The pair constructed the van from scratch, when Tom was requested how completely different van life was to residing in a home, he mentioned: ‘It is no completely different actually, apart from you’ve got obtained much less area to handle issues’
They’ve ensured that the van can hope with the tough damp and chilly winters within the UK by insulating the van as a lot as they will
Tom and Amy have additionally learnt from earlier van-building expertise to prioritise the practicality of the cellular dwelling earlier than making it look ‘fairly’
DIY: Tom mentioned: ‘In the event you construct a good van, these days, vans are going for a lot cash that you could construct one and do one and if it would not work out for you, you possibly can promote it, you may make a revenue after which you possibly can return into the life that you just had been in’
Tom and Amy are accompanied on their travels with their rescue canine named Frankie, who loves the outside simply as a lot as them
