My man and I ditched our home to live in a white van – we’ve got a wet room, a 32” TV and even a king size bed inside
A WOMAN has revealed how she and her fiancé decided to ditch living in their home and move into a white van - and why it’s the best decision they’ve ever made.
Heidi Elliot and her fiancé Julian Nevin, who are both photographers, previously lived in a property in Dunsfold, near Guildford.
However, two years ago they decided to follow a lifelong dream - and waved goodbye to their usual way of living to convert a white van into their dream home.
In a piece for The Metro, Heidi, 22, explained: “We’d often talked about being able to live on the road, so when Covid hit in March 2020 we saw the chance to turn our dream into a reality.
“After much thinking we decided on a modern van with low mileage, because we wanted it to look professional and be reliable, with enough space to convert into a mini-home and workplace, so we found a dealership in London.”
The couple, who met while working in Singapore, forked out £25,000 on the Mercedes Sprinter van, plus a further estimated £12,000 on its renovations, and even took on extra jobs as a courier and cleaner to fund what they describe as their “lockdown project.”
Read More in Real Life
Eight months later, the transformation was complete and they’d managed to create their perfect home with the help of YouTube tutorials and Julian’s past trade work experience.
Heidi continued: “From the outside, our converted Mercedes Sprinter looks like a typical white builder's van, but inside it doubles as a cosy home and workspace.”
And their roving home certainly has the wow factor, with all of the things you’d expect in a house and more.
She revealed: “It’s full of creature comforts, including a shower/wet room, king-sized bed with memory foam mattress, Wi-Fi, 32-inch smart TV, two gas hobs and an oven.”
Most read in Fabulous
Now, the pair couldn’t be happier and say their risk more than paid off and suits their lifestyle down to a tee.
Heidi, who says she and Julian have always been “free spirits”, added: “As lockdown restrictions eased, and weddings started going ahead again, we were ready to hit the road with our Jack Russells, Millie and Mabel.
“That was a year ago now, and we’ve been on the road ever since May 2021.
“We spend our weekends photographing weddings, and mid-week we park somewhere picturesque to do our editing from the van, breaking for dog walks and exploring new places.”
Read More on The Sun
She added: “People often remark that our life is idyllic, but we work hard for it.
“Thanks to the van, we’re able to work on the move and strike that elusive work-life balance.”
