Every day, people are becoming more and more courageously creative when it comes to solving the global rent problem. Young couples everywhere are coming up with ideas that are outside the convention, looking for ways that enable them to live a certain quality of life without having to fork over their life savings (and proverbial first child) on rent. And the solutions are beyond ingenious.
Adam and Nikki, a young couple from the UK, one day finally grew tired of spending most of their income on paying rent in the city. So they devised a plan. They purchased a used Ford Transit Luton Box van for $4,500 on eBay and spent one year lovingly converting it into a mobile home, spending another $6,600.
Adam says the whole project could have even been done more cost-effectively, but it was a learning process, both of them not having much experience in the DIY category. In fact, Nikki had never even picked up a drill before they embarked on such an ambitious project.
Their home is very inconspicuous. “Disguised” as a moving van, it’s pretty nondescript until the back is lifted to reveal a little porch, leading into the fully insulated central space. They’ve got a loft bed, kitchen, toilet/shower, living room and heater. There are lots of cabinets and shelves for storage, plus a small water tank enough to fill a kettle.
Adam and Nikki have incorporated some creature comforts like pillows and throws for a homey feel, but most of all, it’s pretty simple – and that’s what they’re going for. This is a passion project to see if they can live the simple life, aiming to find happiness in experiences and people rather than relying on money to buy material possessions.
See below for a better look at Adam and Nikki’s van-home they plan on taking to France.
