A YOUNG woman who couldn’t buy a house despite saving for a mortgage decided to use it to buy a van instead.
Lily Morris now lives in the van full-time and has said she ‘would never go back’.
Lily Morris nd her dog travel the UK in her van[/caption]
She decided to put her house deposit savings into thee van instead[/caption]
The 26-year-old went on a two-and-a-half-week road trip in a van around Scotland in the summer of 2024 and fell in love with van life.
When she returned to the home she shares with her parents on the Isle of Wight, she said it was “weird” being bound to one place.
She bought a £7,500 1991 Ford Transit Auto Sleeper in May 2024 from a local selling website and moved into it full time in March 2025.
Her total bills amount to £30 a month for gas, she gets her electricity through solar panels and her water through a water tank.
Due to her low bills, she only has to work two or three days a week – and during that time she parks in a layby or stays in a campsite for a few days to sit back and relax.
But for the rest of the week – and during her eight weeks of annual leave – she travels all over the UK, parking up in laybys, campsites and car parks across places like the New Forest, North Wales and Scotland.
Lily, a children’s carer from the Isle of Wight, said: “I couldn’t afford a home and I wanted to go out and do things now while in my 20s.
“After my first trip in a van, I loved it so much that I thought I’d try it out. I waited until winter to try it, because I didn’t want to have any issues on my first trip.
“I wanted to build my confidence and ensure everything was working before I entered my first winter.
“I wanted to do something in my 20s, and I’m having the best time. Things have gotten so expensive that this is a cheaper way to live.
“I have moved out of my parents’ house, and I’m still sorting through my things from my room. It’s so clutter-free and a simple way of life.”
She kept start-up costs low by decorating the inside herself.
The van costs £90 to fill up with petrol, and on a recent ten-day trip to north Wales, she spent £350 on fuel.
Lily said: “I just gave my parents £200 a month on bills, but it costs around the same when you factor in filling up the van, food shops, and the gas bills.
Lil’s Total Costs
Costs:
Van cost – £7,500
Food shop – £100 every two weeks
Ferry – £130
Gas – £30
Petrol – £90 to fill up
“Saving money is good, but it is not my main priority at the moment.
“I’ve put in a solar panel myself, and I’ve put in a new water tank, which was really difficult.
“I now have a compressor fridge that runs off the solar panel. I’ve painted it all, spray-painted the bathroom, taken the carpet out, and put tiles down.”
Lily pays for a campsite every two weeks to empty her waste and stays in places where you can park for free.
Lily said: “I don’t think I would go back to living in a house now. I like being able to get up and go anywhere I like.
“People always ask me about my five-year plan, and I don’t have one, I just like to live in the moment.”
The Rise Of Van Life
The rise of van life began during the pandemic in 2020. With no one able to leave the country, staycations became popular for many say camping blog venturecampers.
On top of that, the rising cost of renting a house has put many off doing so, especially when wages have failed to keep up with the cost of living crisis.
Although it has gained popularity again, many people opted for van life in the 60s and 70s.
