PICTURE someone who lives in a van and you’re likely to conjure up images of sun-kissed surfers or soap-dodging hippies. But sky-high house prices and the cost-of-living crisis mean people of all ages, and life stages, are having to embrace van life — whether they like it or not. From middle-aged accountants to smartly dressed web designers, people from all walks of life are now ditching a conventional residence for life on four wheels.
Jenna Winterburn-Hynd, 41, a travel content creator, who also runs her own jewellery company, lives in a £20,000 van with her wife, website specialist Cath, 36, and their kids Luna, five, and two-year-old Bodhi. The family opted for #vanlife — as it’s hashtagged on social media — in 2021 after feeling “stuck” in their rented four-bed house in Lyndhurst in the New Forest, Hants . “Cath took home £40,000 and we lived in a gorgeous home where the rent was subsidised to £900 because it was linked to her job,” Jenna says.
READ MORE IN FABULOUS “But bills, and me being on maternity leave, meant we still had a shortfall of £200 every month.” The cost-of-living crisis and a lack of cheap homes means many are turning to less conventional accommodation. The Government estimates 300,000 new homes are needed each year.
But National House Building Council figures show only 133,213 were completed last year — down 12 per cent on 2022. So it’s hardly surprising more of us are living in vans and motorhomes. While not exempt from c.