We gave up normal life to live in a tiny home… it has a SWING & we keep shoes under the sink – here’s how much it cost
A COUPLE who gave up normal life to live in a van have revealed how much their life-changing project cost them.
Will and Meera bought their long wheel base Mercedes Sprinter in 2022 with a plan to travel around Europe once finished.
With a £15,000 budget scraped together through part-time uni jobs the pair got to work creating their tiny dream home.
Will told the couple’s vanonamission TikTok channel: “I worked at two nightclubs, a bar and as a bin-man.”
After graduating from university Meera, while working full time as an assistant psychologist, helped electrical engineer Will with the build.
Breaking down the costs, he said: “The base van cost us £7,100.
“We also then spent just under £1700 on various small repairs, servicing and a new set of tyres.”
One of the biggest outgoings was getting electricity into the van, setting the young lovers back £1,922.
Other costs include £1,742 on gas and water systems while interior materials such as work tops and the beams came to £1137.
Tools and other hardware were an additional £1,115.
While the kitchen, complete with an oven, gas hob and sink, was just £641.
The van includes a bench that transforms into a dining table and desk for the pair to work at.
Other space saving hacks include under-bed storage big enough to keep all their shoes, a water tank and even two bikes.
Meera added: “The bedroom section, that includes a mattress and projector, came to a total of £270.”
Exterior items such as windows and vents set the pair back £533.
Incredibly the bathroom, which includes a compostable toilet and shower came to just £569.
The van even boasts a swing for the couple to sway away the hours while in some far flung destination, accompanied by their cat.
Meera added: “Our miscellaneous category which was things like a smoke detector and random things came to £169.
“We ended up spending in total £16,896.”
With the van complete they’ve ticked off France, Sweden and Norway during their epic adventure.
While swimming in a glacial pothole with hundreds of glowing jellyfish and even gone hiking in the Swiss Alps are just some of the activities they’ve indulged in.
At the end of a long day exploring the pair like to cuddle up in bed with their cat – which has now been to eight countries – and watch a film on their projector.
They can also watch films projected onto the side of their van.
And they don’t need to worry about shivering either as an LPG gas tank powers a heater to keep them toasty.
The van compliments their lifestyle, too, with Will working remotely as an electrical engineer and Meera currently unemployed.