I bought a caravan for cheap holidays in the UK – now I’ve made £30k in a year turning it into an easy side hustle
BORED and stuck at home like the rest of us in the pandemic, Anna and Sergio were twiddling their thumbs on thinking of what to do with their spare time.
As the parents of a one-year-old, the pair were eager to get out of the house when they decided to purchase a second-hand caravan.
The pair, from Croydon, purchased the campervan in 2020 from another family, but Anna and Sergio had big plans and turned their love for travel into a £30,000-a-year side hustle.
She says: “We had a one-year-old boy in 2020, who was very active and had a constant need for attention. I was going mad and my husband was still working full-time.
“We wanted to go on a wild adventure, so we decided to buy a motorhome.
“We bought it from a family who used it for trips around the UK when their children were growing up, but they didn’t have much need for it any longer.”
Anna, a travel agent and Sergio, 52, a mechanic, purchased the pre-loved Peugeot Compass Avantgarde 140 and travelled across the UK while in lockdown to scratch their itch for travel.
According to Autotrader, the same model costs £25,000 to buy second hand, but the couple soon made their money back on the pricey vehicle.
But the couple’s travels soon garnered attention from friends and families who were still stuck at home – leading them to a creative idea to make some extra income.
As foreign travel was out of the window, UK staycations have seen a consistent up rise – seeing a 500% growth in 2020 alone.
Anna, 49, adds that the couple spent months renovation the van, adding black and white upholstery to the chairs and sofas which turn into a roomy double bed.
They also upgraded the shower using modern wooden accents and grey tiles.
The mum-of-one explains: “My husband put the work in to sort out the mechanics in the campervan while I did the interior – it takes around two to four months to transform the motorhome.
“However, once we started using it, suddenly our friends were asking if they could borrow it for their own trips.
“We quickly realised there was an opportunity to rent it out.”
The first year of their new side hustle was a huge success and saw the couple rent the van out to nearly 20 different families and couples.
It’s like a mini-hotel on wheels and we’re always on-hand, 24/7 when the motorhomes are rented out, to sort out any issues.
Anna
When they saw just how in demand it was, the couple decided to cash in and buy two more caravans to renovate, transform and list on Camplify to expand their rapidly-growing business.
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“When I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She’d use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays.
“As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs.
“I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the ‘gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There’s no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don’t find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad.
“I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in.
“And then, of course, there’s the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips.
“With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I’m spending hundreds less than I would abroad.
“I’ve had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I’ll buy my own one day.”
The organisation first launched in Australia in 2015, and since coming to the UK in 2019 has become the fastest-growing caravan hire and RV sharing community.
The couple aren’t alone in their quest to make more money, according to Finder an estimated 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to top up their income.
Now the couple have added two more motorhomes to their collection, the Chausson Flash 03 and Renault Master.
Anna said: “We make around £8k to £10k per year from each of our three vans on the Camplify platform.
“It takes a lot of time and effort to manage it and it’s been a lot of work to get to where we are now, but I used to work in the hotel business and this provides me with a platform to recreate that, I absolutely love it.
“It’s like a mini-hotel on wheels and we’re always on-hand, 24/7 when the motorhomes are rented out, to sort out any issues.”
Their Renault Master caravan features a fun Pulp Fiction vibe with LED lights in the entrance, images of the film hanging up and a giant mid-century sofa bed.
The couple’s Chausson Flash 03 is the perfect van for family getaways with a double bed above the drivers seat and bunk beds for the little ones as well.
Although the couple rent out the caravans from £60 a night, they still enjoy their home on wheels when they aren’t rented out.
“I love the easiness of travel and prices for families can be so dramatic during school holidays, so it’s a cheaper way to move around and see some of the most beautiful places in the country,” Anna added.
“It makes a lot of sense for parents like us, as it allows us to take our son out into the wilderness during every school holiday and experience beautiful places like Cornwall, Devon, the New Forest or Poole, and you can even travel further afield to the Lake District or Scotland. It’s amazing for him too, really.”