'I live in a van with my dog and bills are just £650 a month'
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A photographer who lived in 18 different houses and thought she would never escape the UK rental market now spends just £650 a month living in a van with her dog. Nicole Keefe, 27, constantly moved around as a child 'due to situations out of (her) control' and later because of 'things not going right' with partners.
By 2023, she felt 'trapped', 'miserable', and convinced she would never be able to afford a home while working her 9-5 job as a fashion photographer. So when her car was written off in September that year, she bought an £8,500 converted Ford Transit van and moved in with her dog, McCartney, a beagle-petit griffon Vendeen cross named after photographer and activist Linda McCartney.
She parked near her work and travelled the UK on weekends until landing a job as a cleaner at a Dorset campsite, which kick-started her full-time van life. Since then, she has gone freelance as a photographer, content creator for businesses and social media manager, exploring the country with McCartney by her side, from Scotland to North Wales.
Nicole said: 'I spend about £650 a month – that's less than I ever spent on rent and now I have more choice on what I spend my money on. 'I used to live month to month, I couldn't have a social life and I couldn't just buy myself anything. McCartney is so happy living in the van with me, he loves it, and I've become the best version of myself.
'I'm more confident and feel so free but settled… I can't see myself ever really going back to a 9-5 job.'
Over the years, Nicole has lived in 18 different houses, moving frequently as a child, and later because of 'things not going right' with partners in adulthood. As a result, she is used to being on the move, and van life has 'always been on (her) radar' thanks to social media.
However, she ended up 'following a typical path' – earning a degree at Coventry University from 2016 to 2020 and later working full-time as a photographer in a fashion studio in Washington, Tyne and Wear. After three years in the role, Nicole felt 'unfulfilled and just miserable'.
Despite having 'worked hard and worked (her) way up', she was still struggling to afford rent and felt she would 'almost never' be able to own a home. According to Right Move, the majority of properties sold in Washington during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £126,930.
Around the same time, her car was written off, prompting her to buy a van to live in. In September 2023, she bought a converted Ford Transit on Facebook Marketplace for around £8,500. She said: 'It was all very minimalist …. I kept the base the same. There's a kitchen area, sink, bed, solar panels and I added in a fridge, gas camping hob and air fryer and got a new mattress.
'I made it a bit more me adding in some leopard print and just decorating it over time.'
While looking for a remote job, she stayed in her 9-5, living in the van and parking in a nearby car park, travelling the country at weekends. She did this for nine months with her dog, McCartney, while most of her family thought she was 'a bit nuts' and others were 'confused but supportive'.
In June 2024, she found a campsite cleaning job in a Facebook group for nomads. After a virtual interview, she was offered the role an hour later so she quit her job and moved to Dorset two weeks later.
She worked there for three months and used her weekends to explore the south coast. 'It was just really lovely, because I went from feeling like I couldn't escape, and I felt really trapped,' Nicole added.
At first, she struggled with limited human interaction, as she 'hated (her) own company', but gradually got used to going to coffee shops alone and ended up 'enjoying being alone'. She stays in touch with friends and family, regularly FaceTiming her long-distance partner, and is especially grateful for her dog's companionship.
'When I was moving house all the time it would always take McCartney a month or two to get settled,' she explained. 'He would cry and bark if he was left alone in the house but he got used to the van in two days and I think he loves his routine.'
When she does leave him alone in the van, she regularly checks on him, and uses a steering wheel lock. After three months in Dorset, Nicole felt she had got her 'energy back' and was 'more motivated'.
She took a coffee shop job in Winchester while building her freelance work, becoming a full-time content creator for businesses, a photographer and social media manager in December 2024. Her following under the handle @thevanclub_ has since grown, with more than 4,500 followers on TikTok and some 1,800 on Instagram.
'Since then I've gone wherever I want to go – it's quite a weird thing to adjust to because I don't have anywhere I need to be unless I've got a photography job,' she said. So far, Nicole has travelled to places including Snowdonia, Cornwall, Warwickshire, Scotland and throughout the North East.
While travelling, she parks in 24-hour car parks or on the roadside, saying her Transit van is 'quite discreet' and that she always makes sure to 'respect the space, not leaving a trace'.
Nicole spends around £650 a month on fuel, gas, wi-fi, gym membership and van repayments. Since embracing van life, Nicole feels more confident and says this is her 'favourite version' of herself. Nicole plans to continue living in her van for the next four years and even if she eventually buys a house, she intends to keep the van for weekend trips.
Once it is no longer driveable, she hopes to turn it into a home office.
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