I ditched my £1,000-per-month flat to live in a caravan in a holiday park for half the price - the bills are unbelievably cheap

Daily Mail​

12-06-2025

A woman has revealed why she chose to ditch her comfortable home to live in a caravan in a holiday park.
Katrina, 31, who lives in the south of England, decided to uproot her life in her £1,000 per month flat in March this year, and moved into a two-bedroom caravan.
The business owner purchased her 'mint condition' 2019 Willerby Skye static caravan outright for £26,000 and has a guaranteed pitch in a holiday park for nine years, paying ground rent quarterly.
Katrina now says it's the 'best thing she's ever done' and says she's now paying half of what she was before, and that her disposable income has now doubled.
She now pays £3,500 a year for her ground rent, which includes her pitch, access to a swimming pool, sauna and hot tub. The fee also covers water, waste and rubbish.
Speaking in a video on her TikTok account, Katrina said: 'It cost half of what my old flat did and my life quality is way better now. I can do these things I could never have afforded before.
'I like being different, I like being alternative, I don't want to follow what the societal norm is. I'm happy to break it and have people question me.
'I get that it's not for everyone, but living this way really is for me.'
Due to being self-employed, Katrina said getting a regular mortgage in bricks and mortar 'wasn't an option' for her.
And she understands the value of her caravan, like a car, will depreciate over time and thinks she'll only be able to sell it for £3,000 when it comes to the end of the nine year tenancy.
However, with the money she's saving compared to renting her old flat, Katrina estimates she'll have more than enough to buy a brand-new caravan when the time comes.
Her pitch fee only covers 11 months of the year, as she's chosen to live in a holiday park rather than a residential one.
For her one month off, she'll either stay in a residential habit or go travelling - as she's self-employed and can take her laptop with her.
Katrina said: 'I really like it this way. I don't have all the junk around me and life just feels so much more simple now.
'After living in houses and flats all my life, it's a shock to the system to actually have some disposable income and not have to work seven days a week just to get by.
'I can't believe how much my quality of life has changed since moving into the caravan. Everything was cheaper than I thought it would be and I don't have to work seven days a week anymore.
'I keep on joking I'm semi-retired now because that's what it feels like.
'I think moving into a caravan is the best thing I've ever done. I'm not paying someone else's mortgage anymore.'
Recently, Katrina revealed how much she might spend in a typical month.
As well as her pitch costs, which include council tax, she bought two bottles of gas for £230, contents insurance for £200 and Wi-fi for £70 a month.
That same month, she spent £230 on food, £204 on DIY, £70 on her garden and £80 on petrol.
Her caravan has two bedrooms, an office, a kitchen and living space and a bathroom, and she hopes living alone there will help her to achieve a more 'minimalist and simplistic life'.
Rushing to the comments, people were inspired by Katrina's story and hoped to do the same in the future.
One person said: 'You do you, I think the social norm is changing and that's only a good thing. I don't know how the younger generation are going to be able to buy a 'normal house' soon!'
Another wrote: 'Best life... Feels free. No bricks or mortar!!'
A third said: 'You are going to love it-just like being on holiday every day. Trust me I know!'
However, others were more sceptical, as people said she would have: 'No investment for retirement. Site fees cost a fortune. You'll be spending just as much on ground rent and caravan finance';
'You could have bought a tent for £495 and saved even more money! These caravans are brutally cold in the winter, plus living in them permanently will eventually drive you mad';
'Your deluded. Total waste of money.'
However, Katrina says her quality of life is 'way better now' and says living in a holiday park 'comes with so many perks', such as using the swimming pool and sauna whenever she likes.
She says there's a 'really sweet' community in the caravan park and has become friends with her neighbours, though admits she can't do 'anything mischievous' without them noticing.
In one recent video, her new lifestyle meant she could spontaneously have a day off work to go paddleboarding.
For those thinking about making the move themselves, Katrina says to first think about what area you would like to live in and then to decide between residential and holiday parks.
Next, she advises anyone who's interested to call every site about the rules, ask for site fees and what's included and an estimation for what it will be over the next five years.
Previously, a British couple revealed how they ditched living in the UK full-time to move to sunny Benidorm in a caravan.
Gemma and Nicky purchased an old caravan for €3,000 - or £2,500 - and have since transformed it into their 'home from home' in Alicante's Villamar camping site.
The couple have raved about the benefits of uprooting to the coastal city on their TikTok account @villamar.gemmanicky, including 'cheaper living' with 'no council tax, no energy bills, [and] no TV licence.'
Worlds away from rainy England, the couple now spend their time sunbathing in hot temperatures and enjoying the area's dining scene.
When they're not relaxing, the duo are putting their DIY skills to use and refurbishing the once-derelict caravan, which was out of use for seven years before they bought it, into their dream holiday home.
While they currently use the caravan as a holiday home for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, they hope to obtain a Spanish residency to live there full-time.
Before they put their stamp on the home, the caravan featured drab interiors and a dirty exterior.
Now, it boasts two modern bedrooms, a kitchen fit with a breakfast bar, a living room with a television, and a toilet.