Couple fed up London’s extortionate property prices move into camper van and save £1,400 a month
A couple fed up with London’s high rents and extortionate prices are now saving £1,400 a month by living in a motorhome.
Robert Bolohan, 28, and his wife Mariona, 26, founders of translation agency Lotuly, converted a minibus into a motorhome to live and work outside the capital.
A few months into their adventure, Robert said it was the best decision they ever made.
Robert said: ‘Not only has it changed our lifestyle for the better, allowing us to travel as much as we want, but it has also saved us a fortune.’
Average monthly rents outside London rose to a record high of £1,190 in the first quarter of this year, with tenants in the capital paying more than £2,500 for the first time, according to figures from property website Rightmove.
Robert Bolohan, 28, and his wife Mariona (pictured), 26, founders of translation agency Lotuly, converted a minibus into a campervan to live and work outside the capital
In the photo: the minibus that the couple has converted into a camper. A few months into their adventure, Robert said it was the best decision they ever made
Robert said: ‘We made the decision initially after struggling to buy a house, despite a £40,000 down payment, and so far we believe we’re saving around £1,400 a month.’
The couple took inspiration from the #VanLife social media trend during the coronavirus pandemic.
They believed the transition would suit their lifestyle as they work remotely and love to travel.
Robert said: ‘We bought the minivan in April 2022 and took eight months to convert it into a fully electric, self-sufficient and off-grid motorhome.
Pictured: Robert Bolohan and his wife Mariona. A few months into their adventure, Robert said it was the best decision they ever made
‘We opted for a minibus instead of a normal van, because they are often larger. It has its own challenges, but I think we made the right choice.
“We sold our other car and reinvested the money in the van, so to speak, we recouped part of the investment.”
Robert said the couple is saving money every month on rent and energy costs, which feels “significant” after just a few months.
He said: ‘The fuel costs of the van may vary depending on how much we travel, but at the moment it is quite cheap to run.
‘We used to pay around £900 each month in rent, £150 in council tax and £200 in utility bills; amongst other living expenses we ended up spending around £1,800 a month. Now we don’t have to worry about all those expenses.
In the photo: the interior of the minibus before it was converted. The couple took inspiration from the #VanLife social media trend during the coronavirus pandemic
Pictured: Mariona in the vehicle. They believed the transition would suit their lifestyle as they work remotely and love to travel
‘We pay around £400 on fuel each month, so in total this means we’re spending £1,400 less than we used to thanks to our new lifestyle. We’ve saved around £7,000 since we got on the van in December.’
He added: “The lifestyle change has also meant we have saved money in other ways as well. We live a much more minimalistic lifestyle due to the limited size of a van, which usually means we spend less.
“We find free spaces to park where we can, and we like to shop at local markets for groceries that are usually cheaper than the supermarket.”
The move will not affect their jobs as the van is equipped with Wi-Fi and the couple said it has at least helped them run their business ‘even better’.
Robert said, “Being able to get out after work and explore has helped us avoid burnout.”
Robert and Mariona’s goal is to save up to buy a house in the UK or Spain, but right now they’re focusing on enjoying life in the van.
The couple met while jogging in the streets of Lleida in Catalonia as teenagers and bonded over their shared love of languages.
In the photo: the conversion of the minibus is starting to take shape
Pictured: Wiring installed in the RV
In 2015 they moved to London.
After staying in hotels for the first few months, they rented a studio in Hayes, west London, for £900 a month.
They lived in that flat for four years, during which time they became Lotuly’s business managers.
They married in Uxbridge in January 2019 and moved in with Robert’s sister Roberta and his mother, in West Drayton, near Heathrow, a year later.
Their goal was to be closer to family during the pandemic, but they also wanted to save money to reinvest it in their business.
However, their shift from sole proprietorships to corporate executives made obtaining a mortgage more difficult.
So they bought a Transit minibus for £14,000 to travel around the country in the hopes of finding a place to settle.
In the photo: the conversion of the minibus in an almost completed stage. The couple also invested in a reliable battery bank and solar system
In the photo: the completed version of the camper
The camper has a kitchen and space for the couple to do their work. Speaking of their decision to live in the motorhome, Robert said: ‘Not only has it changed our lifestyle for the better, allowing us to travel as much as we want, but it has also saved us a fortune’
They made sure the van was completely soundproofed and insulated, and also installed a skylight on the roof.
They also invested in a reliable battery bank and solar system.
Robert told The Times in May last year that Rugby and Leamington Spa are high on our bucket list, but they could settle anywhere.
He said: ‘We’ve been renting in the UK for seven years and in that time we haven’t seen much of it so off-grid living seems like a natural next step for us to take and as our business is fully online we have the flexibility to make it work.’
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