Young New Zealand woman finds alternative to high cost living in a caravan
To rent or own your own property is something the younger generation has always strived for, but with sky rocketing rent and mortgage prices the goal is slowly becoming harder and harder for many young adults to achieve as well.
It’s not just the UK that’s suffering from the post-recession blues though and New Zealand is no different. However, one savvy resident decided to act on impulse when she decided to buy a used caravan online.
Parked in the backyard behind a shared flat, Lily Kemp now only pays a grand total of $40 NZD per month (approximately £20) for her caravan residence – a quarter of what her house mates inside the property pay.
After making the decision to downsize from her Auckland apartment, Kemp bought her caravan for a mere $1,000 NZD (approximately £500) and spent another $496 NZD (approximately £250) to replace the rotting floorboards.
Despite the close-quarters, Kemp is able to make her new living accommodation come alive with vibrant colours, decorations and even houseplants.
Her mobile living arrangements come with a galley kitchen, an upholstered banquette (with storage underneath) and a big bed that transforms into a seated dining area. The electronics are provided their energy from a solar panel bought for approximately £30 and the stove and fridge are both powered by gas.
She still has to use the bathroom inside the property, however her pop-up caravan allows the freedom to move around, visit family and get away for the summer, essentially enabling her to live a full life free of the rent trap. Check out a video of the quirky home below.
It’s wonderful to find a young person thinking outside the square and finding cost-effective alternatives to the mainstream expectations of workaholism, mortgage, major property and zombie consumerism. What do you think? Would you do, or have done, something like this given half the chance?
