Leeds couple 'a lot happier' after buying caravan share their journey to living mortgage-free
A couple from Leeds have said they are “a lot happier” after buying a static caravan from a scrapyard for £5k to live rent-free.
Rudi Smith, 27, and his partner, Lauren Smith, 28, bought the caravan in 2022 after finding themselves struggling with rent for their £750-a-month home in Leeds despite both working full time.
Over the course of the last two years, the couple have spent around £2,000 ripping out and renovating the £5,5000 caravan.
It sits on a 25m by 100m plot of land, which Rudi said the land was “supplied by family” in the video Q&A, and only set the couple back £8,000.
Now, the couple live mortgage and rent free - spending less than £100-a-month on bills - and say they are “a lot happier” with “so much breathing space financially”.
Rudi said: “We really struggled to pay for everything. It put us in a real hole. We thought ‘this is no way to live'.
"It was £500 on top for bills. We had a couple of hundred left a month.”
With the caravan, Rudi is able to save 90 per cent of his salary every month, which the couple hope to be able to invest in the future.
Rudi added: “[The caravan] looks old on the outside and lush on the inside.
"After the first month we were like 'oh wow, that's everything paid for'.
"Having no neighbours is really nice.
"The closest house is at least 150m away. We can make as much noise as we want."
The couple spend just £48 on a gas bottle to warm their home and say it lasts three to four months. They also have solar panels and off-grid electricity and pay just £30 for Wi-Fi.
Rudi said: "We've got a five year plan. We want to use the money [we save] to invest in a motorboat yacht in Spain to then rent out.
"We want to free ourselves from having to work for other people.”
Watch the video to find out how Rudi and Lauren made the unconventional change - and how you can too.