EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY APRIL 22PA REAL LIFE: Nicole used to be a fashion photographer. A photographer who lived in 18 houses by her twenties and thought she would never buy a house now spends £650 a month living in a van with her dog. Nicole Keefe, 27, from Newcastle, constantly moved around as a child “due to situations out of (her) control” and later due to “things not going right” with partners. Issue date: Tuesday April 22, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE Van. Photo credit should read: Collect/PA Real LifeNOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE Van . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries (Image: PA)
Nicole Keefe, a photographer from Newcastle, escaped the relentless churn of the UK’s rental market by embracing van life with her beloved dog, McCartney. The 27-year-old had spent her life moving around, having lived in 18 different houses in total.
In September 2023, a twist of fate led her to swap her settled existence for the nomadic tranquillity of an £8,500 converted Ford Transit van, as her car was written off. Beginning her adventure, she parked near her day job as a fashion photographer and savoured weekend jaunts across the UK. She then started the van life full-time when she landed a cleaning job at a Dorset campsite.
Nicole lives life on the road and couldn’t be happier (Image: PA)
Now she spends her days doing freelance photography, crafts content for businesses, and manages social media, all while roaming freely from the rugged landscapes of Scotland to the picturesque valleys of North Wales.
She 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.”
Living on wheels has seen both her and her faithful pooch McCartney thrive: “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.”
Nicole moved around a lot as a child and in adulthood too (Image: PA)
She wound up “following a typical path” by earning a degree at Coventry University from 2016 to 2020 and eventually worked full-time as a photographer in a fashion studio located in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Enduring three years in the role, Nicole couldn’t shake off feelings of being “unfulfilled and just miserable.”
Despite “working hard and climbing her way up”, the struggle to afford rent was real, and the dream of home ownership seemed “almost never” within reach.
According to Right Move, the majority of properties sold in Washington over the past year were terraced houses, fetching an average price of £126,930.
On top of it all, after her car got written off, she decided to invest in a van for accommodation. Come September 2023, she snapped up a converted Ford Transit on Facebook Marketplace for about £8,500.
Reflecting on her new mobile digs, she commented: “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.”
She also made it her own by saying: “I made it a bit more me adding in some leopard print and just decorating it over time.”
Nicole says McCartney ‘loves’ the excitement of van life (Image: PA)
While keeping an eye out for remote work, she stayed in her 9-5 job, parked her van life in a nearby car park, and spent weekends travelling around the country. But by June 2024, she fortunately landed a campsite cleaning position spotted in a nomadic Facebook group.
A swift virtual interview led to an immediate job offer, and so she made tracks for Dorset two weeks later. Her stint there lasted three months, allowing her weekends to be spent travelling around the southern coast.
Nicole, who has embraced the van life, cherishes the companionship of her dog and stays connected with loved ones through regular FaceTime calls, including those with her long-distance partner.
She recounted how her dog McCartney quickly adapted to their new lifestyle: “When I was moving house all the time it would always take McCartney a month or two to get settled,” she said.
“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.”
To ensure McCartney’s safety when left alone in the van, Nicole diligently checks on him and uses a steering wheel lock for security.
After spending three months in Dorset, Nicole found herself re-energised and motivated, leading her to take up a coffee shop job in Winchester while developing her freelance career.
By December 2024, she had become a full-time content creator, photographer, and social media manager.
Her online presence as @thevanclub_ has been growing steadily, boasting over 4,500 followers on TikTok and around 1,800 on Instagram.
Nicole has travelled all over the UK in her van (Image: PA)
Nicole’s adventures have taken her to stunning locations such as Snowdonia, Cornwall, Warwickshire, Scotland, and across the North East. She parks her “quite discreet” Transit van in 24-hour car parks or by the roadside, always mindful to leave no trace and respect her surroundings.
With monthly expenses of about £650 covering fuel, gas, wi-fi, gym membership, and van repayments, Nicole has found confidence and joy in her new way of life, declaring this to be her “favourite version” of herself.
She has plans to continue her van life for the next four years and even if she eventually purchases a house, she intends to retain the van for weekend getaways, converting it into a home office when it’s no longer roadworthy.
