We spent £16,000 to convert an old van we use to travel around the world

A PAIR converted an old van into a home on wheels so they could travel the world – and they have tips on how you can do the same.

As reported, Cazzy Magennis and boyfriend Bradley Williams, both 28, bought their van in June 2020 for £6,500and spent three months repairing it, at a total cost of £16,000.

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They toured Europe in 2021 and are currently in Canada with plans to go as far as South America before shipping the van from Argentina to South Korea.

Now they’ve shared their van remodeling advice so you can do the same.

The couple split the process into two phases. The first phase was planning, the second phase was execution.

From the start, they said that the first thing anyone considering van life should do is set a budget.

Cazzy said: “The first thing you need to do is figure out how much you can spend and how much you’re willing to spend.

“Set a budget and decide what you’re going to use the van for – if it’s just for weekend getaways or surf trips, then you won’t have to spend as much as you would with a van that you’re going to live in full-time.”

Once you’ve decided what you want from your van, you need to find it and get it insured.

But be warned, your insurance has a time limit, so don’t get caught.

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Cazzy said: “I didn’t know that when you buy insurance to convert a van you are given a time limit and the longer it takes, the more expensive it gets.

“You need to see how much time you can devote to converting the van so you can get the insurance.”

The third step in the van process is planning the layout.

Cazzy said: “Find out what you want your van to look like. How many people would you like to sleep in it? What type of bed do you want – foldable or permanent?

“Write down everything you would be comfortable with in your van and create the layout.”

The couple used an old-school approach to designing their van.

Cazzy said, “A lot of people use graphics to see what their layout is going to look like, but we just drew ours on paper and it turned out fine.”

Planning the layout is the last step in phase one, phase two begins with the actual conversion.

The couple warned anyone starting their van conversion to have all the tools and materials ready before getting started as it will save time in the long run.

“Make a nice big list and check things off one by one”

Cazzy said: “One thing we would definitely say is work out everything you need and order everything before you start.

“There’s nothing worse than starting a section and realizing you need something else, which is going to take three weeks to arrive.

“Buy everything and only start the conversion once everything is there – that makes it so much easier.”

You can then build your perfect van, styled exactly how you want it.

Cazzy said: “It builds chaos for the first few weeks, but once you get through the first part and can see what you’re working towards, it gets easier.

“I would break everything down into stages. Make a nice big list and check things off one by one.”

They also encouraged others not to be discouraged when things go wrong, as mistakes make your van an original.

Cazzy said: “I love our van because the build is custom and whimsical. When we put the floor in we cut a bit wrong and there was a small patch that was redone. Nobody notices, but we do it and it’s ours.”

“Even the imperfections are beautiful. It gives it character and it doesn’t feel like store bought.

“I can’t believe it was once just a van. I am so proud of what we have created.”

Another couple converted an old van and actually did it a home theater.

And a third couple spent £23,000 Transforming a van into a mini hotel – with fully functional, tiled bathroom and kitchen.

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