Van vs House

After two months in lockdown at a campground in Christchurch, we were finally allowed to travel again. And that’s when I started to get cabin fever. Suddenly, the van felt too small. 

The whole time during lockdown, it didn’t bother me at all. Ever since I moved into the van, I’ve never spent more than 3-4 days in the same place – except for when I’m housesitting, but that’s different because I’m not living in the van. I would have thought being stuck in one place would be hard, especially with cafes, libraries and other places I go to when I feel like a change of scenery being closed as well. 

I thought I’d struggle with being confined to such a small space. But I didn’t. 

It wasn’t until after I left Christchurch and hit the road again that the van suddenly started to feel very small. I think it’s because during lockdown there was nothing I could do about it. I’m generally very good at accepting circumstances when I can’t change them and keeping a positive attitude. It’s a very different story when I feel like I can do something about it. 

So with being allowed to travel again and having all my freedom back, all the hours spent inside the van in the last few months caught up with me. It also didn’t help that the weather was very mixed with a few rainy days. I got frustrated with spending so much time in the same spot. I got annoyed with having to make and unmake my bed every day to have a lounge. I didn’t like that I don’t have a proper spot to work from…

I still love the van, but I felt like I needed a break. 

Luckily, I came across a housesitting job in Picton, and since I was heading that way anyway to catch the ferry, I jumped at the opportunity. It was nice to have more space for a few days but, tell you what, 24 hours into housesitting, I started missing my van. 

Turns out, it’s true what they say about absence making the heart go fonder. 

Yes, a house offers more space, but when I thought about it, there are many benefits to living in a van. 

1.     Life is simpler!

This is a big one for me. Live is just so much simpler when I’m in the van. There is less cleaning, less maintenance, less clutter, and also fewer decisions – I don’t need to think about where to sit for work, there is only one option. 

2.     It’s warmer

OK, this might seem counterintuitive, and I do admit that a well-insulated house with heating in all rooms would be warmer than my van. However, there aren’t many well-insulated houses with heating in all rooms in New Zealand. Most homes have heating in the lounge and other main rooms, but the rest of the house often stays cold. And, because hardly anyone has automated, central heating, houses are cold in the morning. Of course, my van is cold too in the morning, but all I have to do it turn on the gas heater, and within 10 minutes my entire home is warm and cosy. 

3.      It’s cheaper 

You can’t argue with this one. Even if I stay on a campground with power, internet and access to facilities, I only pay about $100 - $150 per week, including all expenses. You’ll have a hard time finding an apartment or even just a room in a house for that kind of money. 

4.     Freedom!

This is the main reason why I love vanlife. The freedom and flexibility! If I don’t like it somewhere, I move on. If I do like it, I stay longer. If my neighbours are unreasonably noisy, I pack up and go somewhere else. I don’t know where I will be next month – and I love that. If a great opportunity comes up or I hear of a place I want to see, I just hop in the driver’s seat and get going. You can’t do that with a house! 

I think I just needed a little break to remind myself how much I love living in a van and why. Yes, I like having the opportunity to housesit occasionally, and I am keeping an eye out for other housesitting jobs this winter (there aren’t many given everyone had to cancel their international trips this year). But I have no intention to move back into a house full-time anytime soon. 

Having said that, I do think it might be time to up-size in the not too distant future. I will keep the van for now because I want another summer or easy travelling and in that regards a small van is better. But I think after that it might be time to find something a little bigger. 

But who knows, I keep changing my plan – and I love that I can do that. 

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