
Most young couples know how expensive it can be to rent a place to live and to get on the property ladder.

But one pair from Stroud in Gloucestershire have found the perfect home after spending £10,000 converting the inside of the back of an old white van into a place to live.

Adam Croft, 29, and his partner Nikki Pepperell, 32, found the cost of renting just too much to bear and wanted to create the flat of their dreams.

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Adam Croft and his girlfriend Nikki Pepperell inside the back of their extra-large transit van they have converted into their new house

The couple spent £6,500 transforming the inside of the van into a home, which comes complete with a kitchen, where the couple can cook their meals

The pair kneel down to show how their oven works in the converted Ford Transit van, which they bought for £3,500 after being unable to afford rent

Despite being a van and not connect to a mains water supply, the van still has a sink with water, which the couple can use to fill up their kettle

The small compartment also has a bunk bed for the couple to sleep in and they have already spent several night in their new home

So, after being unable to save any money, the couple splashed out on a £3,500 Ford Transit Luton they bought on Ebay.

They then spent the next year converting the van into a place to live, shelling out £6,500 while living with their parents.

Now they have a brand new solar-powered home, complete with a kitchen, shower, toilet and a bedroom.

The van also boasts windows, a porch, new flooring, full insulation and even a sofa to relax on.

The couple have now gave up their office jobs and now intend to spend at least a year travelling across Europe, and possibly may never return.

Mr Croft, who finished the project last week, said: 'The main idea behind it is that we found it far too expensive to rent here.

As well as a kitchen, the van has a small sofa, where the couple can relax. They also installed brand new flooring and added finishing touches such as cushions and throws

In order to keep warm in the colder weather the couple have also installed a fire, while in the summer they can open the windows they have also had installed

The couple don't have to go elsewhere to use the bathroom, as the van comes complete with a small toilet and shower cubicle

Mr Croft, 29, and Miss Pepperell, 32, had become fed-up with the cost of renting and bough the van after wanting to create the flat of their dreams

'It was also so we could go away in the winter without being tied down.

'Pretty much all of our wages were going. At the end of the month, once we had paid for the running of the car and living costs, we wouldn't really be left with anything.

'We were thinking about how we could live without struggling - it was a joint idea.

'It was one of those things we had been talking about. There were a few points when we thought "is this a good idea?"'

The project was kick-started last June when the pair returned from New Zealand and spent a week on a boat in Falmouth, Cornwall.

They were jealous of the freedom their friends had and wanted to do something similar themselves, but knew a boat was out of the question.

Major electrical work had to be carried out on the van in order for the lights and other electrical appliances in the home to work

Mr Croft and Miss Pepperell spent over a year converting the van, while they lived with the parents, spending £6,500 on the renovations

The work to fit out the van was carried out by the couple themselves, with them using drills and saws to give the house its wood-effect interior

Short on money, they moved back in with their parents and began working on the van, spending money when they could.

Mr Croft, who owns Cotswold Bells and is a landscape gardener, added: 'We both had a tiny bit of savings.

'We were working and building it in our spare time.

"We did it completely ourselves. I haven't done any building work and it was the first time Nikki had picked up a drill.

'It was just about getting on with it, watching YouTube videos and learning as we went.

A 3D model of the white transit van, which shows how the back of the van is the living, bedroom and kitchen area, while the front is the cab for driving

The old white transit van cost the couple £3,500 to buy and they have spent a total of £10,000 converting it into a place for them to stay

'We had a massive struggle because we were doing quite a lot through the winter. We found we had a leak.

'We couldn't get stuff on the roof to cure the leak because it was always raining. We also didn't have a garage to store it in.'

The pair have already spent a few nights in the van but have delayed travelling while they sell off all their belongings.