When 24-year-old Jess Hill handed over the keys to her £125,000 home in Wigan, friends thought she’d lost the plot. But to Jess, it was a leap toward freedom.
The University of Salford graduate had grown tired of a life many aspire to — a steady job, a three-bedroom house, and a reliable car. But behind closed doors, the stress of high bills and a soul-crushing three-hour commute was taking its toll.
“I was working hard, but I wasn’t happy,” Jess told The Sun. “I felt like I was living to work just to pay bills, not actually living.”
So, she made a radical decision — she sold her house and bought a Citroën Relay van, pouring her savings into converting it into a mobile home. The plan? To travel full-time and document her new lifestyle online.
Rewriting the Rules of Success
For Jess, the move wasn’t about running away from responsibility — it was about redefining what success and stability mean in 2025.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, many students and graduates are questioning traditional paths. With rent prices soaring and job security still patchy in some sectors, alternatives like van life, house-sharing, remote freelancing and digital nomadism are gaining traction.
“I want to live more simply, more intentionally,” Jess says. “I’m swapping council tax for solar panels, and I’ve never felt more in control of my own future.”
Life on the Road
Her van will include a bed, mini kitchen, shower and compost toilet — all powered by solar energy. The build is still underway, but Jess has already started sharing her progress on TikTok and Instagram, where she’s found a growing community of students and young adults dreaming of similar escapes.
She plans to travel across the UK and eventually Europe, taking on freelance work and content collaborations to fund her travels.
A Growing Movement
Jess isn’t alone. #VanLifeUK has become a booming hashtag, and the trend is picking up among graduates looking for adventure — and affordability. A recent Student Beans poll found that 1 in 5 UK students would consider alternative living situations, including converted vans or tiny homes, due to high rental costs and a desire for more freedom.
With rising tuition debt and economic uncertainty, this generation isn’t just following the script — they’re rewriting it.