A couple have revealed how they transformed a dated caravan over the course of just three weekends – thanks to bargain buys from the likes of Ikea and The Range.

Matt Alley and his wife Lara, both 40, with a 22-year-old son at university, bought the caravan in March 2023 for £6k and spent a total of £1.8k renovating the space.

The caravan has now been valued at £9.5k – meaning the savvy couple are set to make an estimated profit of £1.6k from their renovation.

Now, speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, DIY whizz Matt, from Hertfordshire, has shared his top money-saving tips for transforming a tiny home on a budget…

"Although there was nothing technically ‘wrong’ with the caravan when we bought it, the interior was very dated and needed a revamp to our liking," Matt explains.

"We weren’t keen on the sea of yellow-orange wood everywhere!"

READ MORE ON HOMES

I built a high-end tiny home on wheels with mod cons – it’s completely portable

I turned my RV into a super glam tiny home, with gold accessories and a full bar

But luckily, Matt – a heating and plumbing engineer – was able to cut back on costs by doing most of the work himself.

"We did all the work ourselves which is our top money-saving tip – we saved hundreds in labour costs this way," he explains.

FABULOUS FIVER: SPEND £5 AND GET A £25 WELCOME BONUS

"It was also nice to complete our project together. 

"We also saved at least £2k on the initial cost of the caravan by buying it out-of-season."

Most read in Fabulous

Matt goes on to reveal some of the work the couple tackled themselves – including adding dimmable spotlights and LED light tracks to the underside of all the cupboards which are controlled with a remote.

They also painted and re-wallpapered everywhere and used self-adhesive vinyl on the feature wall between the living area and the shower room, and applied stick-on tiles around the kitchen window area.

We did all the work ourselves which is our top money-saving tip – we saved hundreds in labour costs this way

He continues: "We also removed the microwave and adjusted the cupboard to fit an air fryer – we use one at home for nearly all our cooking so having one in the van was a must.

"We had all the seating cushions reupholstered and curtains made for the front windows, in addition to removing the pull down blinds/fly screens from the side windows and kitchen window…and we added Roman blackout blinds."

Savvy Matt says the couple saved hundreds if not thousands by using budget buys to make the space look polished yet homely.

"We bought a lot of the accessories and furnishings from Ikea, The Range and Amazon," says Matt.

"These included vases and ornaments for the shelves.

A breakdown of costs:

• All paint and painting supplies: £220
• Re-upholstering of front seats and new curtains: £800
• New Roman blinds: £130 
• LED light rail with remote and down-lighter: £80 
• New door handles throughout: £100
• Wallpaper and self-adhesive vinyl: £100
• Decorative pieces (all IKEA): £60
• Rugs: £100
• TV and Air Fryer (Matt removed the microwave and altered the existing space to fit): £200
• The caravan is insured with Ripe Caravan Insurance

"We got the blinds, blankets and cushions for the sofa area at Dunelm.

"None of this was very expensive at all – the decorative pieces came to £60 in total, and blankets were £100."

For anyone looking to follow in the couple's thrifty footsteps, then look no further…because Matt has also shared his top DIY tips.

"Watch YouTube if you’re unsure of how to do something yourself – you’ll be surprised that most things are actually quite easy when you’re shown how," he notes.

"Also, follow hashtags and accounts on Instagram and TikTok as you’ll pick up a lot of tips and ideas from people who have already renovated their caravan.

We bought a lot of the accessories and furnishings from Ikea, The Range and Amazon. These included vases and ornaments for the shelves

"If you have questions about how they have achieved certain things, you’ll find that most people they will explain how and tell you the best place to buy things."

Now, the DIY fanatics are enjoying their fully finished caravan and exploring our beautiful country.

"We have trips planned so won’t be selling straight away, as our caravan ticks all of boxes right now," Matt says.

Read More on The Sun

Tributes to girl, 10, found dead at home as international hunt continues

X Factor star looks unrecognisable as Fearne Cotton marks his birthday

"But this is our second conversion (we converted a new Ford Transit into a full campervan) and we really enjoy the whole process – so a bigger caravan might be on the cards in future.

"For now we are so proud of our little home from home (who we call Luan!)" 

Source: Read Full Article