With the property market soaring, a carpenter has insisted he may have found the answer to Australia’s housing crisis.
Mark Atkins, from Sydney, has been running his own business – Van Go Fit Outs – where he transforms old buses and vans into permanent homes on wheels.
The 28-year-old – who works out of his workshop in Brookvale – said a growing number of people are turning to him for refurbished vehicles complete with bathrooms and kitchens in a bid to save money for a home deposit.
Mark Atkins (pictured), from Sydney, has been running his own business – Van Go Fit Outs – where he transforms old buses and vans into permanent homes on wheels
The 28-year-old said a growing number of people are turning to him for refurbished vehicles complete with bathrooms and kitchens in a bid to save money for a home deposit
‘You can fill it with petrol once or twice a week and that’s probably $100 – but it’s better than $600 on rent that you don’t actually own,’ Mr Atkins told the Today show.
The idea to launch his own company sprung into mind after he converted his own van into a living space so he could go away on weekends to surf.
‘I was a tradie and I had a van full of tools. I needed to have the surfboards for full weekend adventures so I decked out mine to go up and down the coast,’ he said.
‘I’d be in my wetsuit going surfing and people would stop me half way on my tracks and the surf will be good – but I would be taking them on tour around my van.
‘After about eight months of that, I decided to start a little company. I went from making leisure vehicles for the weekend to a full bus conversions.’
The carpenter has been running his own business – Van Go Fit Outs – where he transforms old buses and vans into permanent homes on wheels
To refurbish the interior of the vehicle, Mr Atkins said it could cost anywhere between $3,500 to a whopping $200,000.
‘Depending on what people are into. We get the client’s vision, we sit down with them and we draw it out, put pen to paper and bring it to life – and build their dream,’ he said.
‘We get them on their next adventure so I mean, it’s all pretty crazy how it started but I’m loving every minute and everyday is sort of different so it’s awesome.’
He said the refurbished vehicles were perfect for families who wanted to save money while travelling around Australia.
‘Why not buy a vehicle that suits your needs? And go around the country and save money while you’re doing it – it’s a win-win I reckon,’ Mr Atkins said.
To refurbish the interior of the vehicle, Mr Atkins said it could cost anywhere between $3,500 to $200,000
‘Australia is your backyard so you can pretty much go and live and enjoy the whole of the country. Why not enjoy the coastline, the city or the country?’
Speaking to Domain, Mr Atkins said he couldn’t keep up with demand – and now he’s doing fit-outs full-time.
‘I’m not getting much sleep at all. There are so many people who now want to save money by living in vans, I can’t keep up,’ he said.
‘They’re saving money on rent and can live in a much more flexible home while they’re saving up for a deposit.’