A man who was booted out of his home found a new lease of life after converting an old Ford Fiesta into somewhere for himself to live.
It’s all the rage these days, turning vehicles into your home.
Of course, there are ways in which it isn’t exactly ideal - think about the toilet and shower situation to start with - but many people believe it offers them some freedom and adventure, as well as being considerably cheaper than owning a home.
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Hell, who can afford to buy a home these days?
Definitely not 33-year-old Yavor Dantzarov, but he also now reckons that he doesn’t want a traditional home, and may never live in a flat or a house again.
His story all started when he was kicked out of his £600 per month room in South London.
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The flat - he says - was ‘disgusting’ and he didn’t sign a formal tenancy agreement, meaning that when the landlord decided that he needed to leave at short notice, he was left with nowhere to go.
So, he headed for Facebook Marketplace and bought a used Ford Fiesta for £800 and decided to convert it, inspired by a friend of his who had recently done up a van for a similar reason.
The 1.2 litre hatchback was converted - in a relatively loose sense of the word - for less than £1,000, much of which went on a subwoofer and new speaker system.
Yavor, who works as a truck driver, took out the seats and added in a bed, before putting in insulation and an extractor fan.
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He said: “I took everything out, removed the seats and built a simple wooden frame to level the floor.”
Then, he ordered some relatively cheap Amazon padding for his bed, and bought up a gym membership that gives him access to more than 300 gyms around the country where he can use showers and toilets 24/7.
“I have put a lot of things in that are not necessary - but the actual build is not very expensive - less than £1,000,” he explained.
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“I got a [gym] membership for £23 per month and you have 24-hour access to showers with hot water, good pressure and free toilets.”
As for food, he’s got a gas cooker which he just uses outside to make his scran.
He drives a truck for a living, so Yavor is used to life on the road.
Now, he loves his new lifestyle.
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“I started looking for another room but I didn't have the money to pay for a deposit so it was impossible for me,” Yavor said.
“To be honest, I love it and I don't miss anything.
“If I could go back in time, I would have done this 10 years earlier.
“I don't want to just go to work and go home, go to work and go home, go to work and go home, that's prison and I don't want to be in prison anymore.
“I'm a driver in my soul… I just like to drive and be on the road.
“No more houses for me, I'm finished with that.
“Having four walls around you is like a prison and you have to pay for this - no thank you.”
As for any future romantic relationships he might want to have, Yavor isn’t too worried.
“They’ve got flats, or at least most of them do,” he said.
As for his own future, he hopes that one day he can save up enough money to convert a Porsche Panamera into a campervan.
Tom Wood