Our pretty seaside town where Beyond Paradise is filmed is being taken over by toffs… it’s so expensive I live in a VAN
A MAN says the seaside town where Beyond Paradise was filmed has become too expensive thanks to takeover costs that keep him living in a van.
Kieran Lewis, 23, said the picturesque Looe in Cornwall – the setting for the hit BBC One drama – has become too expensive for locals.
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So he decided to spend £6,000 renovating a Volkswagen van – where he lives full-time.
Delivery driver Kieran has no regrets and hopes to set up a truck conversion business with his savings.
But he said the “crazy” housing situation meant Looe – where Beyond Paradise was filmed – became too expensive for many people.
“People do it out of necessity or for a bit of fun, but the housing situation here is insane,” says Kieran.
“Price is in millions.
“A lot of people have second homes here, and to be honest, a lot of locals hate them because they’re valuing them.”
Kieran decided to renovate the Volkswagen LT35 with his friend Dan Dayment, 23 years old in March 2021.
He is studying at university in Plymouth and wants to avoid the cost of accommodation £450 a month.
The truck costs £2,900, with another £3,000 spent on improvements.
Kieran had hoped to then buy a traditional home after graduation.
But after considering soaring property costs in Looe and Cornwall in general, he decided to stick with the truck.
The median house price in Looe over the past year has been just over £340,000, according to Rightmove.
This is around £50,000 higher than the UK average.
However, despite the setback, Kieran says life in a van is a blessing in disguise.
He has even driven it around Europe with girlfriend Lois Coram, 23, and hopes to use his £11,000 savings to launch a renovation business.
“I can go anywhere I want at any time,” says Kieran.
So a lot of people have second homes here, and to be honest, a lot of locals hate them because they’re valuing them.
Kieran Lewis
“The biggest problem is finding somewhere to bathe and find drinking water.
“Sometimes I go to my parents’ house to shower because they live nearby.
“Bathing outside with a bucket of water in December isn’t fun – especially when it’s -2 degrees.”
Kieran currently works as a delivery driver three days a week, but once he’s saved up, he’ll focus full time on renovating his campervan – called Kip Campers.
He says he spends around £200 a month on fuel, £60 a month on insurance and around £25 on taxes.
His truck is also solar powered, meaning his energy bills cost nothing and all the water he gets for free from public taps or from kind neighbors. .
He added: “Instead of throwing money away every month, you’re actually getting something in return if you renovate a truck.”
Earlier this month, a woman revealed she had quit her job and bought a campervan to live and work while traveling around the world.
Kate and Steve Kennedy, aged 30 and 45, love camping after their first driving holiday – a weeklong trip from London to Rome.
Last month, a couple living in a renovated van revealed they were bored with paying rent and living a 9 to 5 hour life.
Tom & Amy have been living in a Luton van they’ve converted together since 2019.
Elsewhere, a couple told how they splashed out £6,000 to convert their van and are now traveling around Europe in it.
Train driver Daniele Mei, 40, and his partner Chiara Ralli, 39, from Rome, have left their mundane lives behind for a new lifestyle on the road.
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