Sydney Lawyer Swaps Mortgage Stress for Van Life Freedom

Phoebe Macdougall earns enough to buy a house, but the 37-year-old lawyer prefers sleeping in a van by the beach.

In 2021, the Sydney-based attorney made a choice that shocked her colleagues. She sold her Coogee apartment and eventually traded a $600-per-week Manly rental for a converted van and complete freedom.

"The stress that came with the mortgage for me was not worth it," Macdougall said. To afford her apartment payments, she'd been forced to rent out a bedroom, never truly enjoying the space she was sacrificing so much to own.

Now she works out of a Sydney CBD office during the day and parks near beaches or gum trees at night. When she travels regionally to represent clients, her home comes with her.

The lifestyle helps her manage work stress in ways an expensive apartment never could. "I think in my industry we're faced with a lot of heavy traumatic content," she explained. "To be able to finish work, go home and switch off and that home be surrounded by a beach or gum trees is such a privilege."

Her simplified life includes spearfishing for dinner, a skill she finds empowering. She's saving money faster than when she rented, building a safety net that gives her options for the future.

The Ripple Effect

Macdougall isn't alone in her choice. According to the Caravan Association of Australia, about 20 percent of full-time van dwellers earn over $100,000 annually, representing roughly 2 percent of the country's population.

The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia has 40,000 registered members and aims for 1 million by 2040. Industry researcher Peter Clay sees younger generations and higher earners increasingly choosing this path, searching for authentic experiences in a changing world.

While researchers caution against glamorizing van life when many Australians face housing insecurity, Macdougall's choice represents something different: the freedom to prioritize experiences and mental health over traditional markers of success.

Her colleagues often tell her they wish they could do the same thing, and her response never changes: "You can, anyone can do it."

For Macdougall, who once felt pressured by corporate expectations to own property, the road offers something more valuable than equity.