Sydney lawyer ditches mortgage 'stress' for van life

Phoebe Macdougall enjoys life on the road, and visits a number of campsites every year. (ABC Port Macquarie: Nakita Jager) A Sydney-based lawyer sold her Coogee apartment and moved into a van. Phoebe Macdougall, 37, is part of a cohort of working professionals choosing to live on the road amid high property prices and the cost of living. The Caravan Association of Australia predicts more people, on a wide range of incomes will convert to "van life". Link copiedShareShare articleSydney-based lawyer Phoebe Macdougall can afford to rent or even buy a property, but instead she chooses to live in a van. In 2021, Ms Macdougall sold her Coogee apartment, before moving into a $600-a-week rental in Manly. But she left both, in exchange for life on the road. The 37-year-old is among a number of professionals who are choosing to live in vans amid soaring property prices. In order to afford the mortgage payments on the Coogee apartment, Ms Macdougall said she was forced to forced to rent out a bedroom. Phoebe Macdougall has lived in her van for five years. (ABC Mid North Coast: Nakita Jager) She said there was a lot of pressure to own a house, while working as a lawyer in the city. "Once I was in Sydney and in that corporate lifestyle, it felt like that was the goal that you had to get to," she said. Ms Macdougall is based in Sydney, where she works out of an office in the CBD but often travels to regional areas to represent her clients. Phoebe Macdougall often travels for work regionally, and stays in her van nearby. (ABC Mid North Coast: Nakita Jager) She said her lifestyle helped her manage the stress of work. "I think in my industry we're faced with a lot of heavy traumatic content and 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," she said. Ms Macdougall lives a simple lifestyle on the road, which includes catching her own fish with a spear gun. "I've always loved the ocean and diving," she said. "As part of that simple living I decided I wanted to catch my own food and provide for myself, so spear fishing for me is really empowering." Phoebe Macdougall often spearfishes and consumes her catch on the road. (ABC Mid North Coast: Nakita Jager) The lawyer said many people were surprised when she told them she was living in a van. But Ms Macdougall said living in a van did not mean sacrificing financial stability. "Travel is a huge part of my life," she said. "To be renting and to not be able to go on holidays, it's not that I couldn't afford the rent, but what is your life outside of that? Phoebe Macdougall says she would rather live in a van, than own or rent. (ABC Mid North Coast: Nakita Jager) At first, Ms Macdougall said she was a bit unsure, especially being a woman living alone on the road. "I think that's a worry for a lot of people, especially solo female travellers. They're worried about safety and whether or not the lifestyle is for them," she said. "That was definitely a consideration when I first moved out but I got over that quickly." According to the Caravan Association of Australia, about 20 per cent of those who live in a van full-time are on incomes of more than $100,000, representing about 2 per cent of the country's population. The industry body's researcher, Peter Clay, said he had seen a lot more people from younger generations choosing the lifestyle as well as those on higher incomes. "People are saying it's more cost-effective as opposed to being in the rental market." Hazel Blunden says life on the road is often glamorised. (Supplied: Hazel Blunden) Social policy researcher at UNSW Hazel Blunden said it was important this lifestyle was not glamorised, as many Australians had no choice but to live in a van. "We might dress up homelessness as a lifestyle choice, or we end up normalising people having to live in a vehicle," Dr Blunden said. Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia CEO Richard Barwick said it had about 40,000 registered members, but was aiming for 1 million by 2040. Phoebe Macdougall says she lives a simple life on the road, after returning from a day's work in court. (ABC Mid North Coast: Nakita Jager) "I think there will be an increase in not just high incomes, but right across the board." Phoebe Macdougall said she believed many others in the corporate world could also thrive while on the road. "I hear it all the time from people I work with, who say, 'I wish I could do that' and I always say, 'You can, anyone can do it.'" But for Ms Macdougall, the road trip never ends. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionTop StoriesDelta Goodrem takes fourth spot in Eurovision 2026 as Bulgaria winsLIVE

Sydney lawyer ditches mortgage 'stress' for van life

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