Description:Anyone who has booked (and had to cancel) a holiday in 2020 will know just how frustrating it is to plan any kind of getaway this year - which could explain why so many of us have taken to camping and staycations, instead.
And with the ongoing uncertainty of booking a break in the middle of a pandemic, mum-of-three Natalie Hopkins, 31, from Rugby, decided to take on a lockdown project, refurbishing a secondhand caravan that had everything the family needed for a UK staycation.
And the before and after pictures are incredible. Can we move in?
After snapping it up on eBay less than four weeks before their break, Natalie spent every weekend and evening renovating the caravan.
"I bought it secondhand off eBay as a bit of a lockdown project," Natalie told Tyla.
"As we're a family of five, booking a holiday came with so much uncertainty because of Covid. When we knew it was going to be a different kind of year, we thought a caravan would give us the freedom to get away from it all.
"We realised the UK had so many lovely campsites we could pitch up on with different scenery and beaches to explore. So we decided to invest in a caravan that would have everything we needed for a camping break.
"We ended up buying it just a few weeks before our holiday, which meant I spent pretty much every spare moment painting while the kids were in bed!"
You can see a clip of the renovation below:
Natalie managed to spend less than £500 on the entire renovation, using leftover flooring from her bedroom and bargain accessories from the likes of Asda, IKEA and Dunelm.
The kids' bedroom had a total overhaul, with Natalie painting cupboards, adding chic leather handles and converting the sofas into beds filled with cute rainbow accessories and throws.
"In the kids' room I painted the beds in Cuprinol Urban Slate, using outdoor paint to make it extra durable, and then added leather handles which I bought for a few pounds off Etsy," Natalie explained.
"A friend did our upholstery which was the biggest cost, and I used leftover flooring we'd had in our bedroom. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law made the curtains from some leftover fabric we'd used in our lounge.
"For the bathroom I used Cuprinol outdoor paint to paint over all the wallpaper, and after ripping out the old cabinet above the sink, I added some cheap accessories. The mirror was from Asda and I created the little shelf myself from a £3 IKEA spice rack!"
Just *look* at this bathroom makeover...
"The shower holder I swapped for an old piece of black curtain pole which I cut to size and the metro effect stick on tiles were £18 per pack from Dunelm.
"I also used these in the kitchen and replaced the tap for a black one off Amazon. A lot of the materials I used were leftovers from DIY projects in the house.
"For the kitchen worktops I sanded the edges and then for a finishing touch I spray painted the fridge black. I did this with the caravan ceiling lights too!"
Over the last few months, caravan holidays have surged in popularity. In fact, a recent study by Auto Trader revealed a whopping 71 per cent of Brits would consider staying in one this winter.
And it seems to be especially popular with families, too. "The kids adore the caravan and think it's a great adventure holidaying in it," Natalie added.
"They love having their own little space styled just like their bedrooms at home with cushions, duvets and their favourite story books."
You can check out more of Natalie's DIY transformations over on her Instagram page @do_it_mumself.
