Meet the couple that swapped their house for van life using dad’s inheritance

A couple from Dorset are planning to change their lives quite significantly after a family tragedy made them take stock. The pair plan to take their young children on a long-term road trip across Europe in a campervan named after a recently-departed family member. The adventure will be funded in part by an inheritance left to them following the death of Scott Henley’s father, David Hawkins, who passed away from cancer in December 2023 aged 57 (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

Scott, 43, and his fiancée Billie-Rose, 30, say they want to use the money ‘for good and as a lasting memory of him’. They have also added their own savings to help prepare for life on the road with their two daughters, aged three and one (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

The couple purchased a £15,000 Mercedes Sprinter in May, affectionately naming it ‘The Hawk’ after Scott’s father's nickname. They plan to spend another £15,000 on converting it into a self-contained home. Most of the work has been carried out by Scott during evenings and weekends alongside his day job as a business consultant (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

Plans for their first journey include crossing the Channel into France before heading south to Spain and Portugal, eventually reaching Italy. Scott said they do not have a set date for when they might return to the UK, explaining that they are ‘rolling with it’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

The idea to embark on this journey was shaped by Scott’s father’s passing on Christmas Day in 2023. Scott said: ‘When it came to the inheritance, Billie said we should try and use it for good and as a lasting memory of him. It wasn't a life-changing amount of money but it was enough to do something like this’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

He added that the plan originally started as shorter UK holidays before they decided to sell up and embrace full-time travel. ‘With these things like inheritance it took a year-and-a-half to come to us. And then it was like “you know what, let’s just sell up”’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

Scott explained that their decision was also motivated by family priorities. ‘For me and Billie having to go back to work twice after having two children we thought why are we missing out on watching our kids grow up just to stay in the rat race and be a slave to the nine to five’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

The couple intend to budget carefully while abroad. Scott said: ‘We won't be blowing the house money. Part of us needs to be sensible and needs to make a home for the girls at some point. We're doing 95% save and 5% spend’ He also revealed they have turned to technology to help prepare. ‘ChatGPT has been very good when it comes to planning our route and how much fuel we'll need. We're literally thinking the first six months we'll go across the border to France and hop the coastline in a westerly direction all the way to Italy’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

Play therapist Billie has been researching the concept of ‘world schooling’ as they plan lessons on the road. She said: ‘I've just seen how important play, nature and connection are for children's wellbeing. We want to take things back to basics - slowing down, reconnecting with nature, and giving our girls a childhood filled with adventure, imagination, and starry skies’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

The couple are also planning festive milestones, including spending Christmas 2026 in Lapland. Billie added: ‘We hope by sharing our story we'll inspire other families stuck in a rut like we are with work and not enough with their kids’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)

Scott’s eldest son, aged 18, will join them for part of the trip. Reflecting on the inspiration for their journey, Scott said: ‘I think my dad would absolutely love what we are planning to do as a family, knowing that he helped us achieve our dreams and that his memory will live on, not just through me but also through his grandchildren - one of which he never even met’ (Picture: Billie-Rose/SWNS)