This man lived in a van for a year—but that wasn’t how he saved up for a house

Stephan Desrochers was determined to save money, so he took a swing at his biggest expense—rent—by moving into a van for a year. Here’s how this experiment helped him buy a house (but not in the way you think), and launch Van to Vault to teach others how to invest in real estate without much cash.

Q: What led you to live in a van? “I was living in California in my 20s, in and out of my parents’ house, renting rooms and sharing with roommates. After getting my accounting degree, I worked for the local community college for a disappointing salary. I tried cutting costs, and the largest was always rent. So I bought a van, tried to make it into something live-able, and moved in for a year.”

Q: What upgrades did you do? “I installed a subfloor, insulation, electrical, fridge, convertible bed and work desk, and a sink without plumbing connections. I never fully finished because I was living there and working full time, so energy was a constraint, and buying materials was getting increasingly difficult as the year wore on.”

Q: Comfort aside, what were the challenges? “I had to cycle where I’d park. A big white van without windows stands out. Parking at Walmart and other places where people living out of their cars would congregate didn’t always feel safe. I’d usually go to okay neighborhoods, find a privacy wall, park for the night, and not come back to it for a few days. It was a strange way to live while holding a job. I had to get to work early and kind of get ready in the bathroom. It was cheaper than renting, but the trade-offs weren’t worth it. Ultimately, I didn’t save much. I just made life harder. That struggle reinforced the idea that I wanted to get into real estate.”

Q: So how’d you transition from van to house? “Since housing costs in my area were insurmountable at my income, I moved to Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Once I lined up a job and a small apartment, I was finally saving money. In a year, I bought an 800-square-foot starter home for $185,000. I later sold that for $230,000 and bought a duplex for $460,000. I live in one side, rent out the other side long-term, and the basement is a mid-term rental, making $20k to $30k a year.”

Q: What investment lessons did you learn along the way? “So many! House-hacking as an owner-occupant and adding tenants was life-changing. It let me put down just 3.5%, then collect rent, so I end up saving much faster. I also qualified for down payment assistance, and it isn’t as hard to get as you think. This assistance sometimes goes unclaimed!”

Q: What’s your advice for someone who wants to invest without much money? “Seriously, consider moving. I wish I’d done the math on that sooner; I wasted a lot of time because I didn’t want to leave California. Being willing to live somewhere I wouldn’t have chosen at first was my real price of admission—whether it was a van, a different town, or a small house. And if you’re already in an affordable area, look up first-time-buyer programs, read the eligibility rules, and check specifically whether the program allows a two-to-four unit property, because that one line decides your whole strategy. House-hacking as an owner-occupant and adding tenants was life-changing. It allowed me to put just 3.5% down, then turn around and collect rent, so I end up saving so much faster.”

Q: Do you ever miss living in your van? “I’d like to build another van in the future for travel. There’s a whole van-dwelling community, and I know a few people still doing some version of it now. But living there long term? Never again.”