A woman has spent $1,800 (£1,342.59) transforming a 1980s converted RV into her dream forest cottage – inspired by her trip to the Cotswolds.
Annie Wonderlich, 43, from Los Angeles, purchased the $54,000 (£40,275.90) home in Washington State in February 2026 and plans to transform the façade so it no longer resembles a van but instead a traditional English cottage.
She is also set to have a 200 sqft shed built, which she will turn into her 'dream wardrobe' and vanity.
Annie said she did not want to 'get stuck with a mortgage' for life and instead made a $15,000 (£11,187.75) down payment on the quirky property using her savings – and is paying $754.14 (£562.60) per month for the next five years. She expects her mortgage to be paid off by 2031.
With her living room complete, she is now undertaking changes to her kitchen, bedroom and bathroom – spending $1,800 (£1,342.53) so far – but says there is 'no budget plan' and will aim to make her home her 'special place' over time.
Her new home comes after she lived in a van with dogs Charlie, five, and Emilie, five, for four years after the pandemic and LA's shutdown meant she was left unable to move into her new apartment.
From 2023, she had been living with her mother, 73, in her attic, paying off debts after an accident left her with a broken back.
Annie, a content creator, said: 'I'm calling it my forest cottage. The whole purpose is I want to design a life I like and is meaningful to me.'
'I wanted solitude and peace, and I know I wanted slow mornings and slow days.'
'In America, you're sold the idea of the American dream of more and more, and a million-dollar home, [but] you're trapped in a mortgage that you've got to work years to pay off.'
'I didn't want to get stuck with a mortgage for 30 years that I'm stuck with for the rest of my life.'
'I can pay this place off sooner, and by the time I'm 47, I won't have a mortgage anymore.'
'Part of my journey is to still travel, and I'll be getting my van back from repair in the next month and plan to very much maintain that as part of my lifestyle.'
After living in her van for four years, Annie, who was working as a content creator at the time, flew to England as she had done a few times previously and stayed in the Cotswolds for Christmas in 2023.
It was here she had an accident – falling down a flight of stairs – that left her with a broken back and wrist.
After a two-week hospital stay, she was able to return to the US but had to pay $1,500 (£1,118.60) for a flight as she was unable to sit up.
'After an injury like this you go into major debt,' she says. 'I lost all my work. Digging out of debt for two years was very hard. I was staying in my mother's attic to protect my mental health and physical health'.
In August last year, Annie's sister found the unique property through word of mouth – an RV that had already had a sundeck and sunroom built on it.
Annie's costs per month: Mortgage: $754.14 (£562.60); Utilities: $250 (186.50); Renovations so far: $1,800 (£1,342.83); Wi-Fi/other bills: $50 (37.30); Total: $2,854.14 (£2,128.86).
After seeing the property in person, Annie 'fell in love' with it and placed an offer.
She set about cleaning the place up after she moved in in February 2026, clearing out old carpets and mice droppings, installing new wooden flooring and painting.
'The sunroom and living room are done,' she says. 'I'm working on the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.'
'I'm also building a 200sq ft shed and turning it into my dream wardrobe and vanity.'
'I'm going to put a façade outside the structure and make it more like an English cottage.'
Aside from Wi-Fi and her phone bill, and paying off her remaining medical debt, Annie says utilities are 'roughly $250' (186.50) per month in her home.
Sharing her renovations with followers online, she says she has been 'surprised' by the reaction.
She said: 'I didn't know how people would receive it, but I was so excited to post, I didn't care.'
'On Instagram it went viral. Like I said it's not polished or perfect. What people resonate with 100 per cent right away is how peaceful, how small and perfect it is.'
