In cased you missed it: Woman moves house 56 times in 13 years

Despite the stresses involved with moving house, one lady has notched up a staggering 56 moves in 13 years, with reasons for the moves varying from damp to fleas, ice cream cones to harassment. 

Vanda James, a carer and mother of three grown up children, began moving from house to house in 2001 after she decided to downsize from her 6 bedroom house in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. 

In 2003 and after four different homes, Vanda found herself moving to New Zealand only to return after a week because her son was missing her. 

Months and a couple of moves later, she found herself living with an ice cream man but got fed up with sleeping in a bed that was constantly surrounded by Cornetto Ice Creams. 

In April 2004, she moved to a former fish and chip shop but lasted just 5 days as she could not cope with the smell of fat still present. 

Move number 23 in April 2006, saw Ms James occupy a property in Jersey, only to be forced out 4 days later because her landlords son kept grabbing her bottom. 

An infestation of fleas saw her flee her abode in February 2007 and again in March 2011 and August 2011 after the fleas followed her from Beccles back to Great Yarmouth. 

March 2012 saw Ms James last a month in a home in Beccles but was finally forced out because of traces of dog which caused allergic reactions. 

Ms James even found herself escaping an amorous landlord in Warrington, Cheshire in 2012. 

Amongst the more common reasons for moving house were, sales falling through, damp, mould and long commutes to work. 

At present Ms James has found herself back where it all began in Great Yarmouth, but there are no definite signs that this is her final home. She explains: 

‘I want to be somewhere I can stay for good but it’s so hard…It’s hard to find a place on your own, especially as I’m an older woman. If I was with a partner then this wouldn’t have happened…People say I can’t settle and that I’m fussy, but I do enjoy my way of life.’ 

…as, we are sure, do the estate agents…

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If, unlike Ms James, you want to minimise the amount of times you change your property be sure that everything is to your taste before you move in. Appointing a local chartered surveyor to uncover any hidden defects or to provide professional advice will go a long way towards achieving this.

www.propertysurveying.co.uk

BT / SRJ                                                                                                             01.07.14