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Original poster

How many times have you moved house?

64 replies

inthegutter · 28/10/2007 19:16

DH and I are early 40s and have owned 3 properties. We started off with a small two bed flat, then moved to a small house, and currently in a 3 bed cottage. Perfectly adequate for our family, though we're toying with the idea of making one last 'move up' to a 4 bed place. Then I guess once the kids grow up and move out, it'll be downsizing for just DH and me!! Which set me wondering... how many house moves have you made so far... and how many more do you envisage? At what point is it still 'worth' moving up - ie if your kids are in the 10-14 bracket as ours are, would you move again or stay put on the grounds that it's not a million years before they'll be off to uni/moving out etc? And also.... when do you start thinking about downsizing? While the kids are at college? Or settled into marriage and jobs? I'm now wishing my life away, honest! I'm just curious.

OP posts:
Hekate · 28/10/2007 20:11

Forgot 2nd bit of your question...would we move again...not unless kicked out or came into lots of money to buy our dream house....OR we may move to dh home country at some point in the future.

noooomoooorescarynames · 28/10/2007 20:30

Since leaving uni (not inc. uni houses) - 7. Since married DH 5. 4 different addresses within a year once. DH is forces, so all were rented except now we're in our own place Yippee!! Don't know how long before we move again as at the mercy of the military. Hopefully we can stay here a while though. If I had the choice we'd never move ever again, I hate moving!

Rumpel · 28/10/2007 20:34

13 times!

Fimbo · 28/10/2007 20:47

Dh & I have had 7 moves in 13 years.

1 bed flat - Dundee, Scotland (owned)
2 bed flat - Glasgow (owned)
3 bed victoria villa - Newburgh, Scotland (owned)
2 bed converted hayloft - Norwich (rented)
3 bed detached - Norwich (owned)
3 bed detached - Norwich (rented)

Finally moved on Friday to our brand new 5 bed/3 floor detached still in Norwich.

Don't want to think about moving again at the moment

expatinscotland · 28/10/2007 20:52

since i was 18 and left the family home?

18 times.

have owned one property.

it's not a question of 'moving up' for me, never has been.

it' either been because of rent hikes or renting a better place or lease termination.

we'll be moving again in a couple of years when our landlords return. i'm hoping then it'll be a more perm move as we'll be homeless in a place with next to know rental housing so top priority for council housing.

that'd be cool, because around here the council housing is actually houses and not flats/highrises or that shite.

expatinscotland · 28/10/2007 20:54

my dad worked abroad fairly often when i was a kid, but they always kept the house they bought in 1972, although we went with him on assignments a total of 7 times, for periods of time from 8 months to 2 years.

so yeah, i've moved a lot.

CantSleepWontSleep · 28/10/2007 20:56

Bought my first house in 1998 (2 bed link-detached). Met dh the following year and moved into his flat (big 2 bed in 300 year old conversion).
Got married end of 2000, and bought first house together 2001 (4 bed semi). Still there, and no plans to move, though we are considering an extension.

PirateoftheScarybeing · 28/10/2007 20:58

17 times since birth wow, i had no idea!

empen · 28/10/2007 21:00

5 times in 5 years with dd (aged 5!) bought and sold them all except most recent which we are renting while we rent out the one wwe own - are planning to move again after tenancy expires. I am getting fed up with it though just want to find my perfect house and settle - Impossible with money etc need 3 bed but never going to be able to afford one in the area we need to live in for school and work!

Original poster
inthegutter · 28/10/2007 21:05

Feel like lightweights compared to you lot!! Even with uni accommodation we can't match up to the number of moves here! TBH though it does make me feel more inclined to think about moving having seen how much some people move. I guess it's the solicitors fees,stamp duty etc that put me off, but maybe we should take the plunge and go for 4 beds. Lol out the idea of wanting to downsize once the kids leave in case they're tempted to move back in - I'll remember that!!

OP posts:
MeMySonAndI · 28/10/2007 21:11

I have lived in 14 houses in 5 different countries. Last 4 with soon-to-be-exh. I love my house but is starting to feel a bit too big.

CantSleepWontSleep · 28/10/2007 21:12

Blimey, if we're doing since birth, including uni rentals, then I've lived in 12 houses/flats.

TheDucHearseOfCorpseBride · 28/10/2007 21:20

From my parents to my first house, a Victorian terrace
Back to parents when father terminally ill
To a detached cottage
To a shared house in London
To a small flat in Maida Vale
To a big flat in Maida Vale
To our current house in Sussex

No current plans to move again.

expatinscotland · 28/10/2007 21:22

K!

Since birth?

27 times.

eidsvold · 28/10/2007 21:26

from 17yo - 11 times.

Move again - probably not - location is fab and we are renovating house to our liking.

BurpyErnie · 29/10/2007 00:12

Left parents
Halls of residence
Shared student house x 2
back to parents
shared house
shared flat
shared house
shared flat
own flat
tent in portugal
flat in portugal
friends setee
flat with DP & DSC (then the landlord sold the property)
House with DP & DSC (then the landlord sold the property)
Mother in laws
Another house with DP & DSC (then the landlord lost his job and had to move back in)
Tent
Camper van
Friends setee
House with DP & DSC & DD (then house developed rising damp and contract could not be renewed due to health reasons. Shame I LOVED the kitchen and the neighbours)
House (landlord lives abroad and is great, just renewed our contract for another year)
Kids don't like their rooms and want to move! AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH

Niecie · 29/10/2007 00:37

Had 4 houses as a child, a few rooms and one flat at university, then had to move back home for a while. I then had my own flat for a year before getting married.

After getting married we lived in

  • a rented house for a year
  • 4 years in a 3 beds semi
  • 3 years in a 5 beds but moved for work
  • 3 years in another 4 beds, moved because DH left that job and we didn't want to stay in the area
  • bought this house (5 beds) 3.5 years ago.

So 5 houses in 14 years.

I would think at least one more move is on the cards. This house is not very well built and is not in our ideal location. I would like to move to Devon but don't know if we will ever manage it. Certainly the idea is to downsize when the children have permanently moved out to release some money for our dotage.

expatinscotland · 29/10/2007 01:45

oh, shit, i was counting 'move house' as in 'to actual physical addresses', not friend's couches, tents, cars and vans, too.

in that case, i'd really have to sit down and think about it.

OverRated · 29/10/2007 02:04

I have lived in 15 different homes. And another 2 temporary places. I feel like a nomad.

dooneygirl · 29/10/2007 02:20

As a child, once.

On my own before marriage, the joke was I'd get a place dirty and instead of cleaning it, I'd just move.

In 9 years with DH, 6 times, and we've got at least 2 more times due to his job. He could probably do it every 3 years, but don't want to now the kids are approaching school age.

I was thinking about it the other day that my grandparents moved when my mom was 2 and that was it for them. That sounds really boring to me, tbh.

portonovo · 29/10/2007 12:53

We moved countless times as a child (army family then moves for various other reasons), and I used to really hate all that moving.

Several rented places as a student, two rented homes after leaving university, one rented place after getting married.

We have since owned 2 homes, including this one. We are now in early 40s and 'could' stay here for ever, in that it is big enough for our reasonable needs (kids each have own bedroom etc). Realistially we would only move under one of the following 3 circumstances:

  1. if we came into a lot of money and bought a 'dream home'

  2. if we downsize to pay off our mortgage now and have more disposable income while the children are all in the expensive teenage stage. We toy with this idea every now and then but it would mean some compromises so may never happen.

  3. when the children have left home we would sort of downsize - smaller house but much bigger garden. We currently have 150 ft garden and an allotment but want more land. Hopefully while we are still young enough to tend it! This might also involve moving areas.

My father-in-law has lived in only 2 houses ever - his childhood home and his married home.

To answer the original question, I would still move while the children are aged 10 upwards, it might be a good while before they have finally left home. You have to reckon on your youngest child being anywhere from 20-25 before leaving home, allowing for up to 4-5 years at university and a year or two to move out following that.

Although we do joke that as soon as our youngest leaves for university we are moving and will send him a postcard telling him where we now live...

EachPeachPearMum · 29/10/2007 13:07

am 33,

17 times. Owned 2, inc current house, been here 2 years this christmas.

am not forces child

lucykate · 29/10/2007 13:38

have lived in -

7 while living at home
4 as a student
1 when renting
1 owned by me
2 owned by me and dh

i hate moving

BiancaCastafiore · 29/10/2007 13:46

I'm 33 and have only had 3 homes in total (whole life!) all within 10 miles of each other

Family home as a child
Rented flat in late teens/early 20's
Current house owned with dh, family home can't see us moving

I'm a real home-body and hate change.

Elphaba · 29/10/2007 13:51

I am 35

As a child I lived in 5 different properties
Lived in student flats
Lived in a student house
Lived in 2 rented flats in London
I have owned one flat in London and 2 houses in our current area (all with dh)