A man has revealed how he sold his three-bed house after a painful break-up to move into a van – now spending just £250 a month on bills while travelling around Europe.
When James Ruddick split with his other half, he had just £2.67 in his bank account and was £18,000 in debt.
Looking around his three-bed house, where he had lived with his partner of 15 years, he decided it was time for a change.
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The Brit was also fed up with the UK’s cost of living crisis – which saw him constantly paying bills and never having anything left over to enjoy his life.
So he put his house on the market, sold all his belongings and moved into a van.
“I had a lovely three-bed house,” the 50-year-old from Carlisle told What’s The Jam.
“It really was nice, but I thought, why am I paying all of this to be in a three-bed house with just a dog and not have any money left at the end of the month?
“About five years ago, a relationship ended that had lasted almost 15 years.
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“ That left me with £2.67 in the bank and £18,000 worth of debt.
“The house had to be sold, which paid off almost all of the debt, but not all of it.
“I bought several houses, renovated them and sold them but the work I was doing at the time went completely wrong.
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“The whole thing fell apart.
“It was a combination of things that made me stop and reassess everything I was doing.
“All my wages were gone by the end of each month.
“I had a van for years that my ex and I used to go away [on long weekends].
“It was a much simpler way of living and I found peace in that.
“So, I sold the house and took the plunge.
“I sold everything I had apart from a few personal items and set off on a journey in the van.”
James purchased a 2008 Mercedes Vario for £25,000 in late 2024.
The vehicle was ready to move into, but James made later upgrades like adding more solar panels and installing a fridge-freezer.
The 50-year-old has since immersed himself into nomadic life with his Labrador, Bruce.
He is fully off-grid except for having a mobile phone with limited internet.
The pair started their adventure across Wales and the south of England before James began volunteering at music festivals.
The unpaid gigs allowed him to park up for free while enjoying meal vouchers and sometimes even free drinks.
When the cold weather hit, he spotted an advert for a house and pet sitter in Portugal and jumped at the opportunity.
From there, he made his way down the Spanish coastline to Tarifa, then up the coast to Valencia and Benidorm.
James said: “Bruce and I are completely off-grid, completely off the system, apart from a mobile phone with limited internet.
“You do feel like you’re on your own but the peace and freedom are amazing.
“I’m much happier now.
“Before selling, I went to a local council and told them I was really struggling.
“I explained that I was likely going to have to sell my house and asked about housing support – but they couldn’t help.
“I had no doctor because I couldn’t find one, no dentist either and I started questioning what exactly I was paying into the system for.
“I was working hard but couldn’t even afford a holiday.
“It was all getting too much – just seeing money coming in and out all the time with nothing to show for it.
“Since moving into my van, I’ve never looked back.
“To be able to travel at your own pace, in your own home, park wherever you like and enjoy better weather – it is an incredible experience.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time.”
Incredibly, despite having no steady income, James says he manages to live on just £250 a month.
Previously, as a homeowner, his monthly bills were £1,200 a month.
The van lifer manages to live frugally by keeping food costs to a minimum – only paying for road tax, MOT, insurance and a cheap phone plan.
Now back in the UK, James says he has more festival work lined up until August.
After that, he’s considering an adventure around Italy.
He added: “I’m incredibly lucky and fortunate to be able to do this.
“I wasn’t forced into it – I could have rented a very small place and continued working a 9 to 5 job.
“But to me, that was just existing.
“I didn’t want restrictions.
“I didn’t want to just pay bills and sit at home alone.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you have – when you’re sitting around a campfire having dinner, everyone is equal.
“You wake up and think, should we stay another day, drive somewhere new or find a different beach?
“I’m at peace now – that’s the best way to describe it.
“I should have done this years ago.”
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