I'm always fantasizing about a blissful life in a tranquil rural setting, with no work obligations, but plenty of veg growing, chickens, home-schooling (two kids aged 2 and 5) and practical/creative/building projects on the go. The way property values are going I can't help but think that if I sold my (very modest) London home, once I'd paid the mortgage off the money left would go a long way somewhere like Spain. Or I could rent this place out and live off the income. Perhaps I could actually do it? But then maybe I'd hate it... Has anyone on here done anything similar? What are the francophile expats up to and how's it working out for you? @lost-en-france @tuesday_wildchild Talk me out of it and help me to be happy with my lot...or help me see that it could be a joyous reality and give me some ammunition so I can talk the mrs into it.
I'm in Spain right now and have been talking this through with the mrs. There is no right or wrong answer! Just what best suits you and your family. We think we would be better off (for us and the kids) leaving things as they are for now and looking at it once the kids go to uni/get a job..............so in quite a few years. But by then we'd have enough behind us not to have to graft wherever we go. I do like Spain a lot though!
Gordon Bennet, I could have done this 10x over - sail around the world, move to the coast, you name it. All perfectly practical but shot down with mundanety and the staus quo.
Nobody has the answer to that! The only way you'd know for sure is to do it, sounds like a plan to me. Whats the worst that can happen? You have to go back to living a normal life?! As said its so grim up north you could try out your dream and if it doesn't work out you could buy a nice big detached house next to mine with your coppers! Just be careful of my three cars, camper, hot wife and polite kids, if you get stuck you can come to work with me at my successful business! Yes it really is grim up north
So that's you sorted...what about your kids and their future? Does that lifestyle not limit their future options if they don't want the good life? By observation, small holdings are hard work. On the upside, you won't know if you don't try.
Quite right, your kids must be trained up to be good tax-payers in the rat-race. Any alternative is futile.
Ok ok, I may have exaggerated slightly! Hang on gotta go.......another couple of pans of water off the fire and my tin bath will be full.
In all seriousness it's not grim really, if you have a good transferable skill moving up this way can free up ££££££ and totally change life's but still give your kids the same chance at normal life (education) as the rest of em. I bumped into Duncan Banatyne at the butchers a few weeks ago! He must like the grimness too.
Where did I imply that? You want to raise kids on some small holding in Spain and it transpires they want to be a Surgeon or Particle Physacist then I think a home schooling is exactly what they need eh. And they'll thank you for it I'll withdraw my later comment as I was being an arse, my apologies
Sorry, you sounded like my ex there for a minute. No we can't because... safe, safe, safe... I'm now 55 and had 25 years of the safe option. Is it so bad to stray a degree or two off the beaten track and have what I would regard as a real life? A life not chasing someone else's agenda? Forget exams altogether? I have deja vu.