'We felt like UK had let us down so bought £23,400 house in Bulgaria'

A family of six has "escaped" the UK's financial pressures by snapping up a £23,400 house in Bulgaria, allowing them to live mortgage-free and save a staggering £21,600 annually on household expenses. Amy Smerdon, 35, along with her husband Jerry, 53, had long harboured ambitions of an off-grid lifestyle and were weary of renting, yet found UK property prices beyond their reach.

The couple, parents to two boys aged eight and six, as well as five-year-old twins, initially purchased a three-bedroom fixer-upper in Bulgaria for £7,000 in 2024, intending it to be a holiday retreat. However, following an inheritance from Amy's late grandfather, the Smerdons opted to relocate permanently, acquiring a three-bed property with a vast plot and a sizeable warehouse in Popovo, Bulgaria.

Jerry, who operates a vape shop and ice cream parlour back in the UK, transformed the warehouse into a habitable space earlier this year. Amy, a full-time mum, made the move from Wincanton, Somerset, with the children in March 2025. They are now refurbishing their new home on a £10,000 budget and relish the sense of liberation, managing to put aside £1,801 each month.

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Amy said: "We've regained control of our life. We're actually a family - not just surviving."

Jerry, also a father to four older sons from previous relationships, shared his motivation: "A big part of this was to give this freedom. I've been let down by my own country. We couldn't get any help with paying council tax - and then you get a bailiff turning up at the door.

"We've got two homes - done in six to eight months together. We were struggling to survive in the UK."

Amy had initially considered off-grid living - transforming a shipping container into a dwelling - but discovered the expenses would remain steep in Britain.

She explained: "With the age gap - I'm never going to be able to get a mortgage as I don't have very good credit. Jerry is older - he'd never be able to get one because of his age.

"We didn't want to rent somewhere for the rest of our lives. You can't paint that wall, or put something up on one wall."

The family had holidayed in Bulgaria multiple times and considered it a "lovely" nation. After witnessing others purchasing properties overseas, Amy and Jerry began exploring available options and took a chance on a fixer-upper in Bulgaria.

Amy said: "It was always meant to be a holiday home. It was £7,000 - the price of what you'd pay for a holiday. Then we had no intention of emigrating."

However, as the family began reassessing their British lifestyle, they investigated how straightforward relocating might prove. Amy grew increasingly frustrated with Britain's condition, parenting judgements, and escalating living costs and house prices.

She added: "We weren't living. We were surviving. I just feel the UK had become this rat race. It was like Groundhog Day for me."

Amy started researching Bulgarian properties, and when her grandfather's inheritance came through, they managed to purchase their present home in December 2024 for 27,000 Euros. The family now live without a mortgage and have set aside £10,000 for home renovations, hoping to move in by the year's end. Amy relishes the freedom her children have to play outdoors.

She said: "In the UK we see eight-year-olds walking around with iPhones. We wanted to escape all of that.

"Here they can scream and shout. They can do whatever without someone twitching at the window or knocking and asking for the kids to be quiet. That's really important for me."

Amy also explained that the cost of living was significantly lower - she used to pay £1,300 in rent per month and her bills amounted to £670 in the UK. Now their monthly bills are only £198.50.

While admitting that settling in Bulgaria hasn't been "easy" and they still don't feel completely "settled", Amy has no regrets about their relocation.

Amy said: "It's been our saviour. Everything is so simple and relaxed.

"It's like going back in time. There is no limit - if you want to do something you're able to achieve anything you want. No one can tell you that you can't."

The family's monthly expenses in the UK

Rent - £1,300

Council tax - £238

Internet - £40

Electric - £198

Gas - £129

Water - £95

Total - £2,000

Their current monthly expenses in Bulgaria

Mortgage - £0

Council tax - £18 a year

Internet - £40

Electric - £154

Water - £3

Total - £198.50

They said they save £1,801 monthly compared to their previous costs in the UK, which amounts to an annual saving of £21,618.