A woman has revealed how she and her family bought a house in the countryside without seeing it first – but says the decision is saving them a fortune.
When Polly Lopez-Clarkson’s husband, Jorge, was made redundant from his job, their lives took a quick downward turn.
The pair, aged 45 and 44, had always lived within their means – owning a secondhand car and ensuring they had no credit cards or debt.
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But this shock meant their future in London was no longer possible and so they rushed to find a way out before plummeting into despair.
Turning to a more rural life, they looked at Scotland and Cornwall before stumbling upon a hidden gem in Devon.
And, without even viewing the property first, they snapped it up.
Today, they reckon the life-changing move has saved them an estimated £25,860 per year.
“We had to sell our car in London and couldn’t find a way to get to Devon to view it,” the stay-at-home mum told creatorzine.com.
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“But there was a real connection with the cottage and its history.
“The seller had young kids, too, and had grown a lot of fruit and veg in the garden – which is something we wanted to start doing.
“The agents were a bit taken back [when we made an offer].
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“But a lot of people were relocating to the countryside at this point – so they probably thought we were just crazy Londoners.
“We weren’t running away for the ‘good life’, though, we had to make this move to save ourselves financially.”
Polly and Jorge, who share four kids, were paying £2,100-per-month for their mortgage payments on their terraced four-bedroom home in the capital.
The idea of rural living had crossed their minds, but they were unable to make it work due to the 44-year-old’s job as a bank trader.
In February 2020, when he was let go, they realised their dreams could finally become a reality – and could offer a debt-free lifeline.
After seeing a video walkthrough from the seller, they were sold.
Now, their outgoings are saving them £1,500 on their mortgage alone per month, with a further £400 monthly on food since they buy locally or harvest and grow their own.
As they no longer go out for meals and entertainment, or go on holiday, they’re saving another £400 by going on local nature walks or swimming in the sea instead.
While their fuel consumption has risen by £145-per-month, it’s a small increase in spite of their frugal lifestyle.
And, wellbeing wise, it’s been a blessing in disguise.
She said: “It’s been great to be in the fresh air; I’ve forgotten how polluted London is.
“I sometimes miss our comfortable lifestyle of being able to go out for family meals and not worry about money.
“But I’m still a stay-at-home mum and Jorge has got a new job in Farming.
“The wages are fairly low, though we’re living on a very different budget.
“We grow our own food and also have chickens that we’re very grateful for.”
Polly and Jorge’s advice to anybody looking to leave the rat race is simple – evaluate it carefully.
She added: “It’s not all a bed of roses.
“Local jobs tend to be low paid and hard to find.
“It’s really crucial to be aware of this.
“As long as you’re realistic, it’s a great move.
“Nature is healing and great for the soul.
“It’s been really beneficial for the kids, too, as they will learn a huge amount about our ecosystem and the real value of life.”
Polly and Jorge are now using their home selling and buying experience to set up their own business, Moovafy, which offers an online community to share their stories.
It’s hoped it’ll put the “human side” back into the property market.
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