'We retired early and left the UK for sunny Spain - now we're living the dream'

02 October 2023 , 09:11

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Helen and Stephen Walker decided to quit the UK for Spain (Image: Helen Walker / SWNS)

A couple claim they're 'living the dream' after ditching the UK for Spain and taking early retirement.

Helen and Stephen Walker, from Cosby, Leicestershire, are now spending their mortgage-free days under the sun in Lanzarote, Spain. The duo decided to make the life-changing move after suffering a torrid year in which they lost three loved ones.

Realising that they no longer wanted to wait around for life to happen, they sold their property business and their three-bedroom semi-detached house in Cosby and relocated to Yaiza, a town in the Canary Islands.

Now aged 56 and 55 respectively, Helen and Stephen enjoy financial freedom and spend their days exploring the island and relaxing. They believe that they would not have been able to retire at their current age if they were still in the UK due to the higher cost of living.

Helen and Stephen's house in Lanzarote (Helen Walker / SWNS)

The couple, who were self-employed and rarely took holidays, fell in love with Lanzarote during one of their rare vacations. With Brexit underway, they had to act quickly to make their dream a reality, especially after the loss of three friends and family members in a single year.

London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard

Helen shared: "We lost three people in that year. We thought 'we need to do it now.' We can't think about the kids here, we're going before grandchildren. Otherwise we'd never do it."

The couple found it challenging to leave their children behind, but their youngest daughter, Kate Walker, 22, made things easier by moving in with their son James Sorrell, who is 29. Helen continued: "We put the house on the market. In December 2019 we travelled all down the island looking at where we wanted to live. We found a newbuild in Yaiza and thought 'this is the place'."

The couple sold their UK home for £225k, and purchased the three-bedroom property in Lanzarote for £220k. They relocated in January 2020 and bought the vacant property in February just before the lockdown was imposed in March.

Since then, the pair have invested approximately £40,000 in renovating their Lanzarote home and they are now mortgage-free with low bills. Previously, they were paying £650 per month on a mortgage, and £230 for their gas, electric and water bills in the UK. Helen said: "There's no mortgage and no finance. It's a lot cheaper here to live. I could never retire in the UK."

Now retired, the couple spend their days walking around the island, enjoying coffee and lunch together, and relaxing in the evenings in front of the TV. They dine out when friends visit and around once a week on their own.

Helen said: "Our fitness is fantastic. We do 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. We travel around the island. We can travel from one end of the island to the other in 45 minutes. My view is the Timanfaya national park. The language barrier is a problem sometimes but we're learning Spanish."

Despite her love for her new home, she admits missing her children: "It's just lovely but I miss my children. Taking my kids to the airport after a visit is the hardest thing. I cry and cry. But we're only a four hour flight away."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Emma Dunn