We said our good-byes, shipped over a few extra possessions, and waved off our five pets with the animal carrier who would transport them safely to their new home. We were leaving England for good.
Having purchased our house eight years previously, we were heading for familiar territory. Remarkably, when searching for a property here we had come across an English-speaking agent and had both fallen in love with our new home as soon as we had opened the garden gate. A large detached house with grape vines, a south-facing garden, outbuildings and mountain views. There was even a donkey shed and small barn. It was the sort of home that I had dreamt of owning in England but could never have afforded. There was everything we needed for a small Homestead.
Property Prices are Lower than in England
Property here is still extremely affordable. A house similar to our own can still be purchased in our area for under €40,000. Houses are priced and sold here using euros – though for everything else they use the Bulgarian lev. Our home needed much renovation, but materials and labour are also much less than in England.
Leaving England for Good
Our final decision to leave England for good happened quite hastily, and sooner than planned. Friends and family were divided on our decision. Some felt that we were misguided; some were excited for us; others a little envious that we were prepared to take such an intrepid step. Already knowing a few people over here, having our own possessions and animals with us, and already having begun to learn the language – all made the transition easier. For any one thinking of moving here, I would strongly recommend holidaying a number of times first.
Teething Problems
Of course, that is not to say that we have not encountered any problems. The language is renowned as one of the most difficult languages in the world – it took me three entire days to memorise the word for vegetables (zilentootsey) which still doesn’t represent the real word – which is written in Cyrillic!
Attending the visa office to obtain our residency permits was a further hurdle. We discovered that our house deeds did not even contain an address! Apparently, this is not uncommon here. We had to obtain a letter from the mayor of our village (a much more important figure in each town or village here than in England) to vouch for our residency.
Do We Have Any Regrets at Leaving England Behind?
Do we regret leaving England? The village has welcomed us; the surrounding scenery is breathtaking; the food is the best I have ever tasted; prices are much cheaper than in England; and of corse there is the sun! I can honestly say that we have not looked back.
Of course we have times when we miss friends and family but try to make regular visits home. In today’s world where families live in disparate locations – I remind myself that we wouldn’t get to see our children much more often if we still lived in England. And they now have a free holiday destination.
