A UK couple is currently living the fantasy of many families up and down the country by being able to save hundreds a month, living mortgage-free.
While most of us are living paycheck-to-paycheck, Amy Smerdon, 35, and her husband, Jerry, 53, have taken the leap to get away from the ever-expensive Britain.
The couple – who share two sons, eight and six, and twin boys, five – spotted a £7,000 property on the market in Bulgaria and decided to cash in, do it up, and rent it out as a holiday home.
However, plans changed slightly after Amy received a sum of inheritance money when her grandad passed away. They then also made the decision to purchase a £23,400 three-bedroom home, sat on 2,000 square metres of land.
Jerry, Amy, and their kids moved out from Wincanton, Somerset in March 2025 and are now renovating the home with a £10k budget.
Amy Smerdon, 35, and her husband, Jerry, 53, are living mortgage free (SWNS)
As a family, they are now able to save a whopping £1,801 a month, which is £21,618 a year.
On her time in the UK, the stay-at-home mum said: “We weren’t living. We were surviving.
“I just feel the UK had become this rat race.
“It was like Groundhog Day for me.”
Jerry, who ran a vape shop and ice cream parlour, added: “I’ve been let down by own country. We couldn’t get any help with paying council tax – and then you get a bailiff turning up at the door.
The pair are renovating the property with a £10k budget (SWNS)
“We’ve got two homes – done in six to eight months together.
“We were struggling to survive in the UK.”
The family are no strangers to Bulgaria either, having visited the country on numerous times on holiday. After realising how much cheaper the properties were abroad, they thought it might be a good idea to move out there permanently.
Amy said: “It was always meant to be a holiday home. It was £7k – the price of what you’d pay for a holiday.
“Then we had no intention of emigrating.”
They purchased and did up two properties in under a year (SWNS)
“In the UK we see eight-year-olds walking around with iPhones. We wanted to escape all of that,” she added.
“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.”
In the UK, they were paying £1,300 a month just on rent, with their total costs, including gas and electric, tallying up to £2,000-a-month.
“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 mum said.
Amy and Jerry’s cost of living in the UK
They wanted to provide a better life for their children (SWNS)
Rent – £1,300 a month
Council tax – £238 a month
Internet – £40 a month
Electric – £198 a month
Gas – £129 a month
Water – £95 a month
Total – £2,000 a month
Amy and Jerry’s cost of living in Bulgaria
Mortgage – £0
Council tax – £18 a year
Internet – £40
Electric – £154 a month
Water – £3 a month
Total – £198.50 a month