A MUM has shared how she ditched grey Britain to move to a sunny “island of heaven” with her kids – and hasn’t looked back since.
Holly Smith, who posts under @itshollysmith_, shared all of the reasons why she prefers her new life in Mallorca in Spain for her family.
In a clip, she shared: “Why would I move to Mallorca?
“It’s been almost a year since moving back to this little island of heaven and here’s some of the reasons…”
The first thing she said she prefers in Mallorca is the community as an expat, and explained: “We are all away from ‘home’ even though this is now home.”
She added that there is “such a sense of security” in her new location too.
Her next reason she loves Spain is the “lifestyle.”
She added: “Take your children everywhere with you and they’re welcome, in fact they’re always catered for.
“Soft play in a restaurant? You bet!”
Of course the weather and location was also a huge factor in her preferring life overseas, and added “look at those beaches”.
The mum also has had a positive experience with the schooling system for her four-year-old daughter.
She explained: “I found that the actual state schools here are really, really good, and my daughter’s thriving.
“She’s got some friends, and there’s a lot of English children because where we live there’s obviously quite a few English people.”
Holly shared she also loved that she had the “opportunity to have a different life away from the grey skies, and the business of England.”
She added: “The pace of life is so much more relaxed, and you have so much more time for socialising and enjoying the small things.”
Many people were quick to comment on her videos, and agreed that living in Spain is great.
One said: “Best place to be.”
Another added: “Great job mama.”
The number of Brits moving to Spain has increased rapidly since the late 1990s and around 307,000 lived there in 2022.
How easy is it to move abroad?
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
