Emigrating to buy house with land for horses, anybody done it?

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Mossi

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Just wondered if anyone from the UK has or is considering moving abroad to property with land for a better horsey lifestyle and weather, i.e. France, Spain? If so, has it worked out ok?
 
We emigrated for a better standard of living and lifestyle (and got it) the fact that we also found a property with land was just a bonus.

We didn't come over specifically for the horse aspect of things, or for the weather (says she looking out at snow that has been on the ground for 12 weeks)

We have been here 7 years in September, never once have we regretted leaving the UK, we have had PR cards (Permanent Resident) for 5 years and are just waiting for Citizenship.

I have absolutely no intention of returning to the UK to live - ever. 90% of the ex-pats I know here feel the same. I may have been born English, but I have morphed, for better or worse, into a very happy Canadian - home is wherever I lay my hat and all that.
 
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Having lived abroad as an expat in various countries both Europe and North America for 34 years with horses on livery, I moved to UK to buy a property to keep my horses at home and have a better quality of life!!

The grass isn't always greener on the other side and weather isn't everything ;)
 
Enfys said:
We emigrated for a better standard of living and lifestyle (and got it) the fact that we also found a property with land was just a bonus.
We didn't come over specifically for the horse aspect of things.

We have been here 7 years in September, never once have we regretted leaving the UK, we have had PR cards (Permanent Resident) for 5 years and are just waiting for Citizenship.

I have absolutely no intention of returning to the UK to live - ever. 90% of the ex-pats I know here feel the same.
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Sounds great Enfys, which country?
 
Not country but county - I swapped a 2 1/2 bed ugly 1970's semi on an estate (Berkshire) for a 3 double bed detached house with 12 acres (Lincs) - £ for £ the same price.

No better weather ! but lifestyle, horses at home, pace of life etc. are wonderful. Highly recommended - if only I could get the weather it'd be great.
 
Nicnac said:
The grass isn't always greener on the other side Absolutely. I don't have grass for 6 months of the year:D and weather isn't everything ;)
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Again, quite right. :D

Wow 34 years! That is a lot of time, are you British, whereabouts have you been? (sorry, nosey) That must have been interesting to have moved about so much.
 
Mossi said:
Just wondered if anyone from the UK has or is considering moving abroad to property with land for a better horsey lifestyle and weather, i.e. France, Spain? If so, has it worked out ok?
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Yes. We came to visit friends from Scotland who had just finished renovating a farmhouse. This farm was advertised in H&H the week before we left. We visited on Saturday again on Tuesday made an offer, that was in May and I moved here on my own in November. My husband moved to France three years later when he retired.

We have 32 acres, 16 loose boxes, sand school and two old stone barns. We love this farm.

We did not want to move further south than the Loire, too hot and dry in summer or live north of Sarthe too much like an English climate. Angers suits us well and is not too far from the channel for trips back to the UK.
 
Nicnac said:
Having lived abroad as an expat in various countries both Europe and North America for 34 years with horses on livery, I moved to UK to buy a property to keep my horses at home and have a better quality of life!!

The grass isn't always greener on the other side and weather isn't everything ;)
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I couldn't afford a property with land in the UK, but could in, for example, France. It would be nice to try such a venture after living in grimey, rainy Greater Manchester for all my life and struggling to find a decent place to keep my horse and my child lol!. I think you suddenly get to a point in your life when you feel it's now or never. At least you have experienced different countries and it's great that you've settled into a good life back here in the UK.
 
Rollin said:
Yes. We came to visit friends from Scotland who had just finished renovating a farmhouse. This farm was advertised in H&H the week before we left. We visited on Saturday again on Tuesday made an offer, that was in May and I moved here on my own in November. My husband moved to France three years later when he retired.

We have 32 acres, 16 loose boxes, sand school and two old stone barns. We love this farm.

We did not want to move further south than the Loire, too hot and dry in summer or live north of Sarthe too much like an English climate. Angers suits us well and is not too far from the channel for trips back to the UK.
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I'm loving the thought of France - thanks.
 
We would be well up for moving abroad, especially the US/Canada. I like that my OH is up for it too, and hope that we are able to do it one day.

What jobs did you do before Enfys? I am a student and my OH works in a shop, so I don't think we'd be very in demand at this point!

Wouldn't really want to go anywhere hot, although more daylight would be nice.
 
Enfys said:
Again, quite right. :D

Wow 34 years! That is a lot of time, are you British, whereabouts have you been? (sorry, nosey) That must have been interesting to have moved about so much.
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We don't have much grass here either at the moment! US (3 x) Bahamas (no grass there either ;):p), Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden - all good green grass countries! Nowhere's perfect unfortunately or else we'd all be there. Yep was interesting with upsides and downsides like anything.

Now Canada....haven't lived there but Minnesota was close i.e. spring, summer, fall, winter, winter, winter, oh and lots and lots of mossies :D

OP - France is lovely and one place I would move to, but Brittany/Normandy due to proximity to aged parents in UK and Belgium.
 
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Here in G. Manchester, it's lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of mud and lots of yards that make you keep your horses in. I'm not so much looking for lush green grass, but space and lifestyle.
 
Trouble with living in countries where land is cheap is that wages are also low so it's all proportionate - unless you have a nice big lump sum to buy your land with as you arrive.

We looked at France a lot but other than land and wine the cost of eveything else there is much more expensive and as we have a young family rather than being retired living costs are important.

Our place in Lincs was under £300k which you'll pay easily in France for somewhere habitable with 10+ acres.
 
My husband and I keep having this conversation. Back where I come from, I could find a house big enough for our growing family with plenty of land for horses, and it would cost a fraction of what the same would cost us here. Looking at prices in the UK, there is absolutely no way we could ever afford to buy a house with land here. Still, he isn't keen on going to live in the USA for a couple reasons, so even if it is financially viable, I don't see us doing it any time soon. I can dream, though! ;)
 
I am another that has moved county (but not country) for a better lifestyle

I moved from Bristol to rural south Northamptonshire and havent regretted it at all

Sometimes just a change of scenery is enough to change your outlook on life and what you get for your money, it doesnt need to be a new country :)
 
WelshD said:
I am another that has moved county (but not country) for a better lifestyle

I moved from Bristol to rural south Northamptonshire and havent regretted it at all

Sometimes just a change of scenery is enough to change your outlook on life and what you get for your money, it doesnt need to be a new country :)
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Yes, I've considered that too, possibly Wales.
 
Bought a farm in Canada in February of 2004. Used it as a holiday home until the end of that year. Moved here permanently December 2004 with our dogs, cats and a pony. Been here ever since. We were lucky, property prices were very inexpensive when we first bought our farm but a few years ago saw a huge inflation of prices in my area plus the exchange rate isn't so favourable these days. We ploughed significantly more money into building up the farm than we did on the actual purchase price of the farm. We got our PR in May 2005 and have just done citizenship test so we should have dual nationality within the next month or so. My husband still owns a company in England to he flits back and forth between both houses/countries.

When I was younger I lived in a few countries in Europe and I lived in USA for a few years. Maybe one day we'll move to the States again but for now where we are suits us.
 
Here in central Portugal you can buy anything from a ruin for renovation to a new villa with land for a fraction of the prices in the UK. OK, it's lashing rain (again!) today but in a few weeks it'll be warm and sunny. Guaranteed :D

For an idea of equestrian property see here (no connection, other than the site is run by horsey friends) http://www.pureportugal.co.uk/equestrian.html
 
Looks like it may have to be a tiny cottage in Wales next to a bit of land for sale or a good livery yard then.
 
My patents moved to France, 30 acres with a stream beautiful hacking and SJ comps within 40 mins, I moved out there and lasted 9 months, work is very difficult to come by and food etc... Is mega money, and then the paper work !!! Talk about 4 months to sort out registering my horses. Oh and then there was the flys and ticks !!!It drove me Mad and I phoned John Parkers, had my comp horse picked up and hopped on a Ryan air flight for £12. A lot of people I know have done the same. I go out there 6 times a year to check the retired guys I left out there ( mum looks after them) I would strongly recommend renting out there till you are sure it's the right place
 
neep said:
My patents moved to France, 30 acres with a stream beautiful hacking and SJ comps within 40 mins, I moved out there and lasted 9 months, work is very difficult to come by and food etc... Is mega money, and then the paper work !!! Talk about 4 months to sort out registering my horses. Oh and then there was the flys and ticks !!!It drove me Mad and I phoned John Parkers, had my comp horse picked up and hopped on a Ryan air flight for £12. A lot of people I know have done the same. I go out there 6 times a year to check the retired guys I left out there ( mum looks after them) I would strongly recommend renting out there till you are sure it's the right place
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Yes, thanks, renting initially is sensible.
 
I think you need to take a trip to the area of France you are considering and look at what is available in your price range. I know I'm in a different country but if you were to run a search over here you might find some properties in the price range but you probably wouldn't want to live in them or in the locations they are situated. How would you earn a living?
 
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