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Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The sleepy corner of Suffolk where the property market is on fire
When she lived in London, Stacey Lascelles rented a flat on the booming Archway Road with a constant soundtrack of traffic. There was no garden and she couldn't afford to rent alone, let alone buy, so she lived with three flatmates. Today, Lascelles lives in bucolic Mid Suffolk, which stretches north from Ipswich. Her days are punctuated by birdsong and the occasional whinnies of horses grazing in her field. She and her young family have acres of space, and there are other benefits to her change of location and lifestyle. 'I really like the vibe of Suffolk – the people and the culture,' she says. 'There is a really good community, people are welcoming and supportive, and there is never a shortage of people if you need help.' Newcomers like Lascelles have fallen for rural Suffolk's combination of peace, beauty, affordability and accessibility – trains from Stowmarket to London take about 80 minutes, and you can be in Cambridge in just under an hour. These buyers are helping the area to buck the trend of price falls and stagnation, which is currently blighting much of the South. In the past year, average prices in Mid Suffolk have jumped by 11.8pc, according to the Land Registry, far above the growth of 6.7pc across England. It also compares favourably to better known rural hotspots – the Cotswold district has recorded price falls of 7pc in the same period, while Devon's fashionable South Hams scraped 1.5pc growth. And, with average prices of £335,000, Mid Suffolk is also an affordable option compared to the classic Home Counties like Surrey (£526,311), Hertfordshire (£464,313) or Buckinghamshire (£479,894). Value for money Charlie Philip, of Jackson-Stops estate agents, believes Mid Suffolk's strong price growth is – in part at least – thanks to this difference in price, offering great value for money. 'A lot of people we are seeing are coming from more affluent areas – Kent and Surrey – due to interest rates,' he says. 'Their five- or 10-year deals are coming to an end, and they are selling up more expensive properties and buying an exceptional house, on a par with what they are selling, for a lot less money. They can come out here and enjoy country living of the same quality that they are used to.' In London, Lascelles, now 34, lived in her north London flatshare and worked in publishing. Her life changed when she met her now-husband John, 35, through mutual friends. He was based in Norfolk, and after a year or so, Stacey joined him, getting a marketing job with a local horse feed company. Fate took a hand when the couple were asked to house-sit a property for a friend in Suffolk. They liked it so much and found it so handy for John's job as a design engineer in Cambridge and Stacey's marketing job in Suffolk, that they decided to relocate. Just before the pandemic, the couple bought a three-bedroom cottage in Wetherden, a village outside Stowmarket. It cost £425,000, and is now valued at £675,000. They have three acres of land, more than enough for their two border terriers, Stacey's horse and her daughter's miniature Shetland pony. Lascelles is expecting a second child later this year, and she and John have set up a side hustle too, Hampers of Haughley, which sells baskets and hampers full of locally sourced food and drink. For some ex-Londoners, the allure of the Cotswolds is its big name venues like Soho Farmhouse and Daylesford Organic, where they can hang out with their network of urban exiles. But Lascelles is happy with her local pubs and small farm shops. 'Suffolk is much more rustic and much more authentic than the Cotswolds,' she says. 'It is less polished, but that doesn't worry me in the slightest.' 'A best-kept secret' In the market town of Stowmarket, Stuart Ellis, of William H Brown estate agents, sees plenty of first-time buyers born and raised locally, and looking to spend £250,000 to £290,000 on a three-bedroom house. Since the median full-time salary in the east of England stands at just under £40,000, according to the Office for National Statistics, a small family home like this is well within the grasp of many young couples. Meanwhile, in London, the median annual wage is £44,000, but an average starter home costs £511,500 according to Halifax, leaving first-time buyers in the capital facing an often insurmountable affordability gap. These first timers, said Ellis, drive demand up the ladder – although there are limits. Around 90pc of his buyers are already based in East Anglia, and most will not spend more than £500,000. Above that, homes take longer to sell, particularly because only such a small proportion of buyers come from beyond the region and have large slices of equity earned in higher-value markets. 'During the pandemic, we had a lot of people coming up from London and they all wanted a Grade II-listed thatched cottage in the countryside,' said Evans. 'That drove up prices, but those homes now take longer to sell.' Before the pandemic, Kristine Hall, 42, and her husband Dan Osman, 43, often spent weekends in Mid Suffolk, relishing its peace and quiet as a welcome antidote to life in South Woodford, east London. 'It was kind of a best-kept secret,' says Hall. 'Beautiful, reasonably priced, and easy to get to from London. There was a massive lack of people, which is what we wanted.' Like Lascelles, she found it superior to the Cotswolds. 'I tend to avoid touristy places, especially when I was living in London,' she explains. 'I would rather have somewhere genuine and authentic.' Moving there wasn't an option – until Osman, who works in insurance, was freed from the nine-to-five during the pandemic. In 2021, the couple and their five-year-old daughter, Juniper, sold their four-bedroom terraced house and bought – for less money – a five-bedroom part-Tudor house set in 4.5 acres in the village of Earl Stonham, 10 miles north of Ipswich. Hall, an interior designer, brought her business, Restoring Lansdowne Interiors, with her. Four years on, and the family is well settled into country life. Like Lascelles, Hall has been impressed by the friendliness of the locals, the beauty of the countryside and the peace. As an added bonus, she hasn't encountered a DFL (down from London) set – or a backlash against them. 'There is a real mix of people with really interesting histories and life experience,' she says. 'There are lots of creatives, but not necessarily ones who have done the London thing.'
Irish Times
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
A Year in the Woods; An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia; and The Papers of Maurice FitzGerald
A Year in the Woods: Montalto through the Seasons by Paul Clements (Merrion Press,) The year 1992, the last days of summer, and Paul Clements and his wife move into a rented cottage in the woods of the Montalto estate, near Ballynahinch in Co Down. The move is intended to be temporary, but a year later they are still there: laying down memories of quiet rural living, absorbing the lessons of place, and observing the natural world into which they are now folded, and with which they come to feel a profound connection. This bewitching book – finely produced by Merrion Press – is the result of this unexpectedly lengthy sojourn: Clements is deeply sensitive to the effects of the changing seasons, and aware of the other creatures who share this space – and he renders his experiences in stirring and beautiful prose. – Neil Hegarty An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia by Nicholas Mackey (Unicorn, £25) Northern Mesopotamia stands between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers in what is now southeast Türkiye – the Turkish government changed the country's spelling to Türkiye in 2021. The author's journey through a distinctive part of west Asia embraces many aspects of history with an exploration of ancient wonders in 'the cradle of civilisation'. His book also reflects cultural life, the food, and colourful descriptions of local bazaars. As a young boy growing up in Ireland, Mackey read about the region, which lit a fire within him, leaving a deep impression. This forms part of a wider story, recalling a tour of the region based on his journal. The writings of explorers Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, as well as the historian Herodotus, are all invoked. – Paul Clements READ MORE The Papers of Maurice FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Kerry by Adrian FitzGerald (Kingdom Books, 2 vols, €50) This collection of the papers of Maurice FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Kerry, has been prepared by his descendant Adrian FitzGerald, and is published in a boxed set of two volumes. Maurice FitzGerald (1774–1845) represented Kerry constituencies in the Irish House of Commons before the Act of Union of 1800 and afterwards in Westminster. He supported the union, but on the understanding that it would be accompanied by measures of Catholic relief. When such measures were not immediately introduced, he became disillusioned and increasingly absented himself from parliament. Catholic Emancipation was not granted until 1829. FitzGerald later opposed O'Connell's movement for repeal of the union. – Felix M Larkin
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
We ditched UK rat race to buy 12-acre Med paradise for price of second hand car…beers are £1 & childcare is £200 a month
LOOKING up from her computer, Katie Smith hears the buzzing of bees, chirping birds and her giggling toddler picking vegetables with her dad. Five years ago the 36-year-old mum-of-one and husband Danny, 37, ditched their office jobs in the UK and used cash they'd saved for their wedding to buy a dilapidated two-room stone house and 12.5 acres of land in a popular holiday hotspot. 15 15 15 Their farm, complete with 200 olive trees and 50 carob trees, some dating back 300 years, sits in the terraced hills of Catalonia, Spain and cost the couple a little over £15,000 - less than the price of a second-hand Ford Kia. The couple chose to avoid the more touristy areas in the Mediterranean region, opting for a tiny rural village outside Baix Ebre with just 900 residents, where cappuccinos cost £1.20 - 10p more than a pint of beer. The cost of living in rural Catalonia is 50 per cent cheaper than Britain, while rent is 70 per cent cheaper and buying a home or farm is a whopping 90 per cent less than in London. Former marketing manager Katie and project manager Danny, 37, met at school in Rotherham, South Yorks when they were 17 and have been together ever since. The pair attended the University of Reading and stayed after graduating, settling into jobs on the outskirts of London and commuting from their £900-a-month rented one-bedroom flat. Katie explains: 'In 2015 we were trying to save for a house in the commuter belt and Danny's work offered him the chance to do advanced study in Polymer Chemistry at the University Automna in Barcelona.' The pair moved to Barcelona and Katie got a job in marketing. When lockdown hit in 2020 the pair ditched their plans for a big wedding and exchanged their vows in front of ten people. They then used the money they'd saved for the nuptials to pursue a new life as olive producers, despite having never lived or worked on a farm. 'Lockdown and the cost of living made us realise if we wanted to try something different - this was our chance,' says Danny. I ditched my waitress job in London and moved to paradise island where rent is £200 and dates with men involve beach 15 15 15 In July 2020 they paid just over £15,000 for their olive grove plot featuring a two-room stone building, known as an 'Almacén', which didn't have water or electricity. Speaking to The Sun, Katie reveals: 'It's three miles down a dirt track. It hadn't been used for decades. 'The olive trees were in dire need of love and the bottom room of the house had been used to house a donkey, but we loved it. 'We still can't believe we bought an olive farm for less than the price of a second hand car. 'This year we're going to press our own extra virgin olive oil. We didn't grow up on a farm so we're self-taught. 'The owner wanted cash and when we had to hand over £15,000 in notes. It was terrifying but it all worked out brilliantly.' Danny and Katie, who were still working in Barcelona and travelled down on weekends, pitched a tent and built a tiny house to stay in while doing renovations on the Almacen. 'It was a big job," Katie admits. "We were cutting down bushes, fixing the stone walls and tending to centuries-old olive trees to bring them back to life after years of neglect.' In November 2022 the couple discovered Katie was pregnant. Katie recalls: 'Our olive farm is on terraced land on the side of a mountain with wild boar, no electric or running water. "We realised raising a baby there without a completed house was going to be impossible." 15 15 They spent the next few months looking at houses in the nearby village, and when Katie was 40 weeks they became proud owners of a four-storey, three-bedroom stone and brick terraced home, also in dire need of renovation - costing a little over £50,000. 'We got the smallest mortgage the bank would allow us to have. The house was liveable, and it had running water and electricity. From day one were were renovating," says Danny. Katie was made redundant during her pregnancy and the pair admit buying the house, working on the olive farm and welcoming their first child was a monumental task. 'I am sure people thought we'd come fleeing back to Britain, but we doubled down," she says. 'We'd spent less than the cost of a bedsit in London on an olive grove and a village house. 'Having our daughter in July 2023 made us realise our decision was the right one. 'Having a child is life-changing. We decided to effectively add in becoming farmers and house renovators as well. There are times I looked at Danny and said, 'This is beyond crazy!'' The couple knew if they returned to Britain they'd have to move to the commuter belt outside of London and would be overwhelmed with financial worries and work stress. 'Just the experience of buying the 'off the grid olive grove' made us realise Spain was our new forever home,' says Danny. 'When we bought the village house we had no proper DIY experience, but we knew we could make it work even if Isabelle, who's now 22 months, was just born." 15 15 15 Despite the village being "about as remote as you can get", with English a third language behind Catalan and Spanish, the couple say it's worth it for how cheaply they can live. The family pays £80 a year for propane for their stove, £100 a month on electricity and £30 for satellite internet. The couple splashed out £15,000 on a second-hand Land Rover because the off-grid olive grove is almost four kilometres down a windy dirt road, and fuel costs around £1.29 a litre. They pay just £200 a month for Isabelle to attend the local nursery, and at 22 months she speaks Spanish, Catalan, and English. 'Here we spend less than £950 a month on mortgage, utilities, fuel and food," says Katie. Katie continued: "We occasionally do a trip to a nearby city to go to Lidl or Aldi. 'We buy food we need from the local village markets and spend £60 a week. On average milk costs 80p a litre, bread is 90p a loaf and a dozen eggs £1.60. "A bottle of locally produced wine is around £3 and a pint of local beer is around £1.10. "Eating out at a local village restaurant is about £18 for two and includes drinks. 'The locals have taken us under their wing. They love the fact a young British couple has moved in and have a child and are living here.' While some people think they're "crazy", Katie says they always knew this way of living was the right decision for them. 'In Britain, a three-bedroom house with 12.5 acres of land would cost between £800,000 and £2million. In London, £65,000 wouldn't even rate as a house deposit. Here it got us an olive grove and a four-storey home in the village," she says. 'It's definitely been a challenge with ups and downs. But when I look up from my laptop and see my little girl and her dad picking vegetables, or we wander in our own olive grove, I really pinch myself. 'Our view is amazing and it's so quiet. One day we thought we could hear a drone overhead – it was a swarm of wild bees.' 15 15 The couple admit taking on renovating their village house and farming the olive grove has been exhausting and not for the faint-hearted. So far they've refurbished the bathroom, plastered the bedroom walls, repaired beams and restored flooring, doing much of the work themselves. 'We set ourselves a budget of £2,400 for the kitchen as it's the centre of the house," says Danny. 'We were quoted £10,000 to have the kitchen renovated by builders. Doing it ourselves over 10 months has saved us more than £8,000 and despite exhaustion, leaking pipes, redoing work we thought we'd fixed, it's almost done. 'We're creating a proper DIY Catalan farmhouse kitchen. It means finding and using local wood and tiles. That means lots of upcycling." As well as the olive and carob trees, Danny is planting lemons, oranges and nut trees. 'We're all in and refuse to give up," say Katie. 'We're learning new skills every day. Sometimes we fail, but if we fell apart every time that happened, we'd be back in Britain.' The Digital Nomad Visa Spain is also one of 65 countries to now offer digital nomad visas. The Digital Nomad Visa, also called Spain Telework Visa, allows non-EU remote workers and freelancers to legally reside in Spain. It was introduced in the 2023 Startups Law. Katie says the key to making a successful move to rural Spain is getting the digital nomad visa and ensuring you keep to a work routine with your British job. 'It is also critical you check if the property you are buying allows you to live on it," she adds. "Just because it's for sale and has a building on it doesn't mean living there is approved. 'It's done on the British equivalent of a council or council basis. So, visit the local Town Hall and check - you don't want to buy a farm or olive grove and discover you can't renovate the house.' Since having her daughter, Katie has published a bilingual English and Spanish children's book called Paco the Adventure Dog Goes to the River. 'It's about our dog Paco but allows parents to start teaching their child Spanish," she explains. 'We are doing free courses to learn Catalan and we're now almost fluent in Spanish." Katie has started chronicling the family's new life on social media and has found herself inundated with questions from families wanting to do the same. ' Our YouTube is very popular," she says. "Lots of young families want advice. If we did it with a newborn, so could they. 'It's a dream many people have. People wanted to know everything about our new life, from where we get our hair cut to the cost of fuel and how we pay our electric bill. 'Living here is a real back to basics existence, and we love it. The pressure we used to feel in London has disappeared. "We're less stressed, more relaxed and have more quality family time than ever before.'
The Sun
12-05-2025
- The Sun
We quit rat race to buy entire VILLAGE worth just £67,000 in holiday hotspot – now we'll rake in £1,000s from Airbnb
A BRITISH couple have packed in the 9 to 5 and bought themselves a whole village in France — all for just £67,000. Ben Pearson, 39, and his partner Nathan, 31, struck gold when they bought a rural French property for just £67,000. 5 5 5 The deal included a 17th-century farmhouse, five outbuildings and two hectares of land — more than they ever imagined owning. The couple first discovered the tucked-away treasure while visiting Ben's mum, Karen Pearson, 62, who moved to the same French village over a decade ago. They loved the charming, timeworn property as soon as they saw it seven years ago, but at the time, weren't quite ready to make the leap abroad. Three years ago, they started seriously looking for a retirement escape. To their shock, the farmhouse came back on the market. Ben, an RAF aircraft engineer, said: 'It was like fate. We had looked everywhere and just couldn't find anything like it. "When we saw it was up for sale again, we couldn't believe it.' They put in an offer in February 2022, which was accepted, but the deal took two years to finalise due to complex French property paperwork. The couple finally got the keys in December 2024, and are now preparing to move out permanently in July. The site is full of rustic charm — but needs serious work. We ditched the UK and bought a 200-year-old French village for just £22k The house has no toilet, heating or even running water beyond a single tap. 'There's no way we could ever afford this in the UK,' Ben said. 'You can barely get a one-bed flat for £80k back home. "Over here, we've got land, buildings, peace and a real chance to build something special.' Ben is retiring from the RAF this summer and plans to take on the renovation himself, converting the main farmhouse into a three-bed home. In the meantime, the couple will live in a caravan on the land while getting a liveable room finished within six months. The house, which dates back to the 1600s, has never been modernised. Old pots, mason jars and paperwork were still on the shelves when they moved in. Nathan said: 'It's the oldest property in the little commune. "The main house is from the early 1800s, but the farmhouse is even older. 'There's a real sense of history. "We're planning to frame some of the old documents we found — like the original land contracts.' They hope to restore the property in a way that preserves its heritage — and eventually convert the outbuildings into Airbnbs or guest houses. 'We're not under any illusions — we know it's going to cost more than we've saved,' Nathan said. 'But it's the lifestyle we want.' The couple have set aside £100,000 to start the restoration but admit it'll be a long-term labour of love. Ben added: 'We want to do it all properly — new roof, new septic tank, heating, everything. But we'll keep the soul of the place.' Despite the challenges, they say the move is the best decision they've made. 'There's no running around, no stress,' Ben said. 'It'll be a peaceful life. That's all we want.' Nathan, an English tutor, agreed: 'Even when you go into the nearest town, people are lovely and welcoming. "There's this myth that the French are standoffish — we've found the complete opposite.' The couple have documented their journey from Yorkshire to the French countryside on social media — and are already inspiring others to follow their dreams. Nathan said: 'We came here dreaming of a quieter life. "Somehow, we ended up buying a village. We wouldn't change a thing.' 5 5
