There are around 30 houses in their hamlet and 20 are occupied by “newcomers from England”, says Andrew.
“If you’re downsizing, you can put a lot of money towards your retirement by coming here,” he says. The couple’s first month’s electricity bill was just £20, thanks to solar panels on the roof.
They managed to sell their Midlands home quickly before purchasing in Wales, avoiding an extra £25,000 in stamp duty and taxes that would have been payable on a second home.
They also had a “nest egg” from selling a home in Cyprus, where they lived for 20 years. That’s going towards renovating their new property.
The couple plan to relaunch their jewellery business so they do not have to rely entirely on their pensions and are looking forward to enjoying the beautiful surrounding scenery.
“There’s so much to enjoy for free outdoors here,” says Andrew. “Plus, we’re a two-mile bike ride along the estuary from a thriving town.
“I shall live a lot longer here than I would have done if we’d stayed where we were.”
The relative affordability and variety of property available is the main driver behind many people’s moves from England to West Wales, says Emma Salmon, of West Wales Property Finders.
“For £500,000 to £750,000, we have a wide range of types of home including smallholdings with acres of land, multiple outbuildings and large main dwellings.”
Many come with income-earning potential too, whether from holiday lets or outbuildings in which to set up an enterprise.
‘They think we’re mad’
Millennial border-hoppers Nicole Duncan, 36, and Gav Jones, 38, are two years into their Welsh renovation project.
They upsized from a one-bedroom flat in South East London to a farmhouse with numerous outbuildings and 13.5 acres near Cardigan – and have been living in a caravan on-site throughout.
The couple were looking for their “next challenge”, explains Duncan, who previously worked in advertising. Jones is a former builder and site manager with farming experience.
“We don’t have kids so we didn’t need to think about schools or being near grandparents. We were entirely driven by the house,” says Duncan.
