I left Manchester for Montenegro - for £69,000 I have a farmhouse with a pool

Around half a million people leave the UK to live abroad each year. A survey by the British Council showed 72 per cent of 18- to 30-year-olds would consider living and working overseas, with cold weather, the high cost of living, extortionate childcare, a lack of work-life balance and even poor romantic prospects among their motivations for leaving the country. The i Paper’s Expat Files follows Brits who have taken the leap and settled elsewhere, detailing the ups and downs of their journeys.

Hillary Miles, 65, from Manchester, has spent the last four years living in Igalo, a coastal town surrounded by beaches along Montenegro’s northern coast. Here she tells Silvia Marchetti how she has embraced the simple life.

Of all the countries in Europe, I never thought I’d end up living in Montenegro. I visited the country for the first time seven years ago with my late husband before he passed away. I fell in love with the charming coastal towns, secluded beaches with few crowds and picturesque harbours. When my husband died five years ago, I had a nervous breakdown and realised I needed a fresh start and a break from my stressful job as a private health business consultant. I felt I had to leave Manchester and I wanted to be in the Mediterranean. Not having any grandchildren made the move easier.

The coastal town of Igalo came to mind; it had the perfect laid-back vibe and warm weather I longed for. It was close enough to the European Union border for me to use the town as a base to explore other countries. Also, it was a less popular, alternative destination compared to Portugal, Spain and Italy.

In 2022, after a two-week tour of about 20 properties, I picked a cosy two-bedroom farmhouse on the rural outskirts of Igalo for roughly €80,000 (£69,000). It was all I could possibly wish for: it came fully furnished, with a panoramic terrace, a patch of land, fruit trees and even a wooden chicken coop which the old owners left behind. Each morning, I eat fresh eggs for breakfast.

Above all, I thought it was a real bargain; I could hardly believe my luck. As soon as I signed the purchase deed, I returned to the UK and sold my three-bedroom apartment in Manchester for £300,000. Two weeks later, I was already in Igalo, unpacking and settling into my farmhouse.

With the proceeds of the sale of my Manchester house and my UK pension, I have been living quite comfortably in Montenegro.

Groceries are €40 (£34) per week as opposed to £140 in Manchester. I bought a second-hand Ford for just €5,000 (£4,300) so I could easily move around on my own. I’ve made a few American friends who live in town, and I regularly meet them on weekends. When I eat out, which I do four times a week, it’s never more than €25 (£21) per person, including fresh fish and wine. In Manchester I ate out only on special occasions or birthdays and after my husband passed away I didn’t really have much to celebrate.

I’m trying to socialise with the locals, which is pretty easy as most speak some basic English. I love the simple lifestyle, the farmers bringing you fresh produce from their fields in the morning along the alleys, honking the horns of their wooden chariots.

I have adopted healthier habits. I take long walks in the surrounding woods. I leave at dawn and come back after lunch, bringing along a backpack with water and three sandwiches. I always try to go with friends. I’ve also started playing tennis, hiking and biking in parks and natural reserves.

It’s very rustic and pristine where I live; olive groves dot the hills, there are ancient stone hamlets where time stands still and only a handful of people live. It’s much quieter and peaceful living in the bucolic surroundings of Igalo than along the more crowded coast, which lures holidaymakers and day-trippers.

My new life in Montenegro is perfect except for the sultry summers. Heatwaves can hit 40°C, like in Italy and Spain, and I just can’t cope with it. To avoid peak heat hours, I have to go out at 6am for a walk in the hills. I then hurry back home at 8am and stay inside with the air con at full blast, reading and waiting for evening hours to go out again and I can shop for groceries. I have a tiny pool in the garden, but it gets so warm it feels like swimming in a thermal spa.

I guess that’s the downside of moving to a country where there are mild temperatures even in winter, for it means summers can get very hot. But I don’t regret relocating to Montenegro; I just can’t believe I actually miss the nippy UK weather in July and August.

The heatwaves give me the chance to return to the UK and stay at my brother’s house in London. Having no other family left, I deeply miss him and my nieces, and it makes me happy that for two whole months I can spend quality time with them and catch up on what they’ve been up to.

Another thing that fills me with joy when I return home is going out for a traditional pub evening. I really miss our old pubs and the historic pub drinking culture in the UK; relaxing while sipping a nice lager or ale. My husband and I used to go to the pub down our street every Friday evening with friends and family. In Igalo, there are tons of open-air aperitif spots serving drinks on piazzas, but in my view, despite the picturesque scenery, British pubs retain a cosy, ancient vibe I can’t find in Montenegro’s bars. They’re part of our history and identity.

Moving abroad for me wasn’t about ditching my past. It’s always been about wanting a positive change in my life. But still, I miss our bearable summers, fish and chips and nice old pubs.