Tom Ewart Smith
A BRITISH couple who made the move to Spain have praised the country’s attitude to work while declaring they will ‘never go back’ to the UK.
Speaking to The i , Kate Kurdziej, 37, and her husband, Dan, said they enjoyed a far better quality of life after moving to the Valencia region in 2023.
Kate and Dan had been living in Yorkshire, but after the traumatic birth of their son, Oliver, decided a change was necessary.
In April 2021, the couple moved to a village an hour and a half from Bordeaux, but after a year of living there they ‘felt quite isolated,’ and France ‘wasn’t enough’ for them.
Now, they have found their perfect life in Javea, a town loved by Brits on the Costa Blanca, and haven’t looked back since moving there in August 2023.
Kate, Dan, and Oliver live in a two-bedroom whitewashed villa, which they found for €135,000.
“It’s beautiful,” says Kate, and she’s not just talking about the family’s accommodation.
She loves the ‘laid back’ way of life in Javea, and the Spanish approach to a work-life balance.
“In the UK, you live to work,” Kate claims, and according to her it is the other way around in continental Europe, where people look to ‘enjoy life the most’.
The happy couple enjoy cheaper Spanish prices compared to back home.
Kate says that despite food prices rising, ‘it is still cheaper than in the UK’, and as a result the family can afford to go out regularly for dinner with drinks ‘for €40’.
Their house also offers a view and comfort unavailable in Britain.
The Kurdziej family lives in a villa overlooking an iconic mountain, accompanied by a balcony for sunset drinks and a communal pool.
Naturally, they enjoy the regular blue sky and sunshine in Valencia, as opposed to ‘dark, overcast days’ in France and the UK.
The improved weather makes Kates especially happy, who claims it ‘does something’ to her soul.
It also means the family spends lots of time outdoors.
They swim everyday in the summer and Kate and Dan love going for dates in the fresh air.
The same can be said for their social life, which consists of ‘lots of sports like paddle tennis,’ and ‘lots of exercise classes on the beach’.
Kate claims it is much easier to make friends in Spain, thanks to socialising on the beach.
For the Kurdziej family, Javea has become more than just a place to live; it’s a permanent home where they have found balance, happiness, and community.
