Chris and Becky Yates., originally from near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and later based in Gloucestershire, faced not only money troubles but chronic illness, too
Chris and Becky Yates travelled by ferry to their new home in Spain (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
For many people, years of hard work and saving are meant to lead to a dream retirement – so bankruptcy in your 50s can seem unthinkable. But that’s what happened to Chris and Becky Yates. The couple, originally from near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and later based in Gloucestershire, faced not only money troubles but chronic illness, too.
Chris’s surveying and construction business was rocked by the turbulence in the sector during the 2010s, while Becky was forced to give up her civilian role with the police as she battled fibromyalgia – a condition of the central nervous system that can cause widespread pain.
With their “comfortable, privileged lifestyle” under threat, they decided on drastic action: relocating to rural Spain after becoming enchanted with an area west of Valencia.
Chris told the i Paper: “It is an area of small, traditional towns surrounded by mountains, farmland and orange groves. It feels very different from the busy resorts and heavily developed parts of the Spanish coast.
“It was the old-fashioned Spain we had hoped to find, with independent shops and bars where people remember your name and their faces light up when you walk through the door. We quickly fell in love with the area.”
Chris and Becky, now 60, began laying the groundwork for their expat life, sorting through what to keep, sell or ship to Spain. They put their house on the market too, intending to use the money raised to finance their move.
Chris and Becky made the ferry crossing to their new home with their Newfoundland dogs. These days they rely mainly on Becky’s pension, worth £1,700 a month, while Chris does “odd jobs” to supplement their earnings.
The couple say they spend about €100 (£83) a week on food and have adapted to life in Spain, picking up conversational Spanish and enjoying a “very good life”.
Chris added: “A decade ago, we were sitting in an empty house in Gloucestershire after bankruptcy and illness had dismantled the life we thought we would have. Today, we feel we have the best of both worlds. We have no intention of returning.”
According to Chris, the couple are now in an off-grid three-bed, two-bath property with a swimming pool for €1,100 (£917) a month.
Solar panels provide their electricity, meaning they pay nothing for power and believe they’re saving about €150 (£125) every month.
They also maintain that the warmer weather has had a beneficial effect on Becky’s health. While she still lives with the condition, Becky is said to be more “active and thriving”.
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