A WOMAN who ditched the UK to live in one of the cheapest countries in Europe has revealed how the move has transformed her face.
Laura Phoenix, 35, and her husband, Anthony, 33, moved to Strazhitsa, Bulgaria, two years ago with daughters Cecelia, six, and Nova, three.
Laura reckons a lot of it has to do with ‘stress’ she was under whilst living in the UK[/caption]
The Phoenixes bought their three-bedroom property for just £7,000 after wanting an off-grid lifestyle and being unable to afford the £500k price tag of homes in the UK.
They sold their UK two-bed for £85k, as well as all of their ”belongings” and moved almost 2,000 miles from Darlington, County Durham, in September 2023.
The couple have been busy renovating ever since, spending less than £5,000 so far.
Sharing their incredible journey on TikTok, mum Laura said: ”We’ve been welcome with open arms by our neighbours.”
While ”Bulgarian is an exceptionally difficult language”, they’re ”working really hard” to learn it.
”If you don’t learn it the locals won’t respect you,” she previously shared.
But it’s not just their brand new life that’s been transformed – Laura recently revealed her face has totally changed since the big move abroad.
Prior to starting a new chapter in the Balkan country, the mum-of-two was ”absolutely devastated” with her skin ”for years” – and she didn’t notice the difference until earlier this week.
Posting a video of herself from now and two years ago, Laura left social media users gobsmacked with how drastically different it looked.
While now her complexion is radiant and wrinkle-free, this wasn’t the story while she was still living in the UK, with deep forehead lines and uneven texture.
”I’ve only just noticed how unwell I looked when looking back on old photos and videos,” she said in the video uploaded under the username @the_phoenixproject.
”The Bulgaria effect seriously needs to be studied because what do you mean, this was me two years ago…
”Living in Bulgaria has completely changed my overall health,” she wrote in the caption.
While Laura certainly didn’t have the answers for this, she did have her guesses.
”I feel it must be something to do with the environment here in UK.
”When I went away my children had no issues with their skin for two whole months. As soon as we came back it began to get dry again.”
”I think the stress had a lot to do with it to be honest,” said Laura, who added she wasn’t ”drinking” prior to the move.
How easy is it to move abroad?
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
But despite never being “happier”, Laura doesn’t ”want everyone to think it is easy because it is not”.
The couple estimate they are 60 per cent through renovations, with Anthony doing the work himself.
Laura said: “It feels like a normal house now. It’s not complete chaos. The kitchen didn’t have a floor – it had a giant hole. Before it was a ruin.”
They now grow 40 tomato plants and fresh berries, but warn many Brits underestimate Bulgaria’s winters.
Laura said: “It got to minus 30 last winter.
“People come here in the summer and don’t see it in the winter, when there is ice on every window.
“We love it. We love the challenge of it.”
On learning the language, she added: “Old folk see it as a disrespect if you don’t learn it. I’ve dedicated myself to learning the language.
“There is no work for people who only speak English.”
Despite the challenges, she said: “I have never been happier in my life. It’s perfect for me.”
Social media users react
The jaw-dropping makeover, posted just three days ago, has taken the internet by storm, amassing close to a whopping 700k views.
One person said: ”Quality food, vitamin D directly from the sun, being happy and less stressed. I live in UK and have issues with my skin. The moment I come back, I stop having these issues.”
Another chimed in: ”I’ve been here 8 years, in UK I was always overweight no matter what I tried. in 6 months here I was a size 12 now a 10.”
A third wrote: ”Not Bulgaria but I just went back home (Bosnia) for a few weeks this summer and let me tell you I was GLOWING!!
”Returned back to the uk and I have broken out in so many spots and my skin looks grey! I feel so fatigued and really unwell…”