UK Family Escapes £3,000 Monthly Bills for £690 Greek Island Life and 'Feels Free'
Renae Wąsik, a 43-year-old PR executive, had reached her limit with Britain's sodden winters, soaring living costs, and pervasive gloom. "I felt like I was going crazy," she reveals. "The grey skies made me feel sad, bleak, and trapped. I didn't want my baby growing up in that environment."
A Radical Relocation to the Ionian Sea
In November 2025, Renae, her partner Pawel, and their two-year-old daughter Rocca made a decisive break. They left their life in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, for the obscure village of Vasiliki on the Greek island of Lefkada, nestled between Corfu and Kefalonia. The financial contrast was stark and immediate.
"In the UK, we were paying close to £3,000 a month just to live," Renae explains. "That covered rent, council tax, and utilities for a suburban home with a tiny garden. It was wet, miserable, and exhausting. Now we're renting an off-season Airbnb for €800, which is about £690 a month. I can walk to the sea, and I wake up feeling truly free."
Navigating Criticism and Contributing to the Community
Renae, who runs The Atticism PR and Brand Development, documents their new lifestyle on TikTok, where her content has garnered over half a million likes. However, the move has attracted mixed reactions. While some followers dream of following suit, others have labelled her 'privileged' or accused her of 'stealing housing from locals'.
She firmly rejects this criticism. "People say it's 'not that easy' to live and work overseas, and they're right," she states. "It's not easy. But it's also not impossible. If it's truly your goal, you'll work for it. Nothing falls in your lap."
Renae is keen to emphasise their active contribution to the local community. "We've been really conscious about contributing," she insists. "I work in PR and help get the island press exposure for free. Pawel is a painter and decorator and has been helping locals who are desperate for skilled labour. We're living in an off-season Airbnb that sits empty all winter, and when we build our house, we'll hire local trades. This isn't a 'take, take, take' situation."
Instant Emotional Relief and a Critique of UK Life
The emotional shift upon arrival was profound. "The moment we arrived, my husband and I looked at each other and said, 'Oh my God, we escaped'," she recalls. She portrays her former life in Britain as suffocating. "The UK feels like a rat wheel. You work to live, and by the weekend you're so exhausted you just want to order Deliveroo, which is so expensive you have to work even more. Here, the pressure just lifted."
"The sky feels low in the UK. Everything feels heavy. Here, I see the sea and sky every single day. There's space. I feel calm. I can breathe again," she adds.
The Reality of Island Living and an NHS Catalyst
Renae is quick to dispel any notion of a perpetually perfect postcard existence. "If you've done Santorini or Mykonos and think that's real life, you're in for a shock," she warns. "It rains, a lot. There's no food convenience. I've lost three kilos because I can't just snack whenever I want. Sometimes I honestly can't look at another courgette. But I sacrifice convenience for peace."
A significant factor in her decision to leave was a series of frustrating experiences with the NHS. "I've had some useless experiences," she says bluntly, citing a six-week wait for a cancer scare scan and a refusal to remove both of her faulty breast implants in one procedure, even when she offered to pay.
This led her to seek treatment in Turkey, where a consultant found both implants were defective. "I was lucky I went," she says. "The NHS has potential, but the system is chaotic. I've had blood tests lost, appointments messed up... It's just been a mess."
A New Rhythm of Life and a Permanent Future
For her daughter Rocca, the change has been transformative. "The outdoors! Sunshine, even in December. She's not stuck inside watching TV; she's climbing rocks, playing with water, exploring," Renae beams. She also notes a cultural shift: "In Greece, youngsters are genuinely welcomed. In restaurants, staff greet her, make a fuss. In the UK, she was mostly ignored."
The family's daily routine is now unhurried. "We wake up without alarms. Coffee in bed. We work until lunchtime while Rocca plays outside," she describes. "Lunch is simple... Then we explore: beaches, neighbouring towns. The evenings are leisurely and sociable."
This is no temporary experiment. "Oh yes, this is forever," Renae confirms. "We've bought a 4,600-square-metre plot of land overlooking the sea for less than the price of a one-bedroom flat in Bedfordshire. We'll build our home here."
From late March, they will move into a two-bedroom property for €500 (£430) a month, near ferries, beaches, and a marina. "Our neighbour gives us all the olive oil we need, and we'll help him with the harvest," she says. "Everyone helps everyone. It's a real community."
While Renae returns to the UK for work and to visit her two older daughters, Britain is no longer home. "I'll always come back," she says, "but this, this is where we're building our life."
Her message to those watching from a dreary British sofa? "I'm not saying everyone should do it," she concludes. "I'm saying I did, and I'm finally happy."
