Aurora, her partner and their two children left Barcelona in June and moved to a small Galician village. The family is now renovating old homes and sharing the transition in videos.
Their first step was buying a small holiday house for less than 10,000 euros. Aurora and her partner spent the summer restoring it. They had expected to use it for vacations, but after a poor experience with hired builders they decided to do the work themselves. Aurora says rural life and getting to know local customs changed how they viewed their future. In Barcelona, they had a home and their own business, but did not feel they were living the life they wanted.
After talking it through, the couple decided to sell almost everything they owned, including their furniture. They then bought a second property, a roughly 100-year-old building without electricity. The family is living there while work continues on the first house, which is intended to become their permanent home. Aurora says the two properties, both in the same village in Ourense province, cost them less than 15,000 euros.
The move also changed the children’s daily routine. They started at the local school in September, and a school bus now picks them up and drops them off at their front door. Their parents are meanwhile repairing the roof of the first building. Aurora says the family moved its belongings in a trailer with a capacity of one cubic meter.
Aurora and her partner continue posting videos about the renovation and their day-to-day life. They say they have fewer comforts than they did in Barcelona but no longer feel constant stress. Aurora says the days now pass more slowly and calmly, and neighbors often stop by to help. The couple also appreciates the freedom their children have.
Aurora calls the move the best decision the family has made. She describes it as more than restoring houses: they are trying to rebuild their way of life, learn to grow food, care for animals and become part of the local community.