A British couple sold their troubled new-build home and moved to rural Canada to build their dream house mortgage-free after snapping up seven acres of land for £30,000.

Chris and Sarah Kennealy, both 41, left their Hampshire home in August 2023 after growing fed up with the cost and frustrations of home ownership in the UK.

The pair had spent four years in their new-build property but say constant issues such as leaks and drafts in the house left them disappointed.

They decided to move to rural Nova Scotia and sold their three bed new build for a £100,000 profit.

The two chose the area of Canada as it was one of the cheapest available for them to get a start in buying land, due to it being more expensive to buy in places like Alberta and British Colombia.

This allowed them to buy seven acres of land for £30,000 - and use their remaining money to build the three bed home.

Sarah, an electrical apprentice, said their dream had always been to build their own home, something they felt was impossible back in Britain.

She said: “We bought a new build and from day one it just had issue after issue. We had tradesmen in for months trying to fix things.

“It got to the point where we didn’t even love the house anymore. We’d paid so much money for the tiniest little plot and just wanted more space.

“We decided, as you do, to buy land in Canada and build our own house. There’s no way we could have afforded anything like this back home.

“We bought seven acres for 60,000 Canadian dollars about £30,000. In the UK you’d be talking millions for that kind of space.”

The couple, who married in October 2018, sold their UK property in February 2023 for £500,000.

By August 2023, they had relocated to rural Nova Scotia with just nine suitcases and their two dogs, their Rottweiler, Thor, and Doberman, Loki.

Before leaving the UK, they spent six months living in a caravan to free up funds, later upgrading to an RV when they moved to Canada, which has now been their home for more than two years while they build.

The couple say the building process in rural Canada has been far simpler and cheaper than anything they experienced in Britain.

Sarah said: "Our building permit cost about 150 dollars. Back home you’d spend thousands just submitting drawings.

“Here, you apply for a permit, explain what you’re doing, and they either approve or decline it. We haven’t had anything turned down.”

When they first arrived, the land was heavily overgrown and took months to clear.

Sarah said: “It looked like a jungle. We spent weeks flattening it out and found an old trailer standing we could reuse as a base.

“We dug all the foundations ourselves. We hand-mixed cement in a mixer and I was carrying buckets back and forth. It’s just been the two of us doing everything.”

Weather conditions also slowed progress, with frozen ground in winter and waterlogged land in spring meaning they could only lay foundations in early summer.

Trying to remain mortgage-free has meant building only when funds allow, stretching the timeline further.

But by the end of November 2025, the entire frame, roof, windows and doors were installed, making the structure watertight.

The finished home will feature cathedral ceilings, open-plan living and large front-facing windows to maximise natural heat from the sun. They’ve also chosen metal roofing and siding to reduce maintenance and improve fire resistance.

Living in the RV may have been cost affective, but Sarah jokes it has made her appreciate the smaller things.

She said: “I cannot wait to have a bath, living in an RV for two years means you aren’t feeling as clean and glamorous as you would with a full operating bathroom.

“We’ve already bought two beautiful tubs ready to go in. They’re just sat there waiting for walls."

Chris, a carpenter joiner, is looking forward to simple comforts too, more head height and finally having space for a king-sized bed.

Beyond the house itself, Sarah says life in rural Canada feels vastly different from the UK.

Sarah said: “People are so much friendlier here. There’s basically no crime where we are. People leave doors unlocked and don’t worry.

“It’s quiet. Our dogs get beach walks every day. It’s just a completely different pace of life.”

The couple estimated that the finished house could be sold for between £400,000 and £500,000.

So far, they have spent around £30,000 getting the structure to its current stage and expect to spend a similar amount again to finish it.

They also plan to sell five and a half acres of their wooded land to help fund the final stages of construction.

They hope to move in between September and October of this year, towards the end of the summer before the cold creeps in once more.

Despite the physical and emotional challenges, Sarah says they are proud of what they have achieved.

She said: “It’s been so hard at times, but everything has been done by us.

“We’ve gone from renovating furniture in England to building our own home in Canada. That’s something we never imagined we’d be able to say.”

You can follow the rest of Chris and Sarah's journey on Instagram - @R0ad_t0_our_dream

UK

Previous modern home price in Hampshire – £500,000

Mortgage per month - £1,200

CANADA

Seven acres of land – £30,000

Building permit – £120

Estimated total build cost – around £60,000

Total: £90,120