Editorial case study · Illustrative
Could a £310k UK flat fund six months a year in Bali?
An honest look at what relocation could mean for a household like the The Johnsons.
Remote-working couple · house value £310,000
- · Digital nomad hub
- · Affordable villas
- · Wellness culture
UK £3,100 → Abroad £2,200
The situation
Where they started
The Johnsons — a couple in their early 30s, both working remotely in tech — owned a one-bed flat in central Leeds. They didn't want children for several years, and they wanted to spend their 30s doing the travelling everyone else postponed.
Goals
What they were trying to achieve
- →Spend six months a year somewhere warm and creative
- →Keep the UK flat as an asset and a UK base
- →Have rental income fund the overseas months entirely
- →Maintain UK tax efficiency and pension contributions
The starting point
Property and income
Property: A modern one-bed flat in central Leeds, valued around £310,000 with £140,000 outstanding.
Income: Two remote tech salaries totalling £140k. Genuinely location-flexible.
Illustrative example
The illustrative numbers, side by side
- Achievable rent (Leeds city centre)
- £1,250 / month
- Net rental income after agent + tax
- ≈ £620 / month
- Bali monthly cost (couple, mid-range villa)
- ≈ £2,200
- Time split
- 6 months Bali, 6 months UK
- Net savings increase vs full-time UK
- ≈ £900 / month
Illustrative figures only. Not financial, mortgage, tax, legal or immigration advice.
Lifestyle outcome
What life actually looks like
Rice-field walks before work, surf at lunch, co-working evenings in Canggu. The UK half of the year now feels like a deliberate season, not a default.
The honest bit
What proved harder than expected
- !Visa cycling between B211A and KITAS required planning
- !Indonesian banking and SIM cards took longer than anticipated
- !Maintaining UK ties (NI contributions, GP registration) needed active management
Key lessons
What others can take from this
- ✓A modest UK rental can fully fund a modest overseas lifestyle
- ✓Six months on, six months off avoids burning out on either country
- ✓Tax residency rules in the UK are stricter than people realise — get advice
Illustrative scenario only. Figures depend on individual circumstances and current market conditions. Not financial, mortgage, tax, legal or immigration advice.
Could a story like this work for your household?
Run your own numbers, or talk it through with someone who's helped families make this exact decision.
Educational only · Not financial, mortgage, tax, legal or immigration advice.