AN ADVENTUROUS couple kissed grey skies goodbye and left their old life far behind to settle down somewhere sunnier.
Iwan and Carissa, from North Wales, decided enough was enough as they watched rain fall and the rent prices soar.
The pair moved to central Portugal after the lock-down of 2020, where they found their "peaceful little corner of the world" and have never looked back.
It took them three days to drive to their new home that at the time was only a shack.
The land they decided to buy cost less than £10,000 and this, as well as the 300 days of sunshine, was what sealed the deal for the pair.
They settled on a small granite stone building nestled in 200 metres of olive trees and grape vines.
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Carissa explained the original plan was to build a "simple wooden cabin and mostly live outside" but the process was much more difficult than expected.
She said: "Tackling the stone building was a much bigger undertaking than the little cabin we dreamed of building.
"The 300 days of sunshine I had read about involved a relentless summer with scorching temperatures, wildfires and months without a drop of rain that sucked the land dry."
The couple started a YouTube channel to document their adventure, and it has since racked up 30,000 subscribers.
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The channel takes their followers on a journey of building a drive way, renovating the kitchen and installing air conditioning – all by hand.
In one video Iwan and Carissa can be seen laying down concrete on the floor, which they revealed took 36 hours to dry.
In another clip Carissa is letting out her chickens in the wooden coop that the pair hand built in their new garden.
The DIY pair are also keen gardeners as they dug up weeds with their bare hands to make space for home grown vegetables.
As part of the project Iwan and Carissa took it upon themselves to learn to make furniture that would make their house into a home.
In the video they worked on building a new kitchen unit in the comfort of their own garden while using industrial tools.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing, Iwan and Carissa experienced a swarm of bees who set up camp in their olive tree – luckily a family member came to their rescue and removed the insects.
After two years of turmoil they now have a fully functioning farm house which they share with their two dogs and children.
Following the build the pair have now taken up a new hobby as part of their simple life, where they make their own wine and olive oil.
Despite saying her new life was a "brilliant decision" Carissa said there are some things which she does miss about Wales.
"I miss crumpets, brown sauce, fish and chips with malt vinegar and the friendliness of staff in shops and cafes" she said.
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It comes after one couple sold their house to live in a caravan mortgage free.
And another couple move to a three-bed dream house just a stone’s throw from picturesque beaches for just £166 a month.
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