If you've built up a successful business and secure life
for your family in the UK, why would you want to do it
all over again on the other side of the world?
One family is convinced it's a risk worth taking.
Andy and Hannah Sharpe are desperate for a more rural lifestyle in New Zealand.
If we could achieve complete self-sufficiency, that'd be like winning the lottery.
This is why we want to move to New Zealand.
But the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
If we do this, I'll be working harder than I've ever done.
It's quite depressing. We'd be going back a step.
They've got everything that I hate about Leicester here.
And they face some harsh realities, as their dream of country living is put to the test.
It becomes a full-time job just to survive.
Will they risk everything to move to New Zealand?
It's a huge decision, the biggest decision we will ever make.
To move from one side of the world to the other, move the family, move the home? Frightening.
New Zealand is a similar size to the UK.
But with a population 15 times less, the open spaces and relaxed
atmosphere attract immigrants from all over the world.
But leaving everything you know behind to start a new life can be
a lot harder than many people expect.
We're giving the Sharpe family a trial week to test out
a completely new life in New Zealand.
At the end of it, they'll have to decide whether to stay in the UK or to move down under.
Andy, who's 46, and Hannah Sharpe live in Leicester with their children, Leo and Seb.
They set up their own business in industrial cleaning equipment
six years ago, and although it's proving successful, it's been far from easy.
When I get back home is never when I've told the wife.
If I tell her six o'clock, it might be ten.
He works around the clock. Don't see that much of him.
We snatch maybe the odd hour or two over a weekend,
if we're lucky, to spend together as a family.
But it's not just Andy who's rushed off his feet.
At home, Hannah has to juggle helping to run the company with being a full-time mum.
Life's pretty hectic.
I do all of the accounts, the book-keeping and finances.
Fitting that in around the boys is hard, so I don't stop for a second.
Andy hopes New Zealand will offer better opportunities for his family.
Overriding contributing factors for me are my two children.
I want them to have the best possible start they can have.
We get confined at wintertime, especially the kids. They love the outdoor life, too.
Leo's pretty much been trapped inside the house for the last couple of months.
Better quality of life for me, working less hours and at a reasonable wage, still.
Don't have to be rolling in money, but it is quality of life that I'm looking for.
Hannah and Andy aren't just looking for a change of scenery, but a totally new way of life.
If we could have a plot of land and have our own animals
that we could rear, grow our own fruit and veg, we'd be in heaven.
That, to us, would be everything.
Self-sufficiency is a serious thing, and I hope it's not a pipedream.
Living off the land and spending more time together are great ambitions, but
for Hannah it would mean leaving the support of her close family behind.
I see my mum the most out of all of them. She helps out with the kids a lot.
If Andy's working all weekend,
I'll go over there and spend a lot of time with her.
There's no doubt it's a wrench.
I don't think you realise how hard that'll be until you do it.
And there's another consideration.
My horse, Lilly, I've had her all her life and she is part of the family.
I always vowed I'd never sell her or anything like that.
The idea would be to take her to New Zealand with us.
Hannah is in no doubt about how serious their decision will be.
We can't make the wrong decision. It's got to be right.
To come home to nothing and start again from scratch
would be... I don't even want to think about it, really.
A daunting decision lies ahead of them.
Can New Zealand offer the space and seclusion they need to get
their dream of self-sufficiency off the ground?
As a country famous for its large, open spaces, there are a variety
of different areas that may suit the Sharpes' particular needs.
New Plymouth, on the west coast of North Island, is set between the sea and snow-capped mountains.
It's rural enough to offer the land they will need for self-sufficiency,
but work opportunities for a specialist engineer like Andy could be limited.
If they go where the work is, they could try Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.
But property is expensive,
with average house prices at around £245,000.
It means the Sharpes may not be able to afford enough land, even on the outskirts, for what they need.
The area around Christchurch on South Island is known for
its agriculture, so it could be the place for the Sharpes to start out.
It's more affordable and relaxed than Auckland, with average house prices at around only £170,000,
but perhaps large enough to offer Andy some work.
Getting the right balance between employment, reasonable commute times and affordable land
are all key considerations for Hannah and Andy.
We decided to send the Sharpes to Christchurch,
where there is a possibility of work for Andy and also the space for a self-sufficient lifestyle.
The Sharpes are planning a huge change in their way of life,
but finding a property that fits the bill won't be easy.
I'd rather live in a caravan. It's quite depressing, really.
There's a chance the whole plan will stretch their finances to breaking point.
We're down 1,500 quid a month.
And facing up to the stark reality of life on the land could leave their dreams in tatters.
It's not just a part-time lifestyle job,
it becomes a full-time job really just to survive.
Hannah and Andy are in search of a better life down under,
but they only have a week to make this life-changing decision.
After a gruelling 12,500-mile journey and four flights,
they arrive on the other side of the world, but how have they coped?
Oh, dear. It's been a nightmare.
It certainly felt more like four days, rather than 20-odd hours.
You go through so many time zones, I didn't know what day it was in the end.
It feels like we've been travelling forever.
The distance has obviously taken its toll on Andy and Hannah,
bringing home just how far away they would be from family and friends.
I don't think I'd want to do that back to the UK on a regular basis.
We wouldn't be doing it. We couldn't afford to be doing it that often, I suppose.
I don't know, it's hard to know. But it wouldn't be every year.
For their week's trial in New Zealand, the Sharpes will be staying
in a two-bedroom cottage in the rural suburb of Ohoka.
Set on ten acres of farmland, it should give them a good sense
of country living, but with only a 40-minute drive to the city.
It's a great base to explore everything that Christchurch has to offer.
Not too bad.
Very nice.
Very new, isn't it, very modern. It's nice. I do like the cooker.
That's a decent size, kids can play. It has a good sized open-plan living area for a small family,
but something else has caught Leo's eye.
Treasure! Yeah!
What have you seen, mate? Is it something that'll make you jump?
No treasure in there. Might have to put some in.
It's not long before Hannah spots some familiar neighbours. Horses.
Run around on that bit of grass.
This room, did you want this? This is yours, is it?
You've picked the best bed, haven't you?
That's not a bad view. Excellent.
Hopefully, the rest of New Zealand's like this, peaceful.
The Sharpes are impressed with the open space, which is all part of the dream.
But it's brought to mind some recent sad news.
Lilly's actually passed away recently.
In my mind, I was always thinking of having her over here with us.
It's hard to imagine...
I'm getting upset now, but...
it's hard to imagine having another horse here, not her.
Obviously just wasn't meant to be, really.
It's clearly devastating, and could cast a shadow over the whole week.
Back in the UK, the Sharpes live in this two-bedroom semi-detached house
on a new estate in the suburbs of Leicester, and they think it's worth around £120,000.
It's a far cry from their dream of rural living, so in New Zealand, they're looking for the space
to keep a few animals and grow some of their own food, if they can afford it.
We don't need a big house. We want land, actually. A big piece of land and a little house.
Again, in the UK, there's not much land around.
We have tried to buy land in the past here.
The Sharpes will need a lot of space if they want to live off the land.
Christchurch has a number of possible options within their budget.
If you're looking for open space and lots of land, the answer could be a country location like West Eyreton.
The surroundings are stunning, but house prices aren't as cheap as you might think.
This two-bedroom home has ten acres to play with
and costs around £300,000, out of the Sharpes' budget for now.
There would also be a 45-minute commute to central Christchurch to consider.
Although the city suburbs don't offer the space the Sharpes want,
they would drastically cut Andy's commute to work.
Houses like this three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in the suburb of New Brighton
are ten minutes' drive from the city centre and cost around £140,000,
close to their budget. But the lack of land would mean
the Sharpes would have to postpone their dream of self-sufficiency.
By the coast, the Sharpes could get more land than in the city.
The views are fantastic, but they come at a price.
This artist's retreat bungalow in Sumner probably has just enough land for growing vegetables.
It does have four bedrooms, but at £225,000, it would be pushing the Sharpes' budget.
As the Sharpes want enough land to live self-sufficiently
and Hannah needs the space for horses, we're going to show them properties in the country.
Property number one is in the Ohoka area
and is on the market for £155,000.
This three-bedroom property is basic,
but its two and a half acres of land includes a vegetable garden,
and being only 30 minutes from the city means Andy could commute to work.
So that's the living room. It looked like it was a garage from outside.
The wall is a garage door.
It may not look much, but the Sharpes' tight budget means that
to find enough land, they may have to compromise on the house itself.
It's very dark. Very, very dark.
Dingy. There is an odour as well.
I was going to say, can you smell damp almost?
Not a good start.
Maybe country living on their budget just isn't possible.
Nice, big window. I've found something positive, at last, about the place.
This is actually a bit more inviting, but...
there's no storage for our clothes. It's a holiday chalet/Portakabin.
Despite Hannah saying a small house would do, this one seems too small.
The question is, can the land outside make up for it?
It's very low.
There's no view to look at.
Basically, there's not enough to do what we want to do.
We don't want to move all this way to do half of what we want to do.
No.
We may as well struggle in the UK and earn more money and buy a pricey
bit of land and do without a three-quarters of the way round the world jaunt.
It's quite depressing.
I'd rather live in a caravan than in there.
A caravan's probably got more features than that.
They're obviously disappointed.
If they can't find the right property, it would be the end of their New Zealand dream.
Perhaps the next house will be more suitable.
Property number two is in the Eyrewell countryside, over an hour from the city centre.
Living here, Andy would spend a lot more time and money travelling to work, spelling
the end of his dream of spending more time at home with the family.
This two-bedroom, one bathroom cottage comes with a sleep-out area, two barns and ten acres of land.
At £180,000, it would stretch the Sharpes' budget.
That's nice. The only thing is that I would
relocate that wood store/garage so that you've got a view, rather than looking into the woodpile!
So, kitchen...
It's not big, but it's inviting.
And the views, I wouldn't mind standing there and looking out at that.
What I instantly like about this is the big, open expanse of glass.
Does it slide? That's a slider, yeah.
That's nice.
Bathroom. Utility room as well.
Oh, yeah. That's all right.
The inside is an improvement, but it hasn't wowed them.
What about the outside?
This is your front/back garden, isn't it?
Which is quite a substantial size, a lot bigger than what we've got,
put it that way. There's more to this property than just a big garden.
To be truly self-sufficient and live entirely off your land, you need around ten acres.
So they really could live their dream here, if they can afford it.
And there's one more surprise.
So we've got this field as well?
That is seriously... SHE LAUGHS
good.
We were really depressed after the last house, weren't we?
Yeah. It did look like it was out of our grasp.
For a long time.
We don't want to be waiting three or four more years to raise extra money to get out here.
Whereas this is achievable. You'd have to work a bit harder.
This is why we want to move to New Zealand.
The house may have been a bit basic, but the land seemed to more than make up for it.
Maybe the last property will appeal to them inside and out.
Property number three is located in the remote rural suburb of Broomfield.
It would still mean a lengthy commute to the city,
but its 18 acres of land will surely impress the Sharpes.
This four-bedroom, two-bathroom house is on the market for £200,000,
so it would be pushing the budget.
This time, they're starting their tour outside.
There's so much scope.
Just about everything they can see belongs to the property,
including several fields and seven acres of pine forest.
If they could afford something like this, it would be a dream come true.
But what about the accommodation?
That's nice. I wasn't expecting that.
Look at that for a fire!
Yeah, that's very nice. Very homely.
There's your kitchen.
I like that window. That's a really nice feature.
I actually feel at home.
They seem impressed so far, and Leo's making himself at home.
Look at that! Yeah! Isn't that good?
That's a nice, big bedroom, isn't it? That's quite unusual.
I wasn't expecting a bedroom when we came through there.
I wonder if all the bedrooms are on the ground floor.
Sliding doors would be nice there.
To wake up and have that view every morning...superb.
I wonder where the nearest neighbour is. I haven't seen a house for miles.
You've got all this space as well.
That's a gym in the making.
A gym?!
Jump straight out of bed and into a workout.
For the money, I think it's very good value.
We've come over looking for a piece of land, and it just happens that
this lovely piece of land that we've been shown
actually has the potential of a very nice home.
We potentially would need to move away from here.
But it would have everything to last us.
We've shown the Sharpes three properties around Christchurch.
Property one was within their budget at £155,000.
It had a large garden and vegetable plot, but the house felt more like a holiday chalet to Andy.
Property number two was more expensive at £180,000, but despite being
basic and small inside, the land and outbuildings were perfect for Hannah and Andy's long-term dream.
Property three was the most expensive at £200,000
and a little over budget, but it seemed to tick all the boxes.
However, its attractive setting was a long way away from work in the city.
So which way will they vote - for property in New Zealand
or back home in the UK?
Based on the properties we've seen today, our vote is...
..New Zealand!
Bit shocked at property one.
But two and three kind of made us realise that it is obtainable.
But the reason for me is because there is more land available.
Even if you've got to pay the same as you'd pay in the UK, there's more properties with land.
After initial disappointment, there's lots of optimism,
and Hannah seems convinced they can make this move work.
This week in New Zealand is crucial to the Sharpe family.
Andy and Hannah are convinced this is the place to start a new life and a move towards self-sufficiency.
But will they be able to afford it?
I think over the month, we'll be in the negative.
That's a massive difference.
And they both have to face up to the reaction of the family they'll leave behind.
I just can't possibly put into words what I would feel.
It tears me apart thinking about what'd happen.
The Sharpes' desire for self-sufficiency doesn't mean that
Andy won't need to find a job if they move to New Zealand.
And although he's self-employed back in Leicester, he won't be able
to run his own business in Christchurch for two years.
Is he ready to work for someone else after being his own boss for so long?
Back in the UK, Andy takes home around £23,500 a year
from his business selling and servicing cleaning machines.
If he can't earn enough in New Zealand, their dream will be in tatters.
We would be struggling, and it would be to the detriment of the children.
That would be a kibosh on the whole thing.
On the other side of the world, Andy is up early to sample work in Christchurch,
and he's under no illusions about how important this is.
A concern would be making sure that there was a consistent wage coming in.
It'll be the hardest thing we've ever done.
I'm under no illusions about that. We'll have to juggle family,
business and move all in one. I could take the easy way and stay in England with a good business.
With so much riding on Andy's work, it's vital that the day goes well.
Hello. Quentin Wright. Andrew Sharpe. Pleased to meet you.
Shall we go in? Yes, please.
This is a cross-section of the stuff we sell.
I don't know if that's a 601. That's looking familiar, black and yellow.
After a brief tour of the facilities with company owner Quentin,
it's time for Andy to get his hands dirty.
He'll be working under the watchful eye of chief engineer Oscar.
The pump in here has a crack.
So you'll be wanting to do is run it up,
find out where the leak is
and work out what parts you'll have to replace.
OK. There you go, she's all yours.
Thank you very much.
There's nothing here that Andy hasn't seen before, so he should know what he's doing,
but how will he cope working under instruction?
With Andy working all hours of the day to build their business, Hannah has to juggle looking
after the children with running the company books.
Today, while Andy's at work, she's taking advantage of a break
from the paperwork and taking Leo and Seb to a local wildlife park.
Hannah knows it will be a major decision for Andy
to give up the business he's spent years building up to go and work for someone else.
Their whole future could depend on his first impressions of work prospects in New Zealand.
Andy coming over here and working for somebody else
is going to be strange, because it's been a while since he's done that.
In some ways, he kind of... he would welcome it, because he would have more structure
in that he would have a start time and finish time.
But there's no doubt that it'll obviously be a big change for him.
Back in the UK, a lot of the money generated by the business is reinvested,
and Andy takes home around £23,500 a year.
But how much can he earn here?
As an engineer, what sort of wages do they command in your industry over here?
Somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 New Zealand dollars.
That could be £6,000 more, at the current exchange rate, than he takes home in the UK.
Working hours?
What do we expect to see on an average week for an engineer?
Working eight to five, half an hour for lunch, five days a week.
And very, very minimal call-outs over that.
Rota system for engineers on call?
Do you operate that system?
We only have one guy on call, and he's quite happy to do that.
It's not a big part of the business really.
But is there a job?
Are there any jobs that may be going either now or in the future?
Not at this stage. With the economic climate
and the staff I've got, I don't see it happening.
But your qualifications are the type of qualifications I'd be looking for if a job does become available.
At this stage, there's nothing.
I understand that, yep. OK. Thank you.
Thank you for your time.
Good to meet you. It's a pleasure. Goodbye.
Andy has a good business in the UK and as yet, there's nothing on the table in Christchurch.
So how has this affected his view of work in New Zealand?
It's time to vote.
On the basis of what I've seen today,
my vote goes to...
..New Zealand.
It'd be a luxury to work those hours, to be perfectly honest.
Not even half what we do at present.
I might actually enjoy it enough to know I'd got the quality of life and an adequate wage
where I say, "Well, actually, family and friends are more important."
Who knows?
The lack of a job at the moment hasn't dented Andy's enthusiasm for working in New Zealand.
Perhaps it's because he has a plan.
I'd be looking to end up working back for myself again.
There is business there, and it's very familiar business.
And where there is business, there's usually competition.
And where there's competition, there's usually openings for other competitors,
new businesses to move in.
Andy certainly has the ambition to succeed, but he hasn't really addressed the fact
that he has to work for someone else for two years before he can go it alone.
And if there are no jobs to be had, then the move won't happen.
After some initial disappointments, the Sharpes eventually found their ideal home.
This is why we want to move to New Zealand.
But despite putting on a brave face, Andy has discovered
that work is scarce and could jeopardise the entire move.
At this stage, there's nothing.
Later, the Sharpes find out how tough self-sufficiency really is.
It's not just a part-time lifestyle job, it becomes a full-time job really just to survive.
And they are forced to consider the loved ones they'd be leaving behind.
I can't possibly put into words what I would feel.
Will the Sharpes be won over by the rural life, or will a move to New Zealand be too much of a struggle?
Andy is convinced he can earn a living in New Zealand.
But if they're going to afford the property they really want,
they need to get a good price for their house back in the UK.
Back home, the Sharpes own this two-bedroom house in Leicester that they think is worth £120,000.
But what do the experts think?
We've sent around some local estate agents to give them an up-to-date valuation.
Well, we've got a delightful, contemporary, stylish fireplace,
and a wraparound staircase rising to the first floor.
A little bit rough around the edges.
We've got detailing down here which shows that it needs a bit of repair.
BEEPING
Very nice kitchen.
Very bright as well, which is good.
Definitely adds to saleability, this does.
I should hope so, it cost enough.
Very good.
This is where it was a mess.
The remnants from Bonfire Night!
Master bedroom.
No built-in wardrobes, but we do have plenty of storage space.
Reasonably-sized second bedroom.
Obviously a family home, and quite a nice view out over the rear garden.
It's a very nice, well-presented two-bedroomed property. Certainly on the outside, it delivers.
My opinion would be to market the property initially
in the region of a guide price of £115,000.
However, for a quick sale, I would think that by marketing
at offers in excess of £105,000
would certainly get buyers through the door and offers on the table.
I would advise a market valuation on the property as being £104,950.
And I'd advise a quick-sale valuation of the property
for £99,950.
So...in some ways, better than we thought. Mmm, yeah...
For the market. For the time as well.
Well, despite their house being valued at £15,000 less than they'd hoped,
Andy and Hannah are putting on a brave face.
They have a big ambition, but can they afford it?
We've prepared a list of living costs so they can assess
if they'll be better or worse off in New Zealand.
First of all, there's this healthcare issue.
Over here, we're talking £111 per month.
Fuel costs? 831.
That's a massive difference there.
What else is there? Mortgage payments.
That's double the amount at home.
It is double.
So per month, we get £3,073
to play with at home. In New Zealand,
half of that, essentially.
We're down 1,500 quid a month.
Right. I think over a month, we're going to be in the negative.
We need to earn another £1,000 a month.
It looks bad on paper, but it's still, without sounding
like somebody whose glass is always half full, it is manageable.
Here, we're basing this on... Because we wouldn't have our own business,
I wouldn't be working, so we've lost an income.
We'd struggle through until the kids were basically in some form of schooling. Then you'd work.
It's essential, long-term,
to work for ourselves out here.
It's the only way we could do it.
They knew their dream was ambitious, but they had no idea it would cost this much.
Hannah would need to work full-time just for them to survive,
and then they'd be right back where they started, all work and no time together.
Is this move out of their reach? It's time to vote.
Based on the costs we've seen today, our vote is...
UK.
Because we're looking at a rural location,
that's what's making the costs more expensive.
It's costs we haven't ever incurred.
That's nearly £1,000 alone, a month, in just commuting back and forth.
Ah, their dream of living off the land is more expensive than they thought and might be out of reach.
So what would self-sufficient living actually entail?
There's quite a trend towards living closer to the land, and although Hannah and Andy are probably
not going to turn into farmers as soon as they reach New Zealand,
they want to keep some animals and grow as much of their own food as possible.
So we've taken them to a farm park on the outskirts of Christchurch
to meet local farmer Zane and find out what they might realistically achieve.
If you'd like to follow me, we'll go through and do some cow milking.
The whole idea is to be able to milk her without her going to the toilet on us.
Get this bucket nice and centrally located.
It's just a matter of pulling down and squeezing on those teats.
We're replicating exactly how the calf would feed.
That looks like it takes some practice! How will Andy get on?
Pull down and squeeze on that teat.
Sorry, madam.
That's surprisingly difficult to actually achieve.
This may seem like fun now, but if they were to make the move,
their dream would depend on getting these skills quickly.
There you go. Well done.
You're a natural.
How long would it take you normally to fully milk a cow?
If you were hand-milking her and you were good at it, 10-12 minutes to fully hand-milk a cow.
A girl like this, you'd probably get 12-15 litres off her if you were to milk her all the way out.
So, time for the taste test.
There's our glass of milk, nice and fresh off the cow.
Who's up for a try?
I'll try.
Very nice.
Does it taste much different?
It's obviously still a bit warm, but it's nice.
It tastes just like milk.
This is the lamb we're going to shear. It's about seven months old.
Sorry about that, kid. Not as close as my haircut.
Andy and Hannah have dreamt of being fully self-sufficient, and today's farm visit should give them
a glimpse of what it would be like looking after livestock and producing their own food.
It's certainly hard work, but they look like they're enjoying themselves.
But if this lifestyle is to become a reality,
they would have a lot to learn, and Hannah has some important questions for Zane.
Do you have any idea roughly how much land you think you'd need to be fully self-sufficient?
It won't just happen on one acre of land.
If you want to have two or three sheep and all your vegetables,
your milking cow, you might need about ten acres of land.
And then it's relative to where you buy as to
whether you have to irrigate, because it's quite a dry region.
There are a lot of things to think about if you're considering
such a massive lifestyle change, and Zane has some words of warning.
It's not just a part-time lifestyle job. It becomes a full-time job
just to survive. So there is a lot of work and effort going into it.
A lot of people that have the desire to be self-sufficient and live on a lifestyle property
certainly find that they need a good amount of land, and typically another job as well.
So they end up working two jobs for one pay.
Perhaps not the news the Sharpes were looking for.
It may have been their ambition to live off the land, but after a day on the farm,
do they think they could make it work?
Based on what we've seen about the self-sufficient lifestyle, our vote goes to...
New Zealand.
UK. New Zealand.
Leo may not agree with Andy, but this is a serious setback.
The fact that their dream lifestyle may be unachievable could end their hopes of a move down under.
Regarding running a business and being self-sufficient, I think the answer is no.
As the gentleman explained regarding the agricultural side around here, it's a full-time job.
You don't play at it, you live it. This decision would be the biggest of our life, really.
To move and take the risk, there's no guarantees.
It's been a long week for the Sharpes, and their dream is hanging in the balance.
But it's about to get tougher.
We've recorded some messages from their friends and family back home
to see if they really can face leaving them behind.
Hi, Hannah, Andy, Leo, Seb.
Hi, Hannah and everyone out there.
Hi, Hannah and Andy. Hannah is very independent,
headstrong, and a loving mum.
But she's only got good things to say about people.
She's very strong in her ways. Once they make their mind up, that is it.
Andy, her husband, is the same.
They only want what's best for their children.
He's always been a hard worker.
He's done extremely well with this business. He's always worked hard to get what he wants.
At the minute, I don't think I really believe that I will be saying goodbye to them.
It seems like something other people do, not necessarily your sister that will be going away.
But I can't imagine how hard it will be. I can't put into words
what I would feel.
It came as a bit of a shock.
He didn't tell us until... a few weeks ago.
It's his life, so he's got to do what he wants, which is best for him and his children.
I shall miss them.
I shall obviously miss Hannah and the boys.
We'll miss seeing them grow up and being part of their lives.
Seeing the kids growing up,
sometimes he'll just bomb down in the van and he'll have Leo there in the front with him.
It's just a treat to see his face smiling through the window.
I don't think you can have a strong family as close as
it would be in England if you're the other side of the world.
I live on my own, and...
the thought of losing another member of the family, to not be able to see them when you
want to see them, at the minute if I feel on a low ebb, I can just nip over to Leicester and see them.
They're only a phone call away.
But it's not the same as being able to get a hug.
I hope you do well.
I hope everything goes OK for you and the children.
We will all be very sad if you decide that New Zealand is the place for you.
But we will be behind you if that's your decision. Good luck.
Love you all to bits, and wish you all the luck in the world.
Wish you all the best.
Hope you get on OK.
Love you.
Bye.
Your mum is very affected by it, more than she's let on.
I actually am feeling more emotional.
It's not for me, but for my children and the grandparents, because the wrench...
I think it'd be horrific, to be honest.
Leo loves them, doesn't he? Yeah.
He asks for them.
And as time goes on, it'll get worse.
It tears me apart thinking about what would happen,
how it would affect their grandchildren, our children.
If they decide to make the move to New Zealand,
leaving loved ones behind will be hard, but Andy is also thinking of Leo and Seb's future.
I'm genuinely thinking of my children, because if we do this I'll be working harder than
I've ever done before because I'll be on a lesser wage and having to
make up the differences by doing a second job.
I could easily do the easiest thing and earn more money living back in the UK and have a nice lifestyle.
It's never easy.
Andy and Hannah have a huge decision to make.
Andy and Hannah Sharpe have a successful but hectic life in Leicester,
and came to New Zealand in the hope of living close to the land
and having more time together as a family.
He works around the clock, and we snatch maybe the odd hour or two of a weekend, if we're lucky,
to spend time together as a family.
They were convinced they'd found the sort of place they wanted to live in,
but then discovered that it might be beyond their reach.
To set yourself up to have a good lifestyle out here, you need quite a bit of money.
That's become apparent.
We don't want to come over here to struggle.
Despite poor work prospects, Andy was convinced he could earn a living.
But they had a reality check about being self-sufficient.
The agricultural side around here is a full-time job. You don't play at it, you live it.
And the costs came as a shock.
Mortgage payments. That's double. We're down 1,500 quid.
Giving up a stable life at home to follow their dream was never going to be an easy choice.
It's a huge decision, and the hardest one I've ever had to make in my life.
They had such high ambitions, but the reality was not all they expected. It's a huge decision.
Will Andy and Hannah risk everything to pursue their dream?
We've been out here for a week.
Our vote goes to...
New Zealand! New Zealand!
New Zealand.
From what we've seen, I do believe that
what we thought about as the right thing for the children actually will be.
Well, despite the high costs, the Sharpes have made the brave decision to move to New Zealand.
It's not going to be easy, and self-sufficiency may be
out of their reach, but we wish them all the very best of luck.
Join us again next time, when we catch up with another British family who are Wanted Down Under.
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