Hola. Before all of this, we were living what most people would call a normal life.
Mortgage. Bills. School runs. Work. Repeat.
We were working harder than ever — and somehow living less. What we wanted, more than anything, was time. Time with our kids. Time outdoors. Time to actually live, not just get through the week.
🌿 Finding Cortijo Renacer
In 2024, we found an abandoned farm in southern Spain.
Cortijo Renacer. In Spanish, renacer means to be reborn. And from the moment we found it, that’s exactly what this place represented.
It had been untouched for over 20 years. Overgrown, dusty, forgotten by time. But beneath all of that, we saw something extraordinary — land that was still alive, walls that were still strong, and a place that felt like it had been quietly waiting for someone to bring it back to life.
A chance to rebuild. To reconnect. To rediscover who we actually wanted to be.
We bought it for €40,000.
🏡 From Visitors to Committed
At first, we were still based in the UK. We’d travel out to Spain whenever we could — a week here, two weeks there — slowly bringing the cortijo back to life. It was hard work. But every single visit reminded us why we’d started.
Bit by bit, it stopped being a project. It became a home.
Then, in 2025, we sold our house in the UK. That was the moment everything changed. We cleared our debts, packed up what mattered, and fully committed to the life we’d been building here in Spain. Terrifying and freeing all at once — and completely, unmistakably right.
✈️ Making the Schengen Rule Work for Us
Because we’re UK citizens, we can’t stay in Spain full time — the Schengen 90-day rule means we can only spend 90 days in the zone every 180. So rather than fight it, we decided to make it work for us.
We split our time between off-grid life at Cortijo Renacer and travelling the world together as a family. Sometimes just a few weeks moving from place to place. Other times staying longer somewhere — settling back into the farm rhythm or exploring a country more deeply.
We thought, eventually, we’d want to find a way to stay put. But somewhere along the way, we realised something: we actually love this. The constant change, the learning, the adventure. We never quite know where we’re going next — and honestly, that turned out to be a feature, not a bug.
💻 How We Make It Work
Living this way wouldn’t be possible without work that travels with us.
We run our own software company, helping businesses to digitalise and grow. We also create and edit everything you see on this channel — all of it. Everything happens online, which means we can work from almost anywhere. Our solar-powered farmhouse in Andalusia. A beach café on the other side of the world. A motorhome parked somewhere in France.
It’s not always seamless — deadlines don’t care about time zones, and Wi-Fi never cuts out at a convenient moment. But it’s a small price to pay for the freedom it gives us. We’re building a life that works around us, not one that ties us down.
🌍 The Big Experiment
Here’s the question we’re genuinely trying to answer:
Can we live this entire life — off-grid in Spain, homeschooling our kids, and travelling the world — for the same or less than we used to spend on monthly bills back in the UK?
So far, the answer is looking promising. But we’re sharing the whole thing honestly — the costs, the challenges, the unexpected wins, and the moments that make you question everything in the best possible way.
We’re not experts. We’re just a family chasing a life that feels real. One built on time, experiences, and togetherness — instead of things.
Because sometimes, to find yourself, you have to start over.
And for us, that’s what it means to renacer. To be reborn.
We’re the McGlynns — Jemma, Callum, Hayden, and Amaya — a family from the UK rebuilding an abandoned farm in Spain and exploring the world one border at a time.
Welcome to Renacer McGlynn. We’re glad you’re here.
📺 Watch Our Story
👉 Watch the full channel trailer on YouTube
Watch next:
- We Bought an Abandoned Spanish Farm for €40,000
- Phu Quoc Island — Typhoon Detour Paradise
- 9-Month Off-Grid Farm Update
📲 Follow Along
- 🌿 Instagram: @renacer_mcglynn
- 📘 Facebook: Follow us here
- 🛠️ YouTube: Renacer McGlynn Channel
¡Hasta la próxima! 🌻