Laura and Callum Anderson, both 42, moved from a four-bed farmhouse in Fife to a three-bed penthouse in Malta in October 2026, after their heating bill reached £1,100 a month. Their electricity bill in Malta is now £85 a month, and the family is saving £1,251 a month overall.
Why the family left Scotland
The Andersons, who moved with their youngest daughter, said the high cost of heating their Scottish home was a key factor. Laura, a business owner now living in Naxxar, Malta, said: "If we weren't living in Malta we would have had to move out of our house. It was £690 per month just for oil, with electricity on top of that, wood on top of that, it was £1,100 just to heat the house and put the lights on."
They had previously lived in Malta between 2010 and 2013 after Callum, a recruitment consultant, received a full relocation package through his work. They moved back to Fife to set up their own business, but after returning to Malta in 2024 to renew their wedding vows, they decided to move back permanently.
Health and lifestyle motivations
Laura said the weather in Scotland also played a part. "Last winter in Scotland was especially bad. It didn't stop raining for six months. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it must have rained for 26 days every single month."
Laura was diagnosed with PMDD, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, in November 2023 and had to pay for private care after struggling to get help on the NHS. She said the "doom and gloom" of Scotland was not helping her mental health, so the family decided to make a "positive step" and move.
Cost savings and new life in Malta
The family flew out in October 2026 on digital nomad visas with their youngest daughter Mia, 17. Their eldest daughter Lucy, 20, remains in the UK to attend university but flies out to visit. Laura and Callum continue to run their business selling saunas remotely, with a team in Scotland handling day-to-day operations.
Laura said the "pressure to keep up with the Joneses" is less in Malta. She noted that fuel costs £33 every two weeks, compared with £130 a week in Scotland, and Wi-Fi costs £25 a month versus £180 for Sky broadband and Wi-Fi.
The family paid £750 for their visas and are "really happy" with the move. "Apart from missing our eldest daughter, we're not missing anything," Laura said. "I love Scotland and I'm more than happy to go back and visit but it was stifling and there's a lot of positivity here."
