But I Have a Mortgage! How to Untangle Your Life and Become a Digital Nomad.

But I Have a Mortgage! How to Untangle Your Life and Become a Digital Nomad.

So many people I’ve met whilst I’ve been a digital nomad have spoken about a ’breaking point’ - after years and years of following the same routine, one day they just woke up and decided enough was enough.?

They needed to get away and try something new. For many, it’s a pivotal moment, and it’s scary as hell.

That’s why, for many people that breakthrough moment is quickly shut down by doubt and fear. Packing up and heading off to be a digital nomad just sounds impossible…?

What about the house? The car? The gym subscription?!

It can feel overwhelming, but if you have no major personal responsibilities, it’s surprising how quickly you can untangle your life.

My big motto was always - if it doesn't work, or you aren’t happy, you can easily come back. I didn’t see any risk in leaving. To me, the biggest risk was not going. Standing still and staying in the same place is what scared me more.

So How Do People Do It?

Whenever I’ve found myself in coworking spaces, whether it’s in Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Canada, or wherever, I’ve met digital nomads who weren’t crazy adventurers, just regular people who just decided that they wanted to do things a bit differently.

So many had a mortgage and were even still working for UK companies who’d kept them on when they said they wanted to move abroad.?

I’ve learnt that by being brave and with some excellent planning, you can take the leap, sometimes pretty easily. You need to plan what you want to do, and make moves towards making it happen.

How to Become a Digital Nomad

Here are my top tips for taking that first steps towards becoming a digital nomad:

• Declutter - it took me a few months and lots of help from friends and family to declutter my belongings and fit them all into a storage unit. (But you don't need to go this extreme and pack your life up into a storage unit!) but decluttering helps. Do you really need all this stuff? I promise you, you don't!
• Dip your toe in the water - Before you shake up your life, why not plan a short trip as a digital nomad to see if you like it? There are tons of programs out there for a few weeks or a month, and you can extend it if you're enjoying it, and it's working for you, and come home if you aren't. (I'll be inviting anyone interested to come and work with me next year, stay tuned!)
• Do your homework - look into cities or locations that have vibrant coworking and digital nomad communities - It will help you to meet like-minded people and settle in quickly.
• Check if your employer/clients would be happy with your digital nomad status - because without regular income you’re just a broke backpacker!
• Mortgage - Talk to your mortgage company early - most mortgages won't let your house remain empty for long periods and if you want to rent it out you need to ask about changing to a buy-to-let agreement
• Tax - If you’re gone for a substantial period (usually more than 183 days each tax year)? you’re going to need to sort out your taxes both in the UK and your new country of residence - it’s one of the biggest headaches for digital nomads but get an accountant and sort it out rather than ignore it as it’ll save you massive stress further down the line!
• Subscriptions - Make a list of all your subscriptions well in advance and cancel them at the right time to save on penalties
• Have a backup plan - if you ever decide to come home, you’re going to need enough money for a rental deposit or somewhere to crash for a while, so always plan for this eventuality

By the way, I’ve just (finally) got on the property ladder and have my first mortgage (I’ve always invested in my companies instead of bricks and mortar… start up’s are expensive!!).. but I have no intention of settling down.?

I see it as a longer-term investment that will give me more financial stability in the future so I can travel now but still have some roots and somewhere to come back to if I ever want to stop.

Until then, let the digital nomad adventures continue - Hurrah! I'm off to San Francisco next... hopefully!