How we made our move to Malaysia work — a dad's take on MM2H

I'm John Appleby and just over a year ago, I was clocking into my nine-to-five in Liverpool, watching utility prices climb and wondering if our mortgage would ever really feel "done". Today, I'm writing this from our veranda in Johor, Malaysia, listening to the twins argue over who gets the last piece of kaya toast. Life is different now. Better, if I'm honest. And it all started when Francine and I decided to go ahead with Malaysia's MM2H golden visa.

This isn't an off-the-cuff story about dropping everything and moving halfway around the world. It was planned by my wife, Francine, and me, deliberate and grounded in logic—especially financial logic. I thought I'd share a little about how we got from spreadsheets in Liverpool to evening swims in tropical Malaysia, in case it helps anyone else sitting on the fence.

Costs, income and the exchange rate advantage

The first question I asked when Francine floated the idea of living abroad was: Can we afford it? We're not retirees with a final salary pension and a villa in Spain. We're just a youngish family with a house in Merseyside, a couple of decent investments and two lively lads who never stop eating.

But when we crunched the numbers, Malaysia began to look more and more appealing. The pound goes a long way here—a really long way. With the current exchange rate, our income from renting out our Liverpool house covers most of our monthly expenses in Malaysia. Additionally, our FTSE dividend holdings pad things out comfortably. Food, transport, schooling, healthcare—even a few domestic flights here and there—are all astonishingly affordable compared to in Blighty.

Incidentally, we didn't need to sell up in the UK. Instead, we've kept our property and have reliable tenants in place. That gives us security and a bit of peace of mind. If things ever went sideways, we'll still have a home to return to.

Understanding the MM2H structure

What made this move viable, more than anything else, was the MM2H scheme. We're just not the type to go off on a limb with some hazy tropical dream built on temporary tourist visas. Instead, MM2H offers a proper legal framework for people like us—families who want to live long-term in Malaysia without constantly renewing paperwork or playing visa roulette doing visa runs every few months.

We opted for the Gold tier. The requirements were clear and manageable. It gave us the opportunity to buy a lovely home in a leafy suburb, as the saying goes. Frankly, there's something very reassuring about holding a legitimate long-stay visa backed by a government initiative designed to welcome foreigners.

Schools, healthcare and other basics

One of the things I was most cautious about was how the boys would adjust. But credit where credit is due—Malaysia makes it surprisingly easy for expat families. We found a well-regarded international school within three weeks of arriving. The teachers are qualified, classes are small and the fees are less than half what we would've paid in the UK.

As for healthcare: clean, modern clinics. No waiting lists. And paying out of pocket still costs less than what our NHS contributions were back home.

Daily life here is smooth. Public transport is efficient and driving's easy enough, once you get the hang of local habits. And in terms of safety? I'd feel more comfortable letting our twins cycle around the neighbourhood here than I ever did in Liverpool.

Working less, living more

It's not that I hated work in the UK—I didn't. But it always felt like I was trading too many hours for too little life. In Malaysia, we've bought ourselves time. I still consult remotely for a few clients back home, which keeps me intellectually engaged and brings in a bit of extra income. But I work far fewer hours now.

I've taken up tennis again. Francine's teaching yoga on weekends. We have breakfast together most mornings, something that used to happen only on Christmas and birthdays.

The pace here isn't sluggish—it's steady. You work when you need to, you relax when you want to and there's always sunshine somewhere on the horizon.

So, is MM2H for you?

That depends. It's not a shortcut to paradise. You'll need to get your paperwork in order, understand the financial commitments and have a clear sense of why you're doing it. But if you're tired of working hard just to stay in place and you want your kids to grow up enjoying the outdoors and being multi-lingual, then MM2H is worth looking into.

Malaysia has been good to us. The MM2H visa gave us a legal and stable foundation and the rest—well, the rest is just life. It's curry laksa for dinner, sunsets that don't require a filter and the sound of our kids cackling under a palm tree.

It's not a dream. It's just what happens when you stop waiting. After all, YOLO!

-- John Appleby, Johor, Malaysia --