Rory Clifford, 36, and Stephanie Harper, 35, planned to move to Greece before their dream home burned down.

15:19, Thu, Aug 6, 2026 Updated: 15:20, Thu, Aug 6, 2026

Stephanie and family

Stephanie and Rory planned to relocate their family to Greece. (Image: Supplied)

A devastated family have seen their dream home in the Greek mountains destroyed just days before they were set to leave the UK and relocate there permanently. Rory Clifford, 36, and Stephanie Harper, 35, built their ideal home in the mountainous Peloponnese region, in the south of the country.

Prior to the dream relocation next week, they had moved their belongings and registered their twin daughters, Evangeline and Ivaria, eight, at a local school for September. Stephanie is also expecting twins, and they have a 19-month-old daughter, Athena.

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Burnt down home

Their home burnt down in the wildfires. (Image: Supplied)

Yet rapid wildfires have torn through parts of Greece in recent days, obliterating homes and their entire contents.

Stephanie told the Mirror: "We are a very resilient family but this has knocked it out of us completely. The emptiness and sorrow has been overwhelming.

"A dream and hard work not just from us but the Greek community who helped us achieve our home... just stolen in seconds. I can't describe the grief, as it's not just the house we built, it's all the cherished memories and the home we created inside."

The loss of the property they purchased in 2023 has left them confined to a one-bedroom flat in Hastings, East Sussex.

They had invested well over €300,000 (approximately £257,000), transforming it into the perfect place to raise a family in the sunshine, where they were also planning to bring their three rescue dogs.

Stephanie explained that the funds came from running a designer furniture business together, along with savings and loans.

The mum revealed they sold everything they owned to facilitate the move, which they had been organising for more than a decade.

Along the way, they spent upwards of £10,000 to replace 2km of piping up the mountainside to secure a water supply for the property.

Now Stephanie is worried that, even with insurance and coverage, they will require approximately €100,000 (£85,000) to recover.

She said they're refusing to let the ordeal defeat them, adding: "We will still do anything for our children's happiness and future, which is why we can't give up on the house on the mountain."