Why we started Laex Living

We didn’t arrive in Morocco with a fully mapped-out plan or a fixed idea of what we were going to build. In February 2026, we came with a simple intention at the time: to explore a different lifestyle, find more freedom, and see what life could look like outside of the usual structure we were used to. What started as a personal search for something different slowly turned into a much bigger journey than we expected.

Before Morocco, we had already moved through a long and very varied path: French Guiana, Spain, Brazil, Portugal for just 24 hours, Panama, Georgia, then back to Spain, and finally Morocco. Each place gave us a completely different perspective on what we were actually looking for. It wasn’t just about travelling or ticking off countries on a list; it was about trying to understand where life would feel practical, stable, and genuinely right for our family in the long term.

It was only when we really stepped back from everything and asked ourselves what we actually wanted that things became clearer. We already knew we wanted the sun, a calmer pace of life, and something more grounded day to day, but every option we looked at seemed to come with friction, whether that was visa limitations, something not quite feeling right, or dealing with estate agents and processes that made things feel more complicated than they needed to be. Because of that, we kept pausing and re-evaluating rather than committing too quickly. In the end, it was that combination of reflection and experience that made Morocco stand out, not as a rushed decision, but as the place that finally aligned with what we had been trying to find all along.

Morocco wasn’t originally the main focus; it was actually our plan B, with Spain being our plan A at that time. But once that clarity came, it started to feel less like a plan B and more like a natural fit. It offered that combination of warmth, lifestyle, and simplicity we had been trying to piece together through all the other places.

In Spain, at one point, we had actually found a house we liked and were preparing to move forward. On paper, everything looked like it was falling into place. But then delays started happening, small at first, then more consistent. Each step forward seemed to be followed by another obstacle or waiting period. Eventually, we stopped and really looked at the situation. It didn’t feel like natural progress anymore. It felt like we were trying to force something that wasn’t flowing properly. That’s when we made the decision to step back instead of pushing ahead. Looking back, that moment changed everything.

Shortly after that, Morocco became the next step, and from the moment we arrived, things moved quickly. We already had around 22 viewings booked in before getting there, all planned across 7 days, stretching from Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes and down towards Agadir. The idea was to explore widely and see what felt right on the ground.

But after the first few viewings, things became clearer quite fast. Around four viewings in, we made the decision to cancel the rest. It wasn’t confusion or anything not working, it was simply that we had already started to understand what we were drawn to. We realised we genuinely loved the landscape in the southwest, and that we didn’t actually want to live any further north.

From that point on, the direction shifted naturally. Instead of continuing a full schedule across the country, we focused on what already felt right and allowed ourselves to step away from the idea of “seeing everything” and instead listen to what actually suited us as a family. And that’s when and how we found Taroudant.

Stacey Smith with daughters, Lexy & Laya

Very quickly, we started noticing something important. The online market only represented maybe 10% of what was actually available. Unlike what we were used to in Europe or the UK, many properties simply weren’t listed publicly. A lot of what existed was happening through local networks, direct conversations, and people on the ground. That completely changed how we understood the market. It wasn’t that opportunities didn’t exist; it was that access worked very differently, and you needed to be physically connected to it to really see the full picture.

What stood out even more was how much depended on timing and relationships rather than listings or platforms. You could be in one area one day and hear about something completely relevant the next day through a local contact, without it ever appearing online. It made us realise that the market operates on a much more personal level than what most foreign buyers are used to.

It also meant that what you see publicly is often only a small snapshot, not the full reality of what is available at any given time. That shift in understanding changed how we approached everything. After that, we stopped relying on surface-level information and started focusing more on being present, asking questions, and connecting directly with people on the ground.

What also became very clear is how word of mouth plays a huge role here. A lot of things are shared verbally rather than being formally listed or published, and access often comes through conversations rather than platforms. It really is less about what you know and more about who you speak to and the relationships you build along the way.

At the same time, we realised something else that became even more important. While people locally were incredibly welcoming and helpful, when it came to the legal side, speaking with notaries, lawyers, and professionals, English wasn’t really used. Everything was happening in French or Arabic. In conversations, we were often told that English would be enough, but in practice, once we were actually inside the process, it wasn’t. That gap became very clear very quickly, not in a negative way, but in a practical, real-world way that you only really understand when you’re going through it yourself.

And that’s where the turning point happened. Within 48 hours, it became obvious that someone arriving from abroad without French or Arabic would struggle not because Morocco is difficult, but because the system is structured differently. It wasn’t about ability; it was about access, language, and understanding how things actually work on the ground. In our case, we were actually fine on that side because we had already lived in France for six years, so speaking French meant we could navigate those conversations without a language barrier. Even so, we could immediately see how different the experience would be for someone arriving without that background.

We never even reached a point of being stuck, because we recognised the pattern early. And in that moment, the idea behind Laex Living started to form.

Within two days of being in Morocco, we made the decision properly. We wanted to stay, build something here, and create a bridge for other foreigners who would face the same experience we had just gone through. Not just for buying property, but for understanding the full process from notaries and banks to local agents and the parts of the system you only really understand when you’re physically here.

Laex Living was created out of opportunity, but also out of direct experience. We saw a gap between international buyers and the Moroccan system, not because either side is lacking, but because there was no clear connection between them. That became our focus: to be that link on the ground, helping people move through a system that can feel very different at first, but becomes much clearer with the right support and context.

Today, what we do is simple. We help people understand what is actually possible, what the real process looks like, and how to approach it with confidence. Because we’ve lived that learning curve ourselves, and we know how quickly things can feel unclear without the right guidance.

For us, it’s really about cutting through the noise and showing what actually matters in practice. A lot of confusion comes from missing context or second-hand information, so our role is to ground things in reality, what’s normal here, what’s worth paying attention to, and what can safely be ignored. When people have that kind of clarity, decisions stop feeling heavy and start feeling much more natural to make.

More than anything, what we want people to feel when they come to us is reassurance. Not confusion, not pressure, just clarity, honesty, and support from people who understand both sides of the journey.