[Closed] Moving to Portugal, getting organised

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Brother just moved to Lisbon. He was in Brazil so moved to get away from a fruitcake right wing bunch of a holes, obviously nothing like your situation. Seems to like it, his work is quite free and easy so relatively simple move. Took a while to find a suitable apartment though.

No issues with finding property, right next door to daughter is a house, little shabby but do up'able. with a shit load of land for 25000 and loads more empty properties dotted around the area (mostly city dwellers holiday homes).

Seen so many people move to spain and return after c 5 years when they get ill, bored, skint, miss their families, do something stupid, just don't cut your tie in UK. Those houses are empty and abandoned for a reason.

There will be a 3% sdlt premia soon for non UK tax payers so just keep what you have. On a second home and the extra tax sdlt is running at c 10% so be prepared for a costly return

Of course it may all work out and you will be happy in your new country, but you would be in the 5% of expats.

We moved from Somerset to East Anglia about 13 years ago having spent our whole lives up to then living within a few miles of where we were born. I think it's as easy to travel from Porto to Bristol by air as it is to get from Suffolk to Somerset by road! Bit more pricey maybe but on the whole I think that'd be worth it not to deal with M25! 😀 I reckon the rest of the family and friends will be keener to travel to us though! 🌊🌊🏄‍♂️🏖🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️

Go for it! & good luck.

The place is stunning, up in the hills, miles and miles of tracks, 10min walk from the Camino de Santiago and 4 to 6 miles from Bike Park Ponte de Lima, there is also another bike park to the east as well. The locals are so friendly and helpful, Elizabeth and Rasmus have settled in so well. The Portuguese love the extended family model and are supportive of what they are doing. I love the peace and quiet of the place and Mrs Moe loves the idea of gardening all day so all in all I think we feel it's a good move. Thanks for the feed back.

Not in Portugal, but over the border in Spain... a couple of things to consider:

* getting up on a Monday morning to go to work is shite anywhere

* North Portugal is very green for a reason, don't expect great weather. And when it gets hot, it gets HOT.

... but... life's too short. Go for it, worst case you can always move back home.

Elizabeth and Rasmus spent a year in the van going from top to bottom and back again (one little jaunt to Madrid inbetween). We were over there mid October and we spent a few days in tshirts and shorts and a few in raincoats and loved it warts n' all. They've had a few days of extended rain since and that had a bearing on where they chose to settle due to wanting to grow stuff and not risk fires so much as further South.

The big question is will Bike Art survive without you?

Also will STW members get a discounted rate for the pods when they're set up? Sounds like a great location for a week away!

Just want to say best of luck for the planned move op.

You've talked me into the move, if I only could!😁

These guys are worth following

If you look up altways.living on Instagram, that's them!

Hi Moe, good luck with everything. I’m not in Portugal but did make the move to Spain a bit over a decade ago. The best advice I got was from my dad. He didn’t want me to go but told me it’s better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t. Excluding crimes and girls called Susan I suppose.

Things that caught me out... firstly the cost. It took all the savings I thought I had. There were so many costs I hadn’t planned for. Language, you are so isolated until you can talk. Be careful about being dependent on anyone for language because it puts a lot of strain on relationships. You go through phases, firstly everything is amazing, then you realize that every place has its own problems.

The paperwork was really easy. Language is harder and takes a while. Culture takes a while too.

Poolman is pretty negative. It’s great advice and worth saying though. I’ll just tell you that for me it was the best thing I’ve ever done. By a long long way. Saved my life.

I left things open to come back. That bit me right in the nuts! Instead of selling my flat when it was worth more than the mortgage I held onto it for a “way back” as property prices plummeted. Yeah, I’m still sorting that out! It was nice to have that clear way back at the start but now it’s a chain round my ankles!

Good luck!

I walked el camino from Porto to Compostelle in the Summer and remember Ponte de Lima well because there was a brocante going on when we went through. A good choice IMO, real Portugal rather than a holiday resort.

I've lived (and worked) in France, England, Wales, Spain and Germany. It's been France where I've prospered and feel most at home, at nearly 60 can't see myself moving again except maybe to the DOM TOM for a while. I still keep up the other languages, language is the key to feeling at home anywhere.

Yes, I am concerned about costs, I remember moving across the UK was steep enough! (though we did have a hiccup with the purchase of the house that caused us the extra cost of storage for three months). I've spent a lot of time studying Spanish over the last few years but I learn best by doing/using so I would hope being there will be better.

@rossburton, It'd be great to see you out there! I find it amazing that my own child has broadened our horizons so much! I spent 43 years within 10 miles of where I was born, really don't know where she got it from!

OP,

Talking about Portugal reminds me of getting a bottle of Port for Xmas ...

OKay are you going to produce port?

😀

Every single property around the village has grape vines .... so, uuumm, I'll give it a go! 😳

Vinho Verde was what we were given with meals around there, it was red rather than green but they called it vinho verde. A slightly fizzy red, highly drinkable.

Vinho Verde was what we were given with meals around there, it was red rather than green but they called it vinho verde. A slightly fizzy red, highly drinkable.

Weird, that's definitely usually a slightly fizzy white, not red! (Now googled, apparently it can also be red or rosé, everday's a school day 🙂 )

Every single property around the village has grape vines …. so, uuumm, I’ll give it a go! 😳

Be a local join them and produce some ... I love port me 😄

I can't drink wine but seem to be fine with port. Me think it is the sulfites that gives me the stomach pain.

As if two bike parks wasn't enough, now the Vuelta is passing nearby for 2020!

On practical matters, is it worth shipping furniture and belongings or is it more cost effective to sell up lock stock and barrel and start from scratch?

On practical matters, is it worth shipping furniture and belongings or is it more cost effective to sell up lock stock and barrel and start from scratch?

Last flat I bought came with furnishings - nothing particularly special, but certainly more than enough to start with. Something to consider.

We just moved over to Spain and it wasn't that much to ship all our furniture and white goods over by boat / road. Cost around £3.5k which is considerably less than buying new here. That included shipping two bikes and all our clothes, personal belongings etc.

I reckon the rest of the family and friends will be keener to travel to us though

I wouldn't rely on this too much.
We find that even in the UK family do choose holidays all over the place, not just seeing us. Weekends are literally flying visits and a lot of travel for not much time.
We end up going to family more than them coming to us.

We've lived in SW France for nearly four years now and it has had it's challenges, as does everywhere, I guess. The one thing I wish we had done was to spend more time here before buying. You cannot know what it is like living somewhere until you spend at least six months there. In hindsight, I wouldn't have chosen the area we live in, perhaps not even the country! Holidays are very different to actually living somewhere.

If you can, why not rent somewhere locally so that you can see if you like the life and it likes you?

We have property in the UK and whilst we don't make much on it, it is a foothold in the UK property market and should we want to come back, then it's easily done.

As others have said learning the language and also being outgoing enough to 'get involved' is a huge benefit. I've struggled with both and can't say I have loved my life here. It's improving, as my language skills have (a little) and I'm starting to meet people with similar interests who I socialise more and more with. But it can be a very lonely existence if you're not meeting new people and getting involved in things.

Good luck if you go for it.

I wouldn’t rely on this too much.
We find that even in the UK family do choose holidays all over the place, not just seeing us. Weekends are literally flying visits and a lot of travel for not much time.
We end up going to family more than them coming to us.

Not any different than having moved to Suffolk from Somerset but we do have a littleun ( 😆 ) in Portugal so probably be about the same as when we moved here.

Now following your daughter on insta.

Looks interesting. Planning on something similar, but Italy.

Do it.

Can always return.

Learn the language. I'm in Germany and the number of expats who have such a small, narrow circle of friends because they don't speak the language is sad.

Well so far we've spoken to Estate Agent about letting/selling and have been looking at the pensions, I have to say Aegon (who hold an old pension from a previous employer) were brilliant and really helpful whereas trying to get info on my civil service pension (also an ex employer) was .... difficult! Now have a headache from trawling through properties, Portuguese estate agents have a strange idea of what we need to see in the photos!

Now I guess we also might be against the brexit clock so to speak but who knows?! We'll just aim to make a decision when the time comes we either hear something definite or we are staring and spending big money. It may just be that the process may become more bureaucratic?

Just been having a quick look at this thread as we’re currently on hols in Portugal.  Long story short, I was chatting to the Portuguese property owner earlier this week - her advice for buying property in Portugal is to see what repossessed properties the banks are selling. (Reckons you can save a lot of money over estate agents prices).

Apologies if you already know, but thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

Hope it works out for you.

Just been having a quick look at this thread as we’re currently on hols in Portugal.  Long story short, I was chatting to the Portuguese property owner earlier this week - her advice for buying property in Portugal is to see what repossessed properties the banks are selling. (Reckons you can save a lot of money over estate agents prices).

Apologies if you already know, but thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

Hope it works out for you.

Thanks, I didn't know about that. We're going back over for a couple of weeks at end of April, so will no doubt be doing some viewings then.

Now have a headache from trawling through properties, Portuguese estate agents have a strange idea of what we need to see in the photos!

No online property portals? This is the big Spanish property website, seems to also have Portuguese listings: https://www.idealista.pt/en/ - no idea if it's any good in Portugal, but it's great in Spain.

No online property portals?

Yes, plenty, it's just knowing when to take a break! 🥴 as for some of the pictures .... you'd think they were doing their best to put you off! 😆

Well, we're doing it! House is on the market a good proportion of the household is in Cardboard boxes and Ponte de Lima is on the horizon ....... Covid allowing!

By heck! What's the local riding like... 🤘

By heck! What’s the local riding like…

Bike Park Ponte de Lima and Pé do Negro Mountain Bike Trails within six miles of daughters house!

We're planning on driving Santander to Ponte de Lima, there are a couple of tolls as far as I can see and I've found 'Via-T' that looks to operate in Spain and Portugal, anyone have any experience of the best way to do this?

I lived for 18 months in Coimbra. I miss Portugal. People are amazing as long as you at least try and speak their language. There won't be much English spoken in the area you are moving to.
Do not buy a beautiful house surrounded by trees in a forest. The fires they have in that part of the world are extreme.

Thanks iolo, we have been aware of the fire risk, our daughter is happily scoping out properties so we should be able to hit the ground running.

Tolls in Spain are generally either cash (smaller amounts) or card (contactless). I have a Euro friendly Nationwide credit card I use.

Portugal you register a credit card and it reads your number plate and automatically take the money. I 'think' there was a special machine the first toll booth you hit which you can register your card. I did it on-line later than night and it was quite stressful (Spanish hire car).

Best of luck with your adventure! You'll have a great life.

I'm looking forward to the day that I get out. Once the kids have been uni (3 years), we're heading the south of France. My wife is from there and my employer have agreed I can work remotely (lock down has been a bit of a trial run).

Good luck with the move! We are planning to spend the winter in Portugal so if you fancy some riding buddies when you've sussed out the local trails drop me a pm.

Thanks, there are an awful lot of trails to suss out!

Does anyone have any opinions on insuring a house move, the removals company have offered 'extra' insurance @£500 odd, our own house insurance company don't entertain the option so, take the removal co's quote? Not worry about extra insurance? Or where else to look?

Well we're here, Storm Alex livened up the crossing the drive down was everything from sunshine to torrential rain but I'm now sat here with a beer in Romarigães in the sun! Now just need to start house hunting!

Good luck! Enjoy the adventure 🙂

Well we've been here since start of Oct and UK house sale is now finally sorted! Didn't expect that but it has given us more time to find our feet and get the feel for life here.

Good luck. We were in Portugal from early October until a couple of weeks ago. Travelled down the West Coast initially and found a couple of places we really liked Figueira de Foz, best all you can eat sushi for 10e ever, some fun mountain bike trails in the hills above the town and some good surf too, Foz do Arelho was another favourite spot and then we settled in Sagres for 4 months, surf heaven but not much else. We're in Spain now just making our way back to uk but hope to be back in Portugal next winter.