# newbie



## nelly77 (Jul 16, 2008)

Hi all  I'm considering upping sticks from the rapidly going down hill uk and starting fresh in central portugal, probably looking to buy property in need of renovation, would just like advice on the whole thing if any one can help? how to go about it? whats it like to live rather than holiday there? cost of living etc etc 

any comments greatfully received

thanks


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## jorgemac23 (Feb 26, 2008)

HI ! I hope the information that i´m giving you below is helpful, My wife and 2 kids moved to Lagos in the algarve , we tried to live further north but found that the algarve was what we are looking for, we opened up a children's shop & here we are. If you have any further questions feel free to ask.
Best of luck
jorgemac23

Portugal, Algarve 
Inland properties Price region.€100-000 to €150.000 

Expect to find habitable properties, that is to say, older village houses and usually

terraced (not detached).At the lower end, the properties will be in desperate need of modernization. At the higher end, you may find a modernized 1 to 2 bedroomed terraced cottage for €100K to €200K…..This is an example of a renovated ruined cottage where the original water storage tank has been cleverly converted for use as a pool! This terraced property sits in a beautiful valley(20 minutes drive north of Lagos town on the Western Algarve). It features 3 bedrooms, a living room a kitchen dining room and a bathroom. Current asking price:through a local estate agent:€160.000 













Cost of living

You may want to bear in mind that the national minimum salary is under €500 per month! 
The general day to day costs are relatively ok in comparison to most of Europe. Nobody who lives here thinks twice about sitting down to coffee and snacks, several times a day! Shopping in the supermarkets is not as cheap as say neighbouring Spain, but you can put this down to the fact that at present, I.V.A.(VAT) is currently 20% in Portugal.This being recently lowered from 21%!

Eating Out: You can still find many local restaurants serving dish of the day at lunchtime from €5.00. A half-decent jug of wine to accompany this meal shouldnt cost more than a couple of euros!

You hear of UK ex-pats, who are based in Portugal regularly flying back to London on cheap flights in order to stock up on clothing and british food items? All in all, expect to find a laid back way of life, laid back friendly locals and English spoken in all coastal towns and villages.

Satellite/Cable.

Most Brits will opt for the SKY system, and will find that there are dozens of eager suppliers of these systems based here and advertising in the local weekly rags.A basic system will cost from around €500(receives the free channels).

Other more language conscious individuals opt for the locally supplied cable systems which boast dozens of internationally known channel favourites, including SKY news, BBC prime etc. Expect to have these systems supplied from €30 per month. 


When thinking of taking the plunge and investing in Portugal it is recommended that

A: you engage the services of a licensed local Real Estate Agent

B: On finding your ideal property you take the realtor´s advice and meet up with a local lawyer/solicitor. Who will advise you on many aspects of paperwork documentation requirements in Portugal as well as the usual conveyancing on property purchase.


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## nelly77 (Jul 16, 2008)

*thanks*



jorgemac23 said:


> HI ! I hope the information that i´m giving you below is helpful, My wife and 2 kids moved to Lagos in the algarve , we tried to live further north but found that the algarve was what we are looking for, we opened up a children's shop & here we are. If you have any further questions feel free to ask.
> Best of luck
> jorgemac23
> 
> ...


very helpful thankyou  I am looking at central portugal, i want the more rural way of life and it falls into my price range a bit better, but cost of living info was great. If i can get some moore advice like that i will be ok.

What is the job market like over there? I know you said you set up your own business, is that because it was hard to find work? or just wanted to be self employed?


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## patsy (May 8, 2009)

Hi nellie just looking on this site did you make the move i moved here 5 years ago i am on the silver coast patsy


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## omostra06 (Sep 11, 2007)

nelly77 said:


> Hi all  I'm considering upping sticks from the rapidly going down hill uk and starting fresh in central portugal, probably looking to buy property in need of renovation, would just like advice on the whole thing if any one can help? how to go about it? whats it like to live rather than holiday there? cost of living etc etc
> 
> any comments greatfully received
> 
> thanks


we have a load of information on our website about living in central Portugal, perhaps it may help answer some of your questions. take a look at the link below.


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