# Moving to Algarve - where do we begin?!



## salopgal

Hi all

I'm new to the forum today. My hubby and I are talking through the possibility of moving permanently to the Algarve. He is 65 and I'm 45 and our house is now up for sale. 

It is our hope to buy a country/rural villa for around the Euro 270 mark that has 4 bedrooms or more, so that we can set up a small retreat house for weary friends and others to come for R&R free of charge. This might sound a pretty unusual undertaking, but we both feel a sense of rightness about this. We've been to the Algarve 3 times and stayed at Foral and Alte. We would like to focus on the Loule region and are seeking a home with a little bit of land and a pool, rather than inside a conurbation or on a development. A mature garden that's up and running would be great - I'm not very imaginative with plants...

I've looked on Rightmove and other property sites and there seem to be a few properties that fit the bill. We'd rather not do renovation work but a house/villa with 3 rooms and a seperate annexe for folk to have some privacy, would be ideal - with a pool for the guests!

Is this possible and do you have any advice/contacts that you might recommend to us? We are completely new to moving out of the UK, although I lived abroad off and on in my 20s, so we are seeking quite a bit of guidance!

Am guessing that other folk on this forum have wanted similar sorts of properties in the past. We don't yet know all about taxes, solicitors fees and stuff, but can do internet research and are prepared to put plenty of legwork in. A trip over will be necessary as soon as our house here is sold - 3 viewings but no takers yet...

Thank you !


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## canoeman

Your €270 thousand budget would buy far more outside the Algarve, look at Casa.Sapo.pt - Portal Nacional de Imobiliário a Portuguese site similar to Rightmove as a start, free R&R family and friends are surprisingly expensive, I wouldn't be too generous

You should really be looking at a few trips short or long to really decide on an area and see if Portugal is right for you, a couple of holidays is very different to moving and living here.


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## salopgal

Thank you for that advice, I'll check out that site. I've met with a few folk who have bought out in Algarve, on a bird sanctuary/reserve and also up near Alte. It was their experiences and other contacts that made us think that an area we knew might be better to retire to. We are especially interested in finding an English speaking Christian fellowship and have seen at least 3 on the internet based in Lagos, Lagoa and Loule in particular. This is very important to us both. 

I have a hearing disability called Catastrophic Hyperacusis (severe sound sensitivity with aural pain) which for the last 4 years rendered me housebound at first in 2008 but now I am a great deal better. However, it had a massive impact on our day-to-day life and we'd just like to move away and start again, taking my disability into consideration and also my diabetes control (Type 2).

Based on the assumption that my hubby is likely to predecease me, one of our considerations is whether my widows pension would sustain me in Portugal. I have simple needs but want to be realistic too. We don't want to jump into anything with eyes anything other than wide open!

Thanks!


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## anapedrosa

Many choose to rent first before deciding to buy. My sense is that this would be a good option for you to consider. Long term rentals are reasonable and it would give you a chance to find a place that would work for you in the long term. If you are still sound sensitive, take care not to locate too close to a church or to neighbors with dogs - sound complaints are frequent on the Expat forums.

If you are on fixed income, then you may want to leave some wiggle room, costs in PT, in particular taxes and energy are likely to keep edging up while the country struggles to find a way to pay its debt.

Expat forums, such as this one, are an invaluable source of information to prepare. I've found the questions others ask as helpful as the answers to my own questions. I plan to move over next year, I've been researching for over a year and I'm still adding items to my checklist.

Best of luck, I wish you well in your quest.


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## canoeman

Again there are Christian Fellowships elsewhere in Portugal, look for posts by nanjudge and his North Portugal website as an example.

If your sole income would be a Widows pension probably a bit touch and go, especially if you intend to offer free R&R or have a pool, which is not cheap to maintain, or locating in the Algarve as it is Portugals dearest region.

Your requirements for peace & quite, totally understandable, also imposes extra expense in transport and requires very careful selection of property as anapedrosa mentions

Good news though as far as I know Diabeties 2 is a free treatment with the Health Service.


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## siobhanwf

canoeman said:


> Again there are Christian Fellowships elsewhere in Portugal, look for posts by nanjudge and his North Portugal website as an example.
> 
> If your sole income would be a Widows pension probably a bit touch and go, especially if you intend to offer free R&R or have a pool, which is not cheap to maintain, or locating in the Algarve as it is Portugals dearest region.
> 
> Your requirements for peace & quite, totally understandable, also imposes extra expense in transport and requires very careful selection of property as anapedrosa mentions
> 
> Good news though as far as I know Diabeties 2 is a free treatment with the Health Service.


Totally correct Canoeman. Diabetes is covered by the Portuguese health system


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## Alyaibraheem

Hi,

I am only here to find a job and do something instead of nothing ,,
We moved to Portugal and we pretty much been everywhere here in summer and winter 
I would very much advice you to rent FIRST in the are you decide to buy, although with your money you can easily build one.. 
There is something very important to bare in mind, houses here are not built to be good in winter ( number one they ger very dam, the clothes, the closest and the walls ) its crazy and they are not very well isolated as they tend to be more single layer.. they are very cold in winter and very hard to warm,, it cold be cooler inside than outside must of the time .. and if you have electronic heaters they electricity is very expensive here

We came here to buy a house ( we rented so many) then we realized that its not a good idea, now we are looking to build a warm log cabin outside the natural Park, they are easy to keep warm, and easy to renovate and extend the house.. and never get dam

when I asked around everyone said all Portuguese are meant to be built this way.. only good for summer

we live in Aljezur ( Vale da Telha ) its beautiful and right by the beaches and cliffs and weather is amazing in both winter and summer, pretty much all house are for sale around here, and they are around 100-200 max all big rooms and lots of space outside and inside with huge swimming pools and gardens .. you would love the weather here if you are from UK.. but again ,,, I would not buy a built house and would buy my own 

//snip//


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## canoeman

Modern Portuguese houses are insulated to a good standard, personally I'd stay away from 50's to 70's build as they do suffer, but even those can be insulated relatively easily. 

Log cabins are good, but only the better ones are good for year round living, they require exactly the same planning permissions as a conventional build and extending, where I would disagree as I think there extremely difficult to extend and actually stopped us purchasing one.

I'd question your 100-200000 price tags, Casa Sapo certainly bear that out.


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## steve01

Hi,
Portugals a lovely place to live - i wish you all of the best in finding your ideal home here.
Lou-le on the Eastern Algarve is a very busy town, as is Tavira, if you want somewhere peaceful, the Algarve becomes less busy as you go from East to West.
Buying taxes work out at about 6%, normally you can find a lawyer for around 1%, estate agents vary 1-10% (really greedy some of them) but agents fees are normally paid by the seller.
I think 270k for a 4+ bed villa with pool and land is very low, even in this day and age i only know of one that doesn't require major work or have other problems.
We looked around the Alijezur region a couple of years ago in the Costa Vincenta National Park and couldn't find anything remotely like a 4+bed +pool+land etc for 100-200k, i'd still be interested to find a house like this now for 100k, n fact i'd snap your hand off.
New build costs in the Algarve work out on average at 1200 euros m2, planning etc takes for ever _land costs, legal costs etc, so an average 4 bed house of say 200m2 +pool would cost about 350-400k to build.
Have you considered house swap - we have a house in the algarve that might suit you, and we would consider an exchange for the UK.
if so please reply to//snip // and we can exchange details
Best of Luck
Steve


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## steve01

Hi ,
i find your search for a property interesting.
I looked at all of the big Portuguese advertising websites, olx etc.
I found 1 property that met your criteria at under 270k and 3 others at 295k
1 very close to Albufuera and the others in the countryside - so it can be done.

A word of warning, its very difficult to sell houses in Portugal, and indeed most of Europe at the moment - but its especially tough to sell houses inland in the Algarve, we know two couples with nice houses close to Silves (personally i think its a lovely town) and they've both been trying to sell for over 3 years.
We know another couple, desperate to sell in Tunes (in my opinion an awful place) that have been trying to sell for over 5 years and have reduced the house by over 50%.
Just be careful where you buy in case theres a risk of wanting to move on later.
Best of luck


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## Stellen

Last week I received some details about a detached villa in Sta. Bárbara de Nexe, 15 minutes from Faro airport. The property is brand new and on a huge plot of 2,240 sqm. 

The house is 160 sqm and has three bedrooms and a pool. From the pictures it looks beautiful. They told me the asking price is Euros 295,000 reduced from Euros 410,000. 

Offer them Euros 250,000 cash and it’ll be yours!


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## jeremy mark

salopgal said:


> Thank you for that advice, I'll check out that site. I've met with a few folk who have bought out in Algarve, on a bird sanctuary/reserve and also up near Alte. It was their experiences and other contacts that made us think that an area we knew might be better to retire to. We are especially interested in finding an English speaking Christian fellowship and have seen at least 3 on the internet based in Lagos, Lagoa and Loule in particular. This is very important to us both.
> 
> I have a hearing disability called Catastrophic Hyperacusis (severe sound sensitivity with aural pain) which for the last 4 years rendered me housebound at first in 2008 but now I am a great deal better. However, it had a massive impact on our day-to-day life and we'd just like to move away and start again, taking my disability into consideration and also my diabetes control (Type 2).
> 
> Based on the assumption that my hubby is likely to predecease me, one of our considerations is whether my widows pension would sustain me in Portugal. I have simple needs but want to be realistic too. We don't want to jump into anything with eyes anything other than wide open!
> 
> Thanks!


hi
we live near lagos and there is a good expat community and lovely christian following in lagos and luz.
I am an osteopath and have many patients with many problems and different ages and budgets ,they all seem to do well here and feel the health care is good,which i have to agree with.You can leave on a small amount here and the weather makes up for so much,
good hunting
regards Edwina


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## Brighton26

We are also thinking of doing something similar and are looking for a property somewhere inland from the Loule area to near Tavira. We've already looked at a few properties. We'd be interested if you decided to move in the end and what were your experiences?Thanks


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## LUGON

hi there!
I am local from Olhão - Algarve, and I am working in a project of creating a walking routes company. In that scope I wrote a few texts in English to use on the site. But i need someone native english spoken to review it and correct it. 
There is someone on Olhão surroundings that can help me with this revision?

Thank you

Luís Gonçalves
967 812 999


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## grandwazoo

You do realise this thread is 3.5 years old?


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## SpiggyTopes

LUGON said:


> hi there!
> I am local from Olhão - Algarve, and I am working in a project of creating a walking routes company. In that scope I wrote a few texts in English to use on the site. But i need someone native english spoken to review it and correct it.
> There is someone on Olhão surroundings that can help me with this revision?
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Luís Gonçalves
> 967 812 999


I'll look at it for you.


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## LUGON

SpiggyTopes said:


> I'll look at it for you.


Thanks for your response.

Where, and when can we talk to do discuss this.

Regards

Luís
967 812 999


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## SpiggyTopes

I'm in Lisbon ..... 

Would you like to send me a sample of what you have done then we can talk on Skype or WhatsApp?

Peter


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## LUGON

SpiggyTopes said:


> I'm in Lisbon .....
> 
> Would you like to send me a sample of what you have done then we can talk on Skype or WhatsApp?
> 
> Peter


Ok, Peter

If you can let me know your email I will send you a few pages, out of the total 10, for you to see it.

Thanks

Luís


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## SpiggyTopes

I'll text it to you.


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## LUGON

SpiggyTopes said:


> I'll text it to you.


OK, fine


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## sangerm

Try Monchique, it's the most beautiful place in the Algarve. Mountains, waterfalls, wild flowers, corks, eucalyptus, greenery, fresh air, views to die for and cheaper than most of the rest of the Algarve - and our pool is filled with mineral water! It's 30mins drive to the south coast and 30 mins from the west and 1 hour from the airport.

The weather is not quite as good in the winter as the coast but coming from England that won't worry you!

The two local agents are:

http://www.imochique.com/

http://castrovillas.com/

I agree with the comments re old Portuguese buildings and would avoid buying on the north side of the mountain (it's wet).


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