# Thinking of moving to Portugal



## csilva929

Helo everyone,  this is my first time here, so please forgive me for "dumb" questions I might have.  I was born in Portugal, but moved to the US when I was 5, my husband is a US citizen. In the past few years we both have been thinking of relocating to Portugal. We are in our early 40's and we wouldn't be able to retire right away, so I was wondering if anyone can give us some advice as to my husband possibly finding employment there. He is an automovtie technician and has been for quite a few years, but his portuguese is limited. What do you think his chances of finding a job there would be? I have spoken with family members there and I'm getting a 50/50 reponse  I myself speak fluent portugeuse, so that's good thing, but I also know that in Portugal, they have the option not to hire you based on your age, another sticky point. And one more thing, we have a 5yr son who is autistic and we were wondering about the schooling there and if anyone has heard of any programs in either the international school or local school for children with Autism? Sorry to have been so long winded, but any advice/options would be appreciated. 

Best regards!


----------



## silvers

Hi,
welcome to the forum. If your husband is good at his job, he will always find work. If he has the tools to work for himself, just base yourself near to an immigrant community, silver coast/Algarve and his ability to speak English will be invaluable. Many Brits hate taking their car to the garage and having to mime what's wrong with their pride and joy.


----------



## csilva929

silvers said:


> Hi,
> welcome to the forum. If your husband is good at his job, he will always find work. If he has the tools to work for himself, just base yourself near to an immigrant community, silver coast/Algarve and his ability to speak English will be invaluable. Many Brits hate taking their car to the garage and having to mime what's wrong with their pride and joy.


Thank you! That is definitely a good idea! Thanks again.


----------



## Steve_Cook

csilva929 said:


> Helo everyone,  this is my first time here, so please forgive me for "dumb" questions I might have.  I was born in Portugal, but moved to the US when I was 5, my husband is a US citizen. In the past few years we both have been thinking of relocating to Portugal. We are in our early 40's and we wouldn't be able to retire right away, so I was wondering if anyone can give us some advice as to my husband possibly finding employment there. He is an automovtie technician and has been for quite a few years, but his portuguese is limited. What do you think his chances of finding a job there would be? I have spoken with family members there and I'm getting a 50/50 reponse  I myself speak fluent portugeuse, so that's good thing, but I also know that in Portugal, they have the option not to hire you based on your age, another sticky point. And one more thing, we have a 5yr son who is autistic and we were wondering about the schooling there and if anyone has heard of any programs in either the international school or local school for children with Autism? Sorry to have been so long winded, but any advice/options would be appreciated.
> 
> Best regards!


I Am new to this forum too! My wife is Portuguese, and we have recently bought a house there for our retirement. I asked her about your son, she says that state schools all have specialist teachers to work with autistic children, there are also peripatetic teachers in the field (my step-daughter is one). My wife, fernanda, said not to worry about him. I am a retired UK teacher, and having discussed this with Fernanda, she says that support is much like that in the better UK state sector.


----------



## csilva929

Steve_Cook said:


> I Am new to this forum too! My wife is Portuguese, and we have recently bought a house there for our retirement. I asked her about your son, she says that state schools all have specialist teachers to work with autistic children, there are also peripatetic teachers in the field (my step-daughter is one). My wife, fernanda, said not to worry about him. I am a retired UK teacher, and having discussed this with Fernanda, she says that support is much like that in the better UK state sector.


Hello, thank you so much for the information. That was a big block in our decision about moving. We were very worried that we wouldn't be able to find the kind of help that her needs and deserves. Thanks again.


----------



## Caro99

*Re-locating to Cascais*

I wonder if anybody could answer a few questions for me? We are re-locating to Cascais at the beginning of July. We are renting our house out in the UK fully furnished and I would be grateful, if you could advise me if it would be better to wait until I get to Cascais to buy furniture, or to buy it here and ship it to Lisbon? I know that there is an Ikea but is there anything else?

Secondly, we are considering St. Julians, St. James and IPS for my daughter. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated! So much to sort out...


----------



## Somersetchris

Hi there everyone.
Apologies if this is in the wrong context or place but it is my FIRST post!!
We are just in the process of buying a portugeese property near Pedrogao Grande, its a small place called Romau.
Just really wanted to try and touchbase with any expats/British speaking people who can help point us in the right direction in the early days.
We dont speak the language are are both willing students, we will though need some works done on the new buy so will need some local builder recomendations if anybodys knows please.
Like I said its very early days for me on here and getting stsarted on our new challenge 

Thanks,

Chris.


----------



## travelling-man

Hi Chris

I'm very close to there and the builder who did our renovation is a fluent English speaker, honest and very good at what he does..... Once you have 5 or 6 posts under your belt, you can send/receive PMs so send me a PM as soon as you're able to and I'll give you both my and his contact details.

He's also happy to help you with other problems us new ex pats have..... for example our fridge stopped working recently and I called him to ask if there's anyone local who can come and fix it...... he called me back 10 minutes later to tell me the guy was on his way to the house.


----------



## Pablo91

I know a great builder fluent in English that can help

You can see here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Construções-Paços-do-Bonjardim/138603852904215?sk=info

I do not know if I can post links if not correct I apologize and ask that you please erase my post.

Regards


----------



## Somersetchris

That is so reassuring thank you very much, will endeavour to get on here as regular as possible and pick up some top tips.

Obrigado.


----------



## Somersetchris

Thank you.


----------



## ready2go

Caro99--I'm sorry to see that you had no responses to your post two months ago. I have the impression that there is an expat community in Cascais. Perhaps none are members of the forum. My wife and I are looking at Cascais (via long distance) as a potential retirement location.
We will be making a trip over to look around in person at Cascais and as far beyond as time will permit. Since you will be making the move in just a few months, I wish you good luck with getting settled in there.


----------



## Somersetchris

It now looks very much like our offer on the house in Romao has been accecpted, so now just waiting on the legal team to do their stuff. Can somebody please advise me if it is neccessary to get a structural survey done of the premises, or does it all depend on the type of property you buy?
Is that an English thing or not?
May need that builders details soon thanks.

Best wishes,

Chris.




travelling-man said:


> Hi Chris
> 
> I'm very close to there and the builder who did our renovation is a fluent English speaker, honest and very good at what he does..... Once you have 5 or 6 posts under your belt, you can send/receive PMs so send me a PM as soon as you're able to and I'll give you both my and his contact details.
> 
> He's also happy to help you with other problems us new ex pats have..... for example our fridge stopped working recently and I called him to ask if there's anyone local who can come and fix it...... he called me back 10 minutes later to tell me the guy was on his way to the house.


----------



## travelling-man

Chris

If you whack up 2 or 3 more posts you'll be able to send/receive PMs and I can give you the details.

From my limited experience most people just have a builder look over the property to check for anything you might have missed rather than have a proper survey done.


----------



## Somersetchris

Just looking into transporting some furniture. 
We have had a very good quote from a UK firm called Man & Van2go.
Anybody used this firm before? They are based in London
Many thanks

Chris


----------



## Somersetchris

*Builder details*

Hi travelling Man,
Hope all is well with you. Things are going along quite nicely here for a stressful time that is!!
We are looking to come over to Pedrogao Grande early next month to sign the papers. I was wondering if it was possible to maybe meet up with the builder you recomended whilst we were at Romao?
If you could advise what the best way to go with this is please would really appreciate it.

Best wishes,

Chris.





Somersetchris said:


> It now looks very much like our offer on the house in Romao has been accecpted, so now just waiting on the legal team to do their stuff. Can somebody please advise me if it is neccessary to get a structural survey done of the premises, or does it all depend on the type of property you buy?
> Is that an English thing or not?
> May need that builders details soon thanks.
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Chris.


----------



## travelling-man

Hi Chris

PM sent


----------



## leena koirala

*thinking to moving in portugal*

i hope this is the right place to ask some questions in my mind if someone could help me with answers then that would be great help.
actually i completed my studies in beauty course in uk for two years and also have a experience of beautician while i completed my course and i had a visit to portugal for a week last month and i was wondering to have a beauty salon business to set up in portugal if possible but i have very less knowledge about the portugees language however i can speak and understand very little.


thankyou


----------



## canoeman

leena koirala said:


> i hope this is the right place to ask some questions in my mind if someone could help me with answers then that would be great help.
> actually i completed my studies in beauty course in uk for two years and also have a experience of beautician while i completed my course and i had a visit to portugal for a week last month and i was wondering to have a beauty salon business to set up in portugal if possible but i have very less knowledge about the portugees language however i can speak and understand very little.
> 
> 
> thankyou


Apologies for being so blunt but *don't* even consider it


----------



## Micksantacruz

Steve_Cook said:


> I Am new to this forum too! My wife is Portuguese, and we have recently bought a house there for our retirement. I asked her about your son, she says that state schools all have specialist teachers to work with autistic children, there are also peripatetic teachers in the field (my step-daughter is one). My wife, fernanda, said not to worry about him. I am a retired UK teacher, and having discussed this with Fernanda, she says that support is much like that in the better UK state sector.


steve make one more post and I can then pm you


----------



## Sonho

canoeman said:


> Apologies for being so blunt but *don't* even consider it


Agreed. People with your qualifications are a dime a dozen there.


----------



## leena koirala

canoeman said:


> Apologies for being so blunt but *don't* even consider it


hello,

it would really be a great help if you could give me suggestions for how could i be able to stay in portugal? can i apply for the work there to stay?

best wishes 
leena


----------



## canoeman

Unless your travelling on a Visa which gives you a limited time access, then you would reguire a job offer and the Work Visa formalities completed from this end, there are other options if you have a *considerable* amount of money


----------



## Ladybird7

Hi, I too am totally new to this forum, and hoping to move to Portugal. I've been looking at farming land with Olive trees and fruit trees, and all the pieces of land I've looked at are purely farming land with a dilapidated farm building on it. I have no wish to build a large house or be grid connected, but I do have a wish to build a VERY small single story, one bed, cob (mud) house and have a permaculture water capture and composting / gardening lifestyle. What planning permission rules do I need to know about, and since I will be building the whole house with my own two hands I don't need a builder or architect. Any pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks


----------



## canoeman

What you want to achieve is "off grid" and I'm afraid you couldn't do it legally or get the necessary permissions, so it'd be finding a seluded area, keeping your head down and hoping for the best.

I've heard of a couple of areas where there are alternative homes being allowed, but I honestly don't believe that they can be self built, which rather ruins the whole concept, I'll have a word with a friend and see whether he has information and post if so


----------



## Ladybird7

Thanks Canoeman,
In britain if you build under a certain size, and are fully off-grid, and of course dependent on location, you don't fit into any of the building code practices, thereby making you exempt. I was just wondering if you know of any loop-holes like that on farming land that would apply to my situation. I have been looking at various land spots (inland northern part), around the £15,000 mark (that's all I have saved for that), and wish to create a permaculture garden / self-sustainable living space.
Thanks again for your previous answer, just hoping the above fleshing out of details might provide you with more to work with... Thanks again


----------



## canoeman

That's one of the big differences, farming land is called Rustica and you can't build on it, you can only get permission if a % falls into a Urbana (building) area but you chances of getting any permission for an adobe or similar type "self build" are about zero, yes you can build an agricultural store (size restrictions) or it might have one (but that's not a house by any description) water & power are the two other problems (legally) there are very few legal loopholes that can be used and the only real option is "off grid" with the inherent problems that creates.

The danger you face is that your hard saved cash invested in some land might turn out to be worthless if one of the various agencies that might become involved stopped you doing something you've your heart set on, might be better looking for people (there are a considerable number) living the type of lifestyle you want and meeting, joining them, learn the ropes and then go it alone


----------



## Ash Jez

canoeman said:


> farming land is called Rustica and you can't build on


 One of the questions that pops into my mind now and again is that in the case of Rustica, are you compelled to farm the land or, if you know, is it possible to use the land as a garden with a few potatoes etc dotted about.


----------



## canoeman

No your not compelled, garden, orchard etc no problem it's when you want to* put* something *on it* that problems start. 

Thing is if you don't keep it in reasonable condition it very quickly goes wild which then makes it more difficult to clear, we currently have about 3,000m2 as arable land, costs appox 42€ for the local "tractor" man to either knock back or rotorvate, generally have done 2 -3 times a year if it's down to woodland then the undergrowth must, should be cleared at least every 3 years.


----------



## Ash Jez

Thanks for the reply canoeman. I was just thinking whilst reading your reply that perhaps I had not be specific enough in my question. As you are aware, many properties are marketed as farms and perhaps consisting of between 2-6000 sqm. Again, if you know, is this the case in what is considered a farm from a marketing point of view. Is a house with 4k different to something called a farm with 4k?


----------



## canoeman

You really need to be a masochist to consider looking at farms, it's only the extended Portuguese families that make them workable, personally think the descriptions are slightly misleading and should *not* be read in the same context as a UK smallholding, farm.

It's a difficult one to give a straight answer, as it will depend on the land classifications, whether it has more than 1 Article number (pieces of land) and who the agent might be trying to pitch property at.

our house and land is 1 Article all classified as Urbana but that doesn't mean I could build a housing estate only a percentage can be built on


----------



## Ash Jez

Canoeman. Masochist, I like that and as always from you, a good reply even though not full due to the great variation in land categories. Here is the situation with me. I'm desperate for some land in my next purchase. Simply because I've never had anything that can be consider much larger than an area you could swing a cat in without the greatest of care of the poor creature suffering concussion and more than likely, a fractured skull.

My desire is to have perhaps 3000 sq m. 10000 appeals but I need to be realistic. Ideally, the land should be covered in trees as I love greenery and just basically living with nature. I'm pre-retirement age and the intention would be to live off assets of the monies that could produce. I'm happy living frugal though not in poverty and the very fact that a reasonable piece of ground would permit an area of garden and some reasonable space for planting edibles would please me no end.

The intention would be MORE to have something to do and in the process, save just a little money with home produce. A few chickens appeals also where the eggs would be most welcome as they would have been the result of my very own efforts.


----------



## canoeman

Think you need to be here to appreciate the amount of work even 3,000m2 takes to look after, 10,000 is just ridiculous especially for 1 person, it would be like the Forth Bridge not that I think you could actually keep that area of forest clear, as soon as you'd got near the end you'd need to start again and the more undergrowth the more the risk of fire.

look for something like 3,000 *max* in or close to a forested area then you enjoy others labors and can live the sort of life you envisage.
When you say live "of the monies that could produce" land and or forest wouldn't supply any worthwhile income, sporadic at the best


----------



## marc4it

Caro99 said:


> I wonder if anybody could answer a few questions for me? We are re-locating to Cascais at the beginning of July. We are renting our house out in the UK fully furnished and I would be grateful, if you could advise me if it would be better to wait until I get to Cascais to buy furniture, or to buy it here and ship it to Lisbon? I know that there is an Ikea but is there anything else?
> 
> Secondly, we are considering St. Julians, St. James and IPS for my daughter. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated! So much to sort out...


hi i am only now replying to you message as i have only just joined when i moved to Portugal 5 years ago i brought all my furnature with me it cost me a small fortune i would not do it again( only for personel things) there are many shops here to buy furnature but there are very few auction houses they are not into this here i think there is only one or two in the whole of the algarve i hope this helps you please keep in touch :ranger:


----------

