How often have we all been on holiday and thought, “Wouldn’t it be lovely to live here?” Of course, when seduced by so much beauty, it’s hard to resist, but aren’t we always warned that the grass “isn’t always greener on the other side”? But, in truth, when it comes to Portugal, we have found the grass is actually greener. Perfect, no. Obstacles, certainly. But to us, the pros far outweigh the cons, and if we had our journey again, there are certainly areas I would have considered far more closely. Of course, everyone’s needs are different, and these are just my thoughts, based on my own experiences.
Our love affair with Portugal began a few years back, when we visited on holiday, determined to explore as much of the area as possible. Any rose-tinted notions were soon swept aside, quite literally, as our two-week vacation turned out to be one of the wettest on record. The weather was so torrential that even our bed and breakfast owners felt sorry for us and greeted us daily with a brolly, close at hand. But we were both overwhelmed by the beauty of the place, waking up to the smell of the orange grove in the morning, dipping our toes into pristine waters, and generally feeling a sense of ease that I hadn’t felt in years. At the time, I was running my own guest house on the Isle of Wight. Although I was just a five-minute walk from the sea, one day it hit me that due to the constant pressures of the business, I hadn’t even made it to the beach in over eight months. With my mother suffering from ill health, we were determined to make the move and change our lives around.
Having made a previous move from the UK to Switzerland, when I was just 19 and spending the next five years there, I wasn’t overly daunted by another move. So, on arriving in Portugal and purchasing our dream home, we set about living the life we had always wanted: plenty of sun, a healthier diet, days by the sea, eating our own fruit from the garden, and generally leaving the stresses behind. Perhaps the most rewarding part of this journey has been the friendliness of the Portuguese people.
However, after looking back in hindsight after three years, there are considerations I overlooked.
Language
One obstacle I have found difficult to overcome is the language. I believe it’s the responsibility of anyone trying to integrate into someone else’s culture to try and learn the language, but boy, have I found it difficult.
This was something I hadn’t foreseen at the beginning. Being able to get by in both German and French, I had thought it would be pretty much the same in Portuguese, but I still find it hard to understand full sentences and feel somewhat embarrassed by my token efforts. Being able to order a coffee or lunch doesn’t really seem to cut it. Of course, many Portuguese happily converse in English, but I do find it frustrating when my elderly neighbour, always happy to see me, starts conversing, and then, after the usual pleasantries, we are both using hand signals to make a point. But that said, if you are looking for a good place to start, I can highly recommend Victor at the Atena language school in Tunes. I also find watching films with subtitles to be very beneficial.
Jobs
In many ways, I know I’m very lucky. Lovely home, no mortgage, but unfortunately, I’m at that in-between age where I can no longer work 16-hour days, but neither am I in a position to retire. Before arriving in Portugal, I thought that finding a job would be pretty easy, and this naivety has, in some ways, cost me dear. The other problem is that the cost of living has increased everywhere, not just in Portugal, and I have found that my frequent trips back to the UK to see my son have been curtailed somewhat.
There seems to be an abundance of seasonal hospitality jobs, but given my age and experience, I have received some fairly incredulous looks when I would want to take a job as a waiter. Again, my language skills are mostly to blame. For this reason, I am probing down the route of being self-employed and setting up my own business, but again, this is not for the faint-hearted, and more homework before I arrived would certainly have helped. Setting up a business anywhere is not an easy undertaking, but with limited knowledge of the language and the regulations, it makes the task much harder. So, to anyone making the move, if you need a job as I did, consider what you would like to do first and how much you need to survive on. If your passion is golf, like mine, work out how much you need to cover any additional expenses. Some social media pages can prove helpful, such as “Jobs in the Algarve,” which is geared up to help expats looking for work.
Practicalities
With our previous house being located on the high street and buses passing literally centimetres from our window, plus having a fairly limited garden space, we followed our hearts rather than our heads when it came to the location and practicalities of our property in Portugal. The problem is when, like me, you still think you are young and can conquer the world, but your body has other ideas. So, if, like us, you are contemplating a larger outdoor space, remember you still have to tend to this space. It seems common sense, but when the temperatures start to soar, looking after such a place might not be as easy as you envisaged. We found an idyllic spot that seemed to suit our wish list, but in those initial few months, without a car, trekking those three kilometres to the nearest amenities brought us back to reality with a bump. I also didn’t consider that without a street name, actually finding us might be problematic, and woe betide if we actually got sick, as how would an ambulance possibly find us? Even something like popping out for a coffee and seeing other people has turned out to be more of a day out than an everyday occurrence. So, to anyone moving, I’d suggest renting and checking out as many areas as possible before making the bold step of buying.
Bureaucracy
Everywhere you go, there is always the dreaded paperwork, and finding the right lawyer, accountant, doctor, estate agent, etc, is a minefield. For us, just as it was in the UK, it’s a case of trial and error, finding the right person and the right information. With limited Portuguese and a fairly old-school mentality towards technology, I have at times found the whole process a little overwhelming. I would recommend that anyone moving try to do as much research as possible and prepare to take everything at a more leisurely pace. It’s only after a couple of years that I can say that I can navigate through the Portal das Finanças, know the taxation laws, and understand which bills need to be paid and when. I’ve also become a master of Google Translate, but this learning curve, especially as you get older, does become more demanding.
My recommendations would be to take along a Portuguese-speaking person to initial meetings with the Câmara and Juntas Freguesia. This can help break the ice. As for an accountant, I can highly recommend Vanda Baptista at Rubrica Decimal, Lda in Lagos. She not only fitted me in last minute, but also steered me through the minefield of fiscal numbers, green receipts, portals, and capital gains, all at a very reasonable price. Another place that has given me invaluable help on a number of topics, from health to pets, is Abbeygate Insurance, based in Boliqueime. As for an honest lawyer, sorry, but I’m still looking!
Isolation
I’ve always considered myself a fairly independent person, and having worked in hospitality for over 30 years, I pretty much took meeting people for granted. I knew moving abroad again would change the dynamic of my relationships with friends and family. Of course, we all know that most people jump at the chance of a holiday by the sea, but what you tend to forget is that everyone is often busy with their own lives and once making a move, especially as you get older, it is quite easy to feel isolated and dare I say lonely. Wherever you decide to move, I would recommend doing some research and finding groups with like-minded interests. For me, this has been through golf groups, animal charities, and people who enjoy writing. If, like me, you are single and are no longer in a profession that guarantees meeting people, I think maintaining these social links, becomes very important and definitely should be considered before moving.
In conclusion, I can say I have no regrets about moving to Portugal. It’s a magical place, full of charm, with wonderful people, but I would say to anyone who is moving, do as much homework as possible, prepare yourself for a mountain of red tape, and remember that not everything is as straightforward as it seems.
David Woodward is a hotelier and author of Confessions of a Waiter
