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Retirement

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 9:51am
27 replies797 views4 members subscribed
Neil

Posts: 11

1 helpful points

Location: Albufeira

Joined: 29 Jan 2021

I am looking to spend a lot of my retirement in the Algarve, and possibly buy a home there. Can anyone suggest where I need to start and perhaps give me some tips to avoid pitfalls?

Jazz

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:29pm

Posts: 132

13 helpful points

Location: Lagos

Joined: 29 Sep 2020

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:29pm

Hi, Neil.

I'm retired and, like you, always wanted my own place in the Algarve, but, at this  stage, I'm happy to rent for the winter there. Why?

Three things are pricey in the Algarve - golf, cars.....and property (especially in the population centres). Also, there are thousands of properties, mainly apartments, lying idle over the winter. With some effort and investigation, you should be able to find an appt for about €600 per month, which, considering your overall costs of living at home, will probably work out cheaper in the end, despite the cost of Algarve rental.

I suggest, firstly, pick your favourite location in the Algarve and suss rental appts there.

Neil

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:39pm

Neil

Original Poster

Posts: 11

1 helpful points

Location: Albufeira

Joined: 29 Jan 2021

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:39pm

Jazz wrote on Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:29pm:

Hi, Neil.

I'm retired and, like you, always wanted my own place in the Algarve, but, at this  stage, I'm happy to rent for the winter there. Why?

Three things are pricey in the Algarve - golf, cars.....and property (especially in the population centres). Also, there are thousands of properties, mainly apartments, lying idle over the winter. With some effort and investigation, you should be able to find an appt for about €600 per month, which, considering your overall costs of living at home, will probably work out cheaper in the end, despite the cost of Algarve rental.

I suggest, firstly, pick your favourite location in the Algarve and suss rental appts there.

Hi Jazz,

Thank you for replying. Yes, I was intending renting first so that I can get a feel for the area. After coronavirus, it would be good to spend the coldest months out of the UK as well as other times throughout the year. It will be easy for me to come and go quite frequently as I'm only 20 minutes away from my local airport. I don't speak Portuguese, so I shall be looking for an area with a good expat community. I lost my wife a couple of years ago, so if don't have anyone to speak to, I guess I might get pretty lonely.  

Regards, Neil.

Jazz

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:21pm

Posts: 132

13 helpful points

Location: Lagos

Joined: 29 Sep 2020

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:21pm

Neil wrote on Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:39pm:

Hi Jazz,

Thank you for replying. Yes, I was intending renting first so that I can get a feel for the area. After coronavirus, it would be good to spend the coldest months out of the UK as well as other times throughout the year. It will be easy for me to come and go quite frequently as I'm only 20 minutes...

... away from my local airport. I don't speak Portuguese, so I shall be looking for an area with a good expat community. I lost my wife a couple of years ago, so if don't have anyone to speak to, I guess I might get pretty lonely.  

Regards, Neil.

Lonely, without a doubt, especially in these lock down C19 times and more especially , in your case, without your beloved wife. However, a change of scenery, with anonymity thrown in, is often good and, most of all, the weather is on average about 5C better.

Good hunting!

Neil

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:55am

Neil

Original Poster

Posts: 11

1 helpful points

Location: Albufeira

Joined: 29 Jan 2021

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:55am

Jazz wrote on Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:21pm:

Lonely, without a doubt, especially in these lock down C19 times and more especially , in your case, without your beloved wife. However, a change of scenery, with anonymity thrown in, is often good and, most of all, the weather is on average about 5C better.

Good hunting!

Got to wait for the current lockdown to be eased and find out how welcoming Portugal is post Brexit. I got lucky and had my Covid jab sooner than expected, so at least I don't have to fear becoming a Covid statistic right now. Making plans for a warmer future helps pass the time, and it makes a change from tidying around the house.

Keep well. 

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tsmith2456

Posted: Mon Feb 1, 2021 9:11am

Posts: 14

2 helpful points

Location: Salir

Joined: 26 Nov 2020

Posted: Mon Feb 1, 2021 9:11am

Neil wrote on Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:55am:

Got to wait for the current lockdown to be eased and find out how welcoming Portugal is post Brexit. I got lucky and had my Covid jab sooner than expected, so at least I don't have to fear becoming a Covid statistic right now. Making plans for a warmer future helps pass the time, and it makes a c...

...hange from tidying around the house.

Keep well. 

Hi Neil,

Post Brexit you are limited to a total of 90 days in any 180 day rolling window, visa free, however you can apply for a D7 visa if you intend to take up permanent residency. The following link provides a run down of the requirements for a D7 visa:

https://www.sovereigngroup.com/portugal/portugal-passive-income-d7-visa/

I am not affiliated with (or know anything about) sovereign, this just happened to be the first good page I found about the visa. I'm sure if you Google "Portugal D7 visa" you can find other sites that provide similar info. Worth checking with the Portuguese embassy in the UK too.

When we were planning to move to Portugal we spent a week travelling the length of the Algarve, first along the coastal area, then back the other way further in land. We then chose a general area that we thought would suit us and went back for another week looking for a town or village in that general area that we liked. Then we set about looking for a property. I would also recommend renting at first. Property is much cheaper if you travel inland from the coast a bit, away from the holiday resort areas especially. There are also bargains to be had if you want a retirement project of a do-er-upper. There are plenty of places inland a bit that have expat communities although it is worth trying to learn a bit of Portuguese and getting to know locals as well.

I have no regrets about retiring to Portugal, it's a great place, very friendly, low cost of living (away from holiday destinations), great climate etc. I may be biased but Loule is a town worth looking at, as well as the smaller towns and villages around it. Great access to Faro airport, very active town council, lots of activities and cultural events organised by the council and plenty of expats of various European nationalities. The countryside north of Loule is like Devon on steroids, tons of rolling green hills covered in small quiet roads and paths ideal if you like walking or cycling. If you like the coast then Tavira has a lot to offer and isn't too overrun with holiday maker hotels and villas. There's bound to be an area which appeals to your own tastes somewhere in the Algarve.

There are a couple of good YouTube channels about Portugal, worth doing a search for them too.

Happy investigating whilst in lockdown,

Tony

Neil

Posted: Mon Feb 1, 2021 11:48am

Neil

Original Poster

Posts: 11

1 helpful points

Location: Albufeira

Joined: 29 Jan 2021

Posted: Mon Feb 1, 2021 11:48am

tsmith2456 wrote on Mon Feb 1, 2021 9:11am:

Hi Neil,

Post Brexit you are limited to a total of 90 days in any 180 day rolling window, visa free, however you can apply for a D7 visa if you intend to take up permanent residency. The following link provides a run down of the requirements for a D7 visa:

https://www.sovereigngroup.com/portugal/portugal-passive-income-d7-visa/

I am not affiliated with (or know anything about) sovereign, this just happened to be the first good page I found about the visa. I'm sure if you Google "Portugal D7 visa" you can find other sites that provide similar info. Worth checking with the Portuguese embassy in the UK too.

When we were planning to move to Portugal we spent a week travelling the length of the Algarve, first along the coastal area, then back the other way further in land. We then chose a general area that we thought would suit us and went back for another week looking for a town or village in that general area that we liked. Then we set about looking for a property. I would also recommend renting at first. Property is much cheaper if you travel inland from the coast a bit, away from the holiday resort areas especially. There are also bargains to be had if you want a retirement project of a do-er-upper. There are plenty of places inland a bit that have expat communities although it is worth trying to learn a bit of Portuguese and getting to know locals as well.

I have no regrets about retiring to Portugal, it's a great place, very friendly, low cost of living (away from holiday destinations), great climate etc. I may be biased but Loule is a town worth looking at, as well as the smaller towns and villages around it. Great access to Faro airport, very active town council, lots of activities and cultural events organised by the council and plenty of expats of various European nationalities. The countryside north of Loule is like Devon on steroids, tons of rolling green hills covered in small quiet roads and paths ideal if you like walking or cycling. If you like the coast then Tavira has a lot to offer and isn't too overrun with holiday maker hotels and villas. There's bound to be an area which appeals to your own tastes somewhere in the Algarve.

There are a couple of good YouTube channels about Portugal, worth doing a search for them too.

Happy investigating whilst in lockdown,

Tony

Hi Tony,

Thank you for the excellent information. I think 90 days at a time will be sufficient for me as I intend travelling back and forth a few times a year. After Covid, I shall be on a flight to spend a couple weeks looking around areas that I think might suit my needs. I had my first Covid jab on New Years eve and will be having the second soon, so as soon as I get the go ahead to travel, I shall be on a plane! - Hopefully, before the end of  this summer. Once I'm over there, I should be able to pick a lot more tips about things I ought to know. I shall make an attempt to pick up the language, as I only know a few words from when I've holidayed in Portugal before,

Obrigado,

Neil.

Alistair young

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 12:39pm

Posts: 3

Location: Alcantarilha

Joined: 15 Feb 2020

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 12:39pm

I looked at Loule after reading this and to be honest it looks like mostly apartments very expensive and very touristy. I'm looking for heat in winter but want to be more out in the campo with some land any ideas on areas i can still get winter sun but be more rural?

tsmith2456

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 2:27pm

Posts: 14

2 helpful points

Location: Salir

Joined: 26 Nov 2020

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 2:27pm

Alistair young wrote on Wed Feb 3, 2021 12:39pm:

I looked at Loule after reading this and to be honest it looks like mostly apartments very expensive and very touristy. I'm looking for heat in winter but want to be more out in the campo with some land any ideas on areas i can still get winter sun but be more rural?

I live 20 minutes north of Loule, just outside a small town called Salir. I would say Loule is not touristy, it is almost exclusively inhabited by permanent residents. It is a large (for the Algarve) town, being the county town for the municipality. I travel to it weekly for the supermarkets and other shops and services. There are many events organised by the local council, mainly for the benefit of residents, but some of them do attract tourists during the summer months. I would agree housing in Loule is mostly apartments. Loule is about 15-20 minutes from the nearest "tourist centre" in Albufeira.

If you want something cheaper and more rural take a look at the area around Salir, Querenca and Alte. I live in this area and it is fabulous, in my obviously totally unbiased opinion :-), there are plenty of cheaper properties, especially if you want to refurbish something. The countryside around this area I describe to my friends as like Devon on steroids, rolling green hills and valleys peppered with quiet roads and off-road tracks. Perfect for walking and cycling, if that's your bag. Further north from here it gets quieter and cheaper but remains very attractive and still within reach of the coast for a day out.

As I have mentioned to others on this forum it is worth spending a week or so investigating the length of the Algarve to choose a general area then spending another week investigating that smaller area more thoroughly. I would also advise renting to begin with before committing to a purchase.

I hope that's helpful.

Alistair young

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 5:48pm

Posts: 3

Location: Alcantarilha

Joined: 15 Feb 2020

Posted: Wed Feb 3, 2021 5:48pm

tsmith2456 wrote on Wed Feb 3, 2021 2:27pm:

I live 20 minutes north of Loule, just outside a small town called Salir. I would say Loule is not touristy, it is almost exclusively inhabited by permanent residents. It is a large (for the Algarve) town, being the county town for the municipality. I travel to it weekly for the supermarkets and ...

...other shops and services. There are many events organised by the local council, mainly for the benefit of residents, but some of them do attract tourists during the summer months. I would agree housing in Loule is mostly apartments. Loule is about 15-20 minutes from the nearest "tourist centre" in Albufeira.

If you want something cheaper and more rural take a look at the area around Salir, Querenca and Alte. I live in this area and it is fabulous, in my obviously totally unbiased opinion :-), there are plenty of cheaper properties, especially if you want to refurbish something. The countryside around this area I describe to my friends as like Devon on steroids, rolling green hills and valleys peppered with quiet roads and off-road tracks. Perfect for walking and cycling, if that's your bag. Further north from here it gets quieter and cheaper but remains very attractive and still within reach of the coast for a day out.

As I have mentioned to others on this forum it is worth spending a week or so investigating the length of the Algarve to choose a general area then spending another week investigating that smaller area more thoroughly. I would also advise renting to begin with before committing to a purchase.

I hope that's helpful.

Thanks for your reply and it's good to find someone with knowledge of the area 

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