Portugal - Centro Escape to the Continent

At over 700 years old, I'm standing outside one of the oldest

universities in the world, but where am I?

Find out more, and which country I'm in, in just a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a couple from Wales

find their first shared home together in the sun.

'They want properties they can put their stamp on.'

I like the rustic feel, the wood, the stone.

But in one, we may have bitten off more than we can chew.

Who wants a project?

Ah, here we go again!

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

Today, I'm in the Centro region of Portugal and this is Coimbra,

which used to be the medieval capital of this country

for over a century until it was replaced by Lisbon.

Now, although it lost its capital status,

it eventually became the home of one of the world's oldest universities.

Today, Coimbra is capital of the region

and home to more than just students.

Brimming with history, magnificent architecture

and stunning scenery, there's something here for everyone.

As the name suggests,

the Centro region of Portugal is located in the middle

of the country with the Atlantic on one side

and the mountainous border with Spain on the other.

The Atlantic coast is dotted with attractive villages

and sandy beaches.

Further up the shoreline, the port of Aveiro,

with its charming canal system, is often termed the Portuguese Venice.

Inland, this mainly agricultural region gives way to

a more mountainous landscape, with Portugal's highest peak,

Serra da Estrela, at nearly 2,000 metres high.

The climate can be unpredictable, with cooler summers

and wetter winters than coastal Atlantic areas,

making it a verdant region of lush, green valleys and dense forests.

Although not as popular as the Algarve with Brits,

the Centro region offers potential escapees a less touristy

and quieter pace of life.

Let's meet today's couple and find out what they're after.

Kevin and Sandra have been together for just a year

after meeting through an online dating agency.

Both have lived in Wales for much of their lives,

but now they want to start this new chapter in warmer climes.

I love to travel and I've always wanted to live abroad,

mainly for the sun - it's usually what most people say -

and the adventure of living somewhere else.

The move abroad is an opportunity for Sandra, at least,

to take a well-deserved rest.

I've had a challenging career.

I've worked for 30 years in mental health,

and I've been a single parent for a lot of that time,

so brought up my family on my own, and I've looked after an elderly mum.

And they've all grown up and my mum's passed, unfortunately.

And now's a time to retire and have that opportunity

to follow my dream.

They've chosen central Portugal as the location for the new home

after Sandra spent a memorable holiday there

with her son a few years ago.

I did like the area.

I think mainly, though, the type of properties that I've seen there

are the type of character that I like.

While Sandra will be enjoying her retirement in Portugal,

Kevin, who works as a professional photographer,

could have his hands full.

I'm one of these people that likes to be doing something all the time.

And apart from taking photographs, I like building things

and renovating things, and hopefully, the property will

have something about it - an outbuilding or outbuildings...

Or a treehouse for when the children come over, the grandchildren.

So I've got plenty of DIY tasks that I can task Kevin with!

In retirement, I hope to have more time to grow things myself -

veg - and, you know, do more cooking and more natural food.

Overall, they're looking forward

to their new adventure in a new country.

I don't think leaving Britain is going to affect me...greatly,

in that all my family and friends

have got an open invitation, you know.

The world's not that big any more.

It's about change, and I'm all for change.

Sandra likes the area to the south of Coimbra,

so we're concentrating our property search there.

Armed with a budget of £180,000,

I'm meeting the couple in Portugal in the medieval town of Penela.

Kevin and Sandra, welcome to the Centro region of Portugal.

Sandra, why do you want to move to this part of Portugal?

-Properties are quite reasonable.

-Yes.

It's just a very pretty part of Portugal.

It's always a huge step, moving abroad.

What about the realities of living in this part of the world?

Have you really thought this through?

I was going to come out on my own.

When I met Kevin, he wanted to live abroad,

so, I'm afraid, this is my idea to come to Portugal.

Well, let's talk about the actual property that you're both after.

We like wood and stone. But the houses aren't made of wood and stone!

We don't want the modern.

And ideally, what number of bedrooms do you want with this property?

-More than three.

-Is this so your families can come and stay?

-Yes.

Absolutely, yeah.

I think it's probably a good idea not to be too far away from...

a town or perhaps not a city, but at least you've got the facilities,

especially if you're coming to a country where you don't speak

-the language too well.

-So let's talk money, then.

Remind us of your budget.

Up to about 180, but obviously we like value for money.

-Well, are you looking forward to seeing our houses?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

I am. Can't wait to show you. Shall we get started?

Since this planned move has been initiated by Sandra,

she's taking the lead on what they want for their budget of £180,000.

She'd like an older, characterful property with plenty of wood

and stone and a minimum of three bedrooms

for when her sons come to stay.

Kevin is keen on renovating an outbuilding, perhaps for his

photography studio, and they'd both like to be close to a town.

We've got a truly diverse range of Portuguese properties

that will offer our buyers all manner of lifestyle options,

but I'll be keeping them waiting

before I reveal their respective prices.

'To end the property tour,

'the mystery house will challenge our buyers to think about what

'they really want to do with their time once they move here.'

For our first property,

we're heading to the village of Ribeira de Alcalamouque,

around half an hour's drive from the university city of Coimbra.

Sitting amongst olive trees,

our first offering is perched high on a hill.

-So here is your first property in Portugal.

-It's lovely. Nice stone.

It's wonderful. It's converted, isn't it, from some original...

It is, yes. It used to be a cowshed.

Different, to say I live in a cowshed!

-It's a very glamorous cowshed. Yes.

-It is indeed, yeah.

-I bet you're itching to get inside, aren't you?

-I can't wait.

-Yes, we are.

-That's why I'm looking forward to it.

-Get rid of these umbrellas and start the tour. Follow me.

-OK.

'Despite the weather,

'Kevin and Sandra seem taken with our converted cattle barn,

'and I'm confident the characterful interior will continue to impress.'

You have a porch that leads straight into...

Well, the way they've used it, the owners, is a dining room.

-Fantastic windows.

-Yeah.

-So, so far, you like it, you know, you like the idea?

-Oh, yeah.

-It's lovely.

-This is a very nice room.

-Right. Let's keep on.

Dining room leads through into our sitting room.

-It's lovely and warm.

-It certainly is.

Wood burner, Kevin, you can do the chopping the wood.

I thought I might get that job!

It certainly provides heat, doesn't it?

And I like the double aspect with the patio windows out there

-to what looks like a terrace.

-Yes.

It's retained a lot of its original character with the stonework.

It's nicely done. And the white gives the brightness as well.

Excellent. It's only our first property, isn't it?

-Wonderful first choice.

-Oh, I'm pleased!

That's what I was looking for, that's what I was fishing for.

Let's take a look at the kitchen.

A strong start to our first house tour,

but will the kitchen be up to scratch?

-Another large room.

-Yes.

-You wanted space, you two.

-Very practical, I like it.

-You love your wood, don't you?

-Yes, we do.

What about the thought of putting a big wooden island in the middle?

-That would be another job for Kevin, wouldn't it?

-It would, yes.

So you've seen the downstairs of our very first property,

are you ready to see the bedrooms?

Absolutely, let's go.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms as well as a large landing,

which the owners currently use as an office.

The bedrooms are all of a decent size with plenty of storage,

and they are serviced by a four-piece family bathroom.

There's also an upper terrace area with removable windows,

which would make an excellent spot for summer entertaining

or a fourth bedroom in the winter.

And then there's the master suite.

-Poke your head in, there's your en-suite.

-It's nice. Big.

-Beautifully done. It doesn't need any work, does it?

-No.

-And here's the master.

-Nice.

Good size. You wanted three bedrooms.

-Yes. This is very big.

-We're only little anyway.

-Aah!

-It's lovely.

-So it's a good start.

-It's a very good start, Nicki.

-Excellent.

All right, well, let's head back downstairs.

-If you'd like to follow me.

-OK.

The garden comprises a large lawn area and a private terrace.

But the owners have utilised every bit of land

and have planted various species known to thrive in the climate

including orange and lemon trees.

Typical, isn't it? I bring us back outside and it starts raining again.

OK, let's see if we can put a price on our very first property

-here in Portugal. Who wants to go first?

-I'll go first.

I think, because of the size and the quality of the renovation,

-I'm going to say 120.

-OK.

I'll go 150.

The asking price for this property is...

£148,000.

You were right.

This part of Portugal is good value but that is a substantial house.

-And you could move in tomorrow and not spend a penny.

-No.

Our first property, a stylishly converted cow barn,

is £30,000 under budget.

It comes with a large lounge and kitchen

and three good-sized bedrooms.

The property is set in a third of an acre

and has amazing views of the surrounding countryside.

-How do you feel about our first property?

-We liked it. Very good.

Looks lovely. It's superb.

-Good, good. Keen to see more?

-Absolutely.

OK, let's go.

Our next property lies in the small hamlet of Varzea de Pedro Mouro,

just over an hour's drive away from Coimbra.

With a more peaceful, rural setting than our first house, it's

just a stone's throw away from a famous lake, the Castelo de Bode.

Surrounded by eucalyptus trees, our next house stands alone,

with the nearest neighbour some 500m away.

So just up the road from that stunning reservoir

-is our next house.

-Wow.

Nice setting. Lovely flowers.

-Beautiful, yeah.

-It's breathtaking, it really is.

So what do you think of our house then, nestled within the trees?

-Looks good.

-Peaceful. Beautiful.

Not thinking rustic.

-It looks a bit modern to me, Nicki, so I'm going to...

-Hold judgment.

Hold judgment until we get in there.

OK, let's see what you think inside.

Our second property is actually close to 100 years old.

Sandra needn't worry as the house is packed with character, and offers

our couple the chance to put their stamp on it,

including painting the exterior.

The main entrance is on the first floor.

So, from the outside this house might give

the impression of being quite modern.

-In actual fact it's pretty old.

-I like it.

It's been derelict for about 40 years.

When the owners bought it, there were trees coming through.

It was that much of a ruin.

I like the rustic feel of the wood, stone and plaster together.

I like that.

As you can see, it's not quite finished, still a few jobs to do,

just ready for a bit of cladding.

-As you can see it's been insulated.

-Yeah.

-Is that a big job, Kevin?

-No.

I love it, he's not fazed at all.

-Not fazed by anything.

-No.

I love it. So far, this is lovely.

Let's see a little bit more, shall we?

Arranged over two floors, the first floor would be enough

for Kevin and Sandra to live in on their own,

as it's where you will also find the main bedroom in the house.

So...here is your master bedroom.

Come on in, Kevin.

It is a little bit smaller than usual

-but everything that you need is here.

-Exactly.

-It seems like a big wardrobe in there.

-Compact.

-Yes.

-Homely, warm.

-And wait until you see what's through these doors.

Wow! Now that's a bathroom.

Your bathroom awaits!

Oh, that is tremendous!

-There's your shower.

-Oh, yeah.

You've got the exposed stone here and it's been treated.

That's an amazing idea for a shower, it looks brilliant.

I've never seen a shower like that.

Well, that's the sleeping and bathing quarters pretty much sold.

Next, where to do the cooking.

And then we're back, we've done a circle really, to the kitchen.

Yes, nice. Basic.

The reason it's basic is the owners have left it.

They decided that rather than put in a kitchen that the new owners

might not like, they are going to sell it as it is,

it's functional, and then you can put in your dream kitchen.

That's fine.

There is a little bit more to show you,

-but this time we're going to go downstairs.

-OK.

The ground floor is accessed via the same external staircase

we used earlier and offers up a separate living and sleeping area.

So we're not going upstairs, I've brought you downstairs.

-I wasn't expecting this.

-Oh, wow.

That's something completely different again.

This would be great for visitors.

-Perfect. Two bedrooms underneath.

-Two?

Very Portuguese to have the bedrooms downstairs

and the living area upstairs.

You've got a kitchenette there which I think you could upgrade

-slightly if you wanted to.

-Yeah.

We've got a shower room, separate WC next door.

It's a little bit smaller, the other bedroom,

-so you've got three bedrooms in total.

-It's fantastic.

Let's go and have a look at the land, take in the scenery.

-Do you want to lead the way?

-OK, thank you.

After you.

The secluded garden to the side

and rear of the property is largely flat, although terraced in places,

and there's plenty of space for a swimming pool should they want one.

There's not too much land with this property.

It's about a third of an acre.

So not enough to grow any vines

-but you could purchase a bit of land if you wanted to.

-It's enough.

-It's lovely. I love it.

-I've got enough jobs.

You have! Now we're going to talk about money.

How much do you think this house is on the market for?

I had a good guess so I'm going to try and keep that up. 115.

I'm going to say a bit more, 140?

Asking price is... Just over...

-£83,000.

-Wow, OK.

-Write the cheque. You can write the cheque.

-Right.

Our second property is £100,000 under budget,

but it will need a few finishing touches.

It's a restored, detached house built from stone.

The accommodation includes a spacious kitchen, three bedrooms

and the whole property is surrounded by eucalyptus forest.

I think you two would be really happy here.

-However, we've still got more to show you.

-Oh, well.

Renovating any property throws up challenges,

but doing it overseas is a whole new ball game.

With Kevin's little DIY jobs mounting,

we've decided to introduce him and Sandra to a British expat couple

who have taken on a rather big DIY job

and are in the process of turning a wreck into their family home.

And since moving here three years ago, Carl and Marion have

also learned how to cultivate their land, and Carl has also found out

that trail running on Portuguese mountains can be hazardous.

Thank you for inviting us today, lovely to meet you.

Oh, I don't think we're going to be shaking hands, are we?

Not at the moment.

-And you've got something organised for us, I believe?

-I have.

Obviously, it's that time of year for harvesting olives.

As you see, Carl is a bit incapacitated

so I could do with some help to do some olive harvesting today.

It would be good if somebody could help me.

What have you got lined up for us then?

As it's so miserable and wet, I thought maybe we could go inside

-and look around the house.

-Definitely.

-Right, we'll follow you. Have fun, girls. See you later.

-Bye.

Marion and Carl are striving to become self-sufficient

and have already achieved some success with their 20 olive trees.

What we're going to do today is pull down the branches where

you can see all the very dark olives and we're going to pick those.

The really good thing about doing it this way is you can then select out

the really fat, juicy ones, well, oily ones, and get those picked.

Do you sell the olive oil, how much do you make?

From this number of trees in a good year

we'd make about 20 to 25 litres,

which is perfect for us for the whole year.

While Sandra helps Marion to bring in the harvest,

Kevin and I are getting a tour of the house from Carl.

Now, this is a tremendous floor. Was this here when you bought the house?

It was. In fact, it was one of the nice features

about the house that we really liked.

They call them parquet floors, the same as we would in the UK.

When you first saw the property,

though, what was it about it that you loved so much?

There was one knockout thing about this and it was the view.

I know it's not great today but the view is absolutely stunning.

Was it difficult to find materials and stuff that you needed?

Moving to a foreign country, you have to appreciate that the things

that you're used to, DIY stores, they don't really exist in Portugal.

It's much more sourced at a local builders merchant level.

So first of all you have to know what all the things are called in Portuguese.

Were there times when you thought, "My goodness,

"I've been so foolish, what have I taken on?"

Yeah, quite regularly. The scale of the project is one thing,

a renovation of any size, because it was quite a ruin in many places.

But then you've got the issues that you're moving to a different culture,

then you've got the language.

So you've got all that on top of your renovation

and at times it did feel like, what are we doing here?

Kevin, you're very handy, aren't you? Very practical.

Would you take on a project like this?

I'd have to think hard and long before I'd do something like this.

Clearly Carl and Marion have embraced the Portuguese way of life.

And as we enjoy a well-deserved cup of British tea,

it's a chance for our buyers to learn more about the differences

between the two countries.

So how did you find the cost of living?

When we moved here it was quite surprising how the prices

were variable with the UK. Fuel is pretty much the same.

The utilities are more expensive here.

But there are certain things,

like the excellent-quality Portuguese wine...

That makes up for all of that!

Can you think of any negatives, any drawbacks?

One of the things you notice

when you move to Portugal is the bureaucracy.

When we spoke to our neighbours, they said, "Oh, it's not

"because you're British, that's just the way it is."

But the other thing to remember,

now I reflect back on it, is when you are in the UK

and anywhere you live, you're born, so you get your birth certificate,

national insurance number, social security number

and your tax number and all of those things. They just happen.

But they happen over a period of about 20 years.

Of course,

when you move to a country you've got to get all of those

done in the first 6 to 9 months, and that's why it seems such a burden.

Some invaluable first-hand experience from Marion and Carl

on adjusting to life here.

But there are also a few pointers to bearing mind

when purchasing a property in Portugal.

The buying process is undertaken in two stages, and typically

a 10% deposit is paid at the first stage to secure the property.

After completion, one of the biggest costs to consider is

the property transfer tax, which is similar to stamp duty

and varies depending on the value of the property.

Lastly, if you choose to cash in on the lucrative tourist trade,

remember that non-residents are obliged to pay tax

on any rental income.

Kevin and Sandra have really considered this move,

especially the type of property that they are after.

But one thing they haven't thought about is business potential,

propping up their pension.

Hopefully our mystery house is going to provide that element.

Our final destination is in the village of Vale das Eguas,

an hour's drive north-east of the city of Coimbra.

It's a quiet and rural village

in the heart of a thriving grape and olive growing region.

Located in the middle of the village is our mystery property,

with which we're hoping to challenge our couple by throwing

a potential new income their way.

Step inside.

Let me introduce you to your mystery house.

-Wow!

-What?

The reason we picked this as the mystery house,

it does have the potential for B&B.

When people move abroad, the first thing they realise is

sometimes their money doesn't go as far enough as they want it to.

Pensions, over the years you will be spending, spending, spending,

so if you have a B&B, you've got a little bit of it coming back.

-Good idea.

-We thought that's a good option.

And again, if you didn't want to do it,

-you've got the fantastic home in front of you.

-Yes.

-Let's see what you think on the inside, shall we?

-Can't wait.

I'm glad that Kevin and Sandra seem open to the idea of running

a bed-and-breakfast out of our mystery property.

And I'm keen they see what's on offer inside,

as it's been stylishly renovated by the current owners.

-I'm going to start us off with this tour in our sitting room.

-Wow.

The reason being, look at that wall.

Look at that wall, that fireplace, really lovely. Isn't it?

-Do you like this room?

-Definitely, yes.

It's very comfortable and warm in the sense that it's welcoming.

-I'm picturing myself sitting there.

-Already?

-Already, yes.

-It's lovely.

-I can see us there.

Good. Right, well let's keeping going through to our kitchen.

How's this? This is the kitchen.

-I love it.

-Yes!

-Look at the views.

-I love the kitchen, I love the colours, the wood, everything.

-Kevin?

Superb. Very, very impressed.

This house needs very little doing to it,

Kevin and Sandra could move in straightaway.

And it gives them a chance to run a separate bed-and-breakfast

away from their own private living space.

So through here...

Here is your main front door but it's quite clever, what you can

do is you can close that door and that's your part of the property.

Your guests come in this way, they can have their meals here

should they want to, there's a tea-making facility.

Beautiful downstairs bathroom. Wonderfully appointed.

And then their living accommodation is upstairs.

So friends, family and paying guests,

they've got their own part of the property.

-Let's head on upstairs.

-OK.

So if Kevin and Sandra were serious about continuing the B&B enterprise,

they could give over this part of the house completely,

although they would have to use the external staircase

to access their own private wing.

Here, you'll find two large bedrooms,

one with an en-suite shower room

and a dressing room with built-in wardrobes.

The other spills out onto a fabulous balcony.

But I want to show our buyers the mezzanine level,

where their paying guests could stay.

-A Mezzanine. Fantastic.

-Isn't that beautiful?

Look at the bed.

So they've got their own space, totally separate from you

-because you can close this door off.

-I quite like this for myself!

Well, if you don't rent it out, you could,

this could be the master bedroom if you chose it.

There are plenty of options with this property,

but I'm not sure Sandra is completely convinced

by the bed-and-breakfast idea.

Kevin may think he can put his feet up if they buy this house,

but since it is the mystery property,

I have a surprise up my sleeve.

-Who wants a project?

-Here we go again!

He hasn't put his hand up, he obviously doesn't, Sandra.

-He thought he didn't have to with that house.

-Exactly.

Perhaps it was just you who thought he wanted to do something

when you moved to Portugal. You have this wonderful barn, it's enormous.

It actually has a habitation licence,

which means if you want to convert it, you can do.

I'm thinking photographer's studio, if you wanted a games room.

Or if you wanted to extend the B&B business, in the back

of your minds perhaps in a couple of years' time, so much potential.

The property also comes with a swimming pool and next to it

there's a bistro area and a mature landscaped garden bordered by vines.

All in all, the land amounts to a quarter of an acre.

So I've shown you the property, the pool, the barn,

how much, though, in all seriousness, is the mystery house on the market for?

I think this is going to be over budget.

So I'm going to say £200,000.

I was thinking around the same, but I'd go even up to 220.

I think I'm going to slightly surprise you.

It is just under your budget.

THEY GASP

-£178,000.

-Wow!

You promised value for money and you've certainly give us that.

Our mystery house is just £2,000

under Kevin and Sandra's maximum budget.

It's a luxurious renovation with three spacious bedrooms

including a mezzanine area for B&B guests.

The property also comes with a barn which is ripe for development.

So have we finished on a high on the tour of these houses in Portugal?

-Definitely.

-Most definitely, yes.

-We've certainly shown you variety, haven't we?

-Yes.

-Ready to go?

-Yes.

So how do you both feel, because this is a huge move

and it's also going to be the first time you've lived together properly?

So let's talk about our properties that we showed you.

How close have we got?

-Spot-on.

-Is there a favourite?

The mystery house.

Because you could move into it straightaway

-but it also had the potential with the barn.

-So what do you do next?

-We will be going back to that property.

-Taking a second look?

-A second look, yeah.

-Fabulous. Let us know how you get on.

-All the best and thank you very much.

-Thank you.

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