It's so interesting listening to someone's feedback about my own country. In general people love it but "complain" about the same stuff we complain, it's funny. Hope you guys enjoy your time here. Cheers
Please stop promoting Portugal internationally as an ideal place to buy homes🇵🇹 as it is negatively affecting my people. There is a direct link with the Airbnb, Golden Visas and Digital Nomads and the prices of homes all over Portugal. Proof of it is the fact that even the Portuguese government pretended to fix it with a new bill that they passed last July called “home for all” which still favours Golden Visas and Digital Nomads holders over their native Portuguese. Portuguese are now starting to see rich foreigners who are buying our homes on the international house market as the source of the rising houses and rental prices. How can we compete with rich foreign who are buying our homes with our minimum salaries of €760 a month?!!!! The sad reality that Golden visa holders know that they benefit of free movement all over Europe when they buy a Portuguese home above a certain price, so the house prices were forcefully inflated to accommodate the value that guarantee them the status of Golden visa. Furthermore, as they all automatically get a Portuguese passport after 5years , which grants them free access to many countries without any commitment, really. They only have to stay 7days in the country a year to apply for a Golden visa, but they are allowed to affect the house market, our life style and our power of acquisition permanently. We live in a country with portuguese salaries, but our houses are on an international market, that is problem. In addition to this, our elderly people were forced out of their rental properties in the historic centres of cities such us Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Faro, Coimbra , Braga, Funchal, Ponta Delgada,Setubal, etc. This has killed our heritage, culture and social fabric to accommodate a superficial postcard tourism that has nothing to do with us Portuguese.
Presenting the cons are extremely important. Every place has them so if we're aware of them it can make our transition easier. Thank you so much for this video, a great help.
You guys are wonderful in creating an accurate picture of what it is like to live in Portugal. Almost everyone else create this rosy picture that is clearly inaccurate. I am not sure why they do that. I appreciate that you guys are honest and open in discussing the good, the bad and the ugly.
I lived in Portugal for a year and we also had the sewage smell. I investigated the back of the toilet and bidet and they were open to the sewage pipes. After I closed the backs by taping plastic behind them the smell went away!
Yeah, it really is not "normal" for there to be sewage smell as an ever present thing. They really need to check with their landlord and have a repairman come fix this, because they're obviously being swindled
Really appreciate the information on things to be aware of around apartments, customer service, health care etc. Definitely not a negative but it's great to have expectations calibrated. Great video, thanks!
Really appreciate your sharing your experiences (good and not so good) in such an honest and open way. Very helpful as we mentally prepare for our move. Thank you!
OMG, when Dan mentioned he just got a medical bill from the U.S. I was laughing... because that is so sadly, comically, and unfortunately true for us saps in the U.S. My wife and I can't ever figure out medical bills. For example for just a single visit we will receive multiple bills. The doctor visit is one bill, the blood test is a separate bill, the lab test for something else is another bill, and all of this is on top of the co-pay, which is on top of the monthly premium.. which by the way is about $1500 (shouldn't that cover all the crap we were getting billed for, but NO it doesn't. That's to pay for the privilege to have such wonderful medical care in the United States [joke]). Also we got charged for seeing an out-of-network doctor, which was strange because I checked prior to make sure the doctor was in network. After investigating the reason we were charged out of network for the doctor is because we saw him in a "facility" that was out-of-network. I'm like, huh? After much back & fourth the insurance company finally gave in because they knew I checked before hand to make sure the doctor was in-network. The doctor office had to re-code the bill to a facility that the doctor also uses but is 'considered' in-network. I mean how crazy is this. As patients not only do we have to do the homework to make sure our doctor is in network but we also have to do the homework to make sure the building we are going to visit to see the doctor is also in-network. If people don't believe we don't have problems in this country with medical care they're crazy. Long story short I envy your doctor experience in Portugal.
I've experienced all of the above that you just said. Having lived in the US for only 7 years I wasn't exposed to any of this when I was younger so it was a huge shock to learn about these ins and outs of navigating healthcare in the US (most people don't do their research beforehand...and they shouldn't have to!). I wish there was a handbook that could tell us what to watch out for. Instead we pay the costly consequences because neither the doc's office or insurance provider will tell you. As a result, I do believe that the quality of healthcare is much better in the US compared to elsewhere in the world BUT it's also one of the most non-transparent and unaffordable (eek!!!).
My family is from Galicia Spain, my sister and I were born and raise in New York City. We traveled back and forth a lot since we were kids. There is just something about Europe and life there besides family that I always preferred it over life in the US even though all my friends are in the the states.
Galicia and Portugal are almost the same thing... Language, for example, is quite the same - if you know some Galician, you will get easily into Portuguese!
I moved to Portugal 6 months ago, as well. I selected Madeira Island, which is very beautiful :). I think the toughest part about relocating is finding the right apartment in the right area. That can make all the difference in finding your tribe, etc. I'm still not sure if I'm going to stay here, or move to the mainland of Portugal. I feel like I should probably give the island a little more time in another town.
Hey Nancy! I’ll be moving in 2023 with my infant daughter and father to Portugal considering Madeira island… Are you still based there or did you go to the mainland? Would love to hear your thoughts.😊
I just visited Lisbon for the first time and lived for a few days in Campo dos Mártires da Pátria area and loved it and I'm not much of a city person. Lisbon can be really magical.
I soo loved! How you work from home and can choose & pick best place to live. I soo love that 😍 is a true blessing. I'll visit Portugal this summer, but my husband doesn't want to retire there...he is greek but mostly American. The USA got us spoiled in some many ways! We control the AC over an app, we can get any groceries to our doorsteps. When I travel to Peru 🇵🇪 I enjoy walking to the market, talking to people, and dry my own clothes in the patio...lol
The honesty here was really refreshing. Some other bloggers or people online in popular facebook groups always say that everything is perfect, which makes me really umcomfortable because I know that is complete BS. I think sometimes people want to support their overall decision to relocate and think that if they admit that everything is not 100% peachy that it indicates that they made a bad decision, which is not necessarily true. There are things that I hate about the US too and certainly every country has its challenges. But, I enjoyed how you guys just laid it all out and did it honestly. I'm actually in Brazil now for the holidays because the weather is always awesome here during the US winter season. But, I hope that you guys have a wonderful holiday and come back ready to continue sharing this wonderful information.
Great video, guys! My BFF lives in Portugal and I actually ended up using the hospital services there a couple of times. It was excellent, but I had a Portuguese friend there to guide me, which removed nearly all of the little communications frustrations. Get some good Portuguese friends and it will probably ease the process. Keep it up!
Please be aware that comments made by the posters ONLY apply to Lisbon. We live in Central Portugal in a house less than 10 years old with exceptionally good heating and insulation systems - like all modern properties must have by law. Cooler and wetter weather is usually found between November and April, except for the South of the country, which is generally warmer.
Yeah, but the rest of the country is used to the fact that "Portugal is Lisbon and the rest its landscape" ahaha thanks Chris for your lovely contribution
Thank you guys for answering few questions I had before visiting Portugal. I appreciated the quick responses which was exceptional:) we had a great time in Lisbon & Porto. Happy holidays!
Great information! Enjoy your visit in the US and looking forward to hearing about your move. We spent 10 days in Campo de Ourique in September and fell in love with the neighborhood, appreciate your perspective after 6 months.
I don’t know if you already found a new place, but be aware that insulation is usually a problem in older houses. Before renting, ask the realtor about the “certificado de energia” of the place. That way you might have an idea about the efficiency energy level of the apartment. Costa da Caparica is a good option. It’s just outside Lisbon and you have the beach. Sometimes traffic to access Lisbon might be nuisance though. Wishing you all the best in my country and city. Feel free to ask me anything. I’ll be happy to help you if I can.
I was in Lisbon and Porto for 2 weeks last month and absolutely loved it. Planning to move over next fall. I found the people so nice and helpful too. I stayed at a few airbnbs which were ok but found some of the issues you have experienced in the little time I was there. Very small kitchens indeed! And NO CLOTHES DRYERS, or it’s a luxury item it seems. Many places had washers but only a rack to dry clothes. Anyway can’t wait to get over there. Cheers 🥂
I did experience the odor problem you discussed in the vid. It was at an airbnb in Chiado, an older building, "remodeled". It was a top floor spacious flat but after I checked in, I noticed an odor around the bathroom area and even though they put a diffuser in the bathroom, it didn't help at all! I thought it was a plant, since they had very large plants in the room, but now I know better! Good thing to point out and be aware of for sure! Plus elevators are a lux as well and the one in the building even though it was extremely small and looked "newish" was out of order the whole time and required 10 flights of stairs to get to the flat!!!! OUCH!!
Hello Moon Crew, Chad again with another sigh of relief that your not moving out of Portugal!!! Thankgod!!! Intriguing thumbnail-good job!! I say this because we have bought our tickets for 2/10/22 ,Have the house leased in Alcobaca and are currently getting the house on the market to sell.If you were to tell us that you were outta the country permanently ,my feet woulda froze up as they are a bit cold because of the huge move -nerves that are racing through our minds…I would get a detached house as it seems way more private instead of apartments.Thank you so much for the intel…And keep on keepin on!!! California Leavin not dreaming ,is the new hit song, Chad
Hey, love our nickname! Nope, not leaving. Either way, your experience is going to be quite different in Alcobaca from ours. I bet it will be much more laid back and relaxing.
I'm also at my 6 months in a week! I'm in Caldas da Rainha an hour North. We have had many awesome experiences, but not so much with a salon! They came recommended... Oh well. Hospital da Luz is a fine oiled machine, very impressive agreed. It's amazing how long it takes to get a check at a restaurant, definitely. Overall, it has been an amazing whirlwind of house closing, major remodel, getting my parrot, pug and elderly parents here! Crazy. :) Love it.
How did you facilitate your pet transfer? I’m wanting to move to o Portugal but I have two cockatiels that are family 🌸! Thanks in advance 🍷 Also I have my elderly mom I want to bring with me
@@Tourabunga we all love it. It's the perfect size and just the right level of chill and busy for us. I have met amazing friends already at less than a year in. It's just home
I think your brave moving to a new country. I’m interested but I’m not sure I would know how to begin the whole process. It’s hard enough to navigate the USA and it’s my native home. But, I’m interested in your journey.
You should consider Estoril-Cascias.. 25 minutes drive to Lisbon(45 minutes by train), less hot, beautiful beaches, amzing vibe, clean air, less traffic, healthy vibes all over, not so crowded with tourists(well at least not like Lisbon)
I tihnk you mean beautiful beaches, right? 😁 We stayed in Estoril for 2 months and thought it was too quiet for us. But we really did love being so close to the beach.
Literally same on the pedicure that left you with bleeding toes front. My lady had me put my foot in her lap as we both sat in plastic chairs. I deeply regret staying after I plopped my foot up there. 4 bleeding toes and an infection later. Girl, my first weeks in Lisbon were rough when it comes to beauty.
Just returned from traveling all of Madeira island and mainland Portugal and would like to say we found the Portuguese service consistently amiable - from Porto through the Douro to the Silver Coast, Algarve and Lisbon. YES, we too encountered that the Portuguese "have their ways of doing things" such as schedules, delivery on amenities and processes, and people are more forthright in their demeanor. However, service personnel almost without exception were accommodating and friendly - just perhaps more "blunt"? Thank you for discussing health care - very helpful.
Great summary. I have had a very similar experience. Took me about 6 to 7 moths to make the decision that I want to move to Lisbon. (Been here a year now, was supposed to go home over Christmas to collect my stuff, but got stuck cause of Omicron. Hanging out in Costa de Caparica now 😎things could be worse.) So only making the official move early next year. Regarding the "apartment niggles" you spoke of. I have had some configuration of these in almost all the spaces I've lived so far. My first 5 months I moved around quite a bit (Santo Antonio, Estrela, Rato, Campo de Ourique), there was always at least one of them... stinky drain, construction noise, tiny kitchen etc.and the prices are steep, but overall you realise its all part of the experience. Also I had a nightmare of a time getting my SNS (healthcare number), but all sorted now. Basically as you said, things are different, sometimes slow, but overall the experience has been amazing. I look forward to learning Portuguese and settled in for the next year or two.
About house construction, absolutely right!! That's because greed is the basis for all house builders and not their quality as a concern. In fact, they build bad houses and sell them as luxury ones. Its a shame but a sad reality.
I've spent the month here, in Principe Real,. I fly home in the next couple of days. I like to travel and see what it is like to live in different cities so I stay long term .. rarely less than 3 weeks, sometimes as much as a couple of months. In fact, there was a year where I lived 25% of the time in Mexico City. I'd not yet done any cities in Europe until this year though. My thoughts on Lisbon: there's huge gobs of tourists here. I'm just shocked that late November is like this. I find it _much, much harder_ to practice my portuguese here than in Brazil. So many people speak English, .. and there are probably more people in the city right now who are not portuguese than there are who are (its really shocking, but I was told by a local winery that just Belem in the city gets over 5 million foreign tourists each year.. that's 8 times as many people as live in the entire city, just in that one freguesia!). I think even just a bit further out of central might be better for immersion; or, like I said, Brazil. Brazil is better for one other thing too, winter. A winter in São Paulo usually gets as 2C colder overnight as the daytime highs can be here during that season. But really its pretty mild, just as you said with walking. The views and multiculturalism that verges on unimaginable from the USA, are probably _almost_ worth the choice to stay here. I'd say if you have any personal connection that is making the transition seem natural, it has to be worth the try. I am pulling for you guys! And envious, part of why I am travelling is because I don't have any connection to where I live or anywhere else that does seem natural. Only part though :) Ownership here, after only one month of research, seems tricky. there are vaguely cheap places, but most are either literally not fit to live in or really, really requiring a massive renovation that would add 50-300k to the price. Real prices for someone my age, in their late 40s, who wants a guest bedroom and/or an office, are starting at about 500.000€, and there's just a couple/few at any given time below 650k that are clearly not in need of renovation. You can save 40% on that price and still get a central-ish location like Campo de ourique by avoiding Lapa / Saldanha / Alfama and Parque das Nações, ie: exactly the most tempting places to look. For the lack of a natural transition, inaccessibility in daily practice of the language for me, and those prices, I think I have to move on. But its been fun!
prices in the inner Lisbon are just absurd, let me tell you I am Portuguese have 50 years, I consider myself middle class ( at least I think so ) but I cannot afford house above 150k that is my house price that I am paying to the bank and purchased about 3 years ago, on the Cascais region, but last 10 years its just absurd, even this house a T3 thre rooms garage and 110 square meter house 1 year prior to my purchase the owner had purchased it for 90k to the bank and sold me for 150k now if I want to sell I could ask 200k or 230k and probably it would sell, and it was renovated by the bank when it sold to the previous owner so its still new inside... when I moved here I was living in a T1 with my wife was a great house in a good urbanization witch is now super expensive 1km just from this house, I like the area its good ( PARQUE DE SAO DOMINGOS , sao domingos de rana , cascais area) that T1 I had purchased it like 10 years before NEW for 120K then I sold it for 165K 10 years after I had to move to biguer house because my dauther was geting 3 years so she needed a room , but then I was stressing out because I could not find housed less than 200k that were any good with 2 or 3 rooms, it was like a miracle that I found this one luckily I catch it in an add of a website of a small real state agent and by the photo I saw where it was and instead of talking to the real state agent, I went and direct talked to the owner, and made an agreement saving at least 10k or more on the fee of the real state agents... but now it super hard to find good prices...its crazy and for foreigners I imagine that it all up and up, because you normally go to more inner city and there the speculation is by the roof...I mean I even think to myself what kind of profession a person must have to buy a house above 300k its inimagible to me... well I wrote just to give my story of an simple Portuguese person, millions here are even with less capacity to buy houses, I just cannot understant how could Portugal got so expensive in houses... cheers
@@Hdio99 obrigado pelo perspectivo! Acho q o mercado do imóveis cambia no mesmo no globo. Ninguém recebem aumentos dos 6% cada ano, como o mercado dos últimos 5 anos. É insustentável.Tem ser oportunidades de profit por o crescimento, mas é muito difícil quando também requer a casa pra morar!
@@jorgevieira4489 you’re not kidding! Inner Lisbon has regular 4bedroom apartments as high as 6 million euros! Not mansions, or 1000m2 palaces, just completely normal sized apartments. Obviously that scales right up and over 99.9% of humanity, .. I’m just amazed. It’s really hard to find something affordable that doesn’t look scary
Houses are gettjng out of reach for any portuguese dude. Foreigner demand has increased and guess what? Buying an house, even with poor quality and sometimes old, its a dream! Not complaining about foreigners but about builders and agencies greed!
Language is the thing I worry about most.. not everyday conversation, because I am willing to learn, but for more specialized experiences like you mention (healthcare, bureaucracy, pharmacy), especially if you have to do things over the phone. Thanks for another great video.
A lot of Portuguese people have a good enough understanding of English. In some jobs it is even a requirement. In all those places you mentioned there should be at least 1 person who is able to communicate with you in your native language. I said "there should be", so there is a chance of it not happening in at least one of those places.
@@elisabete_costa Foreigners who settle should/may learn the local language. Getting English speakers used to the fact that they don't have to learn the local language is a bit of a servile attitude when the one who should be making the effort to integrate is the newcomer. Conversely this is not the case, try to find a job in the UK WITHOUT mastering English ....
@@redco9895 My comment was supposed to make people feel less insecure about moving to Portugal. Most people here have at least some understanding of the English language since it is taught in schools from an early age. But, by no means I encourage people to come without the intention of learning Portuguese. In Rome, do like the Romans do. Not learning the native language of a country you are living in is a huge mistake. It limits how much you can interact with people and the environment around you.
The pipe under the sink drain needs to have an elbow shape in order not to give off a sewage smell. The water resting in the elbow will block the smell. When I was in Denmark, I noticed that they didn't use an elbow pipe under the sink drains either, causing the smell to come out of the drain.
We've been in Portugal for just over 6 months and we absolutely love it here. I agree with the medical system being both easy and reasonable to use (not that you want to, just if you have to). The optometrist, dentist and vets are also amazing and very affordable. It's also the same for help around the home...ex - cleaners, gardeners and pool maintenance are extremely affordable. In addition, expert help like plumbers or electricians are also very affordable compared to what we would pay in Canada. Fraction of the cost for all services. We love it here so much that we've decided to sell our real estate portfolio in Canada and invest here instead. We just sold our Montreal Loft and will be buying a place in Porto. We were very fortunate that we were forced to buy right away (because of our pets). So our learning curve was home ownership issues vs. rental concerns. Good luck with your next living arrangements and enjoy the holidays.
We are planning to move to Portugal as well next year with a pet… does having a dog force you to buy right away because there are no rentals that allow pets or are they just hard to find? Thanks in advance.
@@HoneymoonAlways That's great. Thank-you! Thanks for the videos as well - they have been helpful! Hope to meet up in person in Portugal in the near future! Keep up the great work.
@@drlaurencetham depends on owners, i am sure many wouldnt mind. But even in other countries like England there are some condos that do not allow pets.
Hello. Congrats for the milestone. And seems slowly the Portuguese habits are growing in you or you are getting the hang of it. There are some points you mark out that well, it shouldn't be like that even if people state... ah is normal. - bad smell in plumbing - well this is very disappointing for a house to have and not normal. I think in this case it happens if is an old house and the plumbing was not renewed or maintained well during the house renovation - in case of apartment buildings this is a minor/medium constructions and must be dealt by the building management. So in fact is a matter to report your landlord and see best options. - cold houses and humidity. Well this is a reality on older houses like pre 2004. Only afterwards you see laws establishing and regulating the house insulations, air circulation and comfortable temperatures (also is when houses started to be graded accordingly - newer building i think is a must, older not so much). Due to Portuguese reality, in city centers you will find alot of pre-2004 buildings. Even if they are renovated, the matter of insulation they might not have dealt with as also involves a building structural renovation (and higher costs, and also the end result might not affect nothing). So newer building are more compliant to these regulations. - hairdressers and other amenities. Well I think this is normal in any country. Some places you will have good experiences and other bad. How you can reduce risk? Well is alot of word-of-mouth marketing. You can for example in a random conversation put a question like "i am looking for a good hairdresser do you have recommendations?". And then go and test. For myself I change barbers often, what i do to scout them: i pass by the store if I see it has customers waiting and always full... might be good. Also most of these shops now have a page on facebook where you can chat with them, put reservations or check availability and they warn their customer there if their closed. - companies, shops, public office opening times. So Portuguese rule of thumb. Bank holidays everything is closed except some restaurants and malls (they do not give a warning as they assume people know). Restaurants and shops, some have 1 day off during a week and will vary business by business (normally in the door of the establishment it states when). Opening and closing times, put a buffer of 30 minutes :D Espero que ajude. Cumprimentos.
Nice video! Sorry to hear about the pipes…and new sounds 😂. I had the same issue in Barcelona. The problem is probably fixable but it’s a big job involving a lot of work. I will never go back to the States for the health system alone. BTW nice interaction between each other!!! 😂🤗
Since you are going to move, see if you can get a house that fits your budget. It will likely be quieter, having a backyard is probably much closer to the experience you guys had in the US. I’m not sure we’re you’re from but I would certainly give it a try. Especially with a pandemic that god knows when it will be over, it just gives you that little bit extra of comfort and freedom. Like your attitude, you guys are very receptive to the cultural shock and you come across as laid back and easy going. Best of luck, have yourselves a safe flight and enjoy the holidays. Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
The video at the beginning with trees is exactly what we love. We want to be near public transportation, markets, and within walking of about anything. Setubal is on our list, but that video is perfect. Areas around CLE, Ohio are like that- old homes with tree lined streets. People out walking!! Thanks for these great videos. We visit in June for a week.
Hi! Portuguese here, and I agree with everything they said. I would just like to add that: the beauty industry around here is not very "developed", as it is not common for Portuguese women to use these services. I, for exemple, have never had a manicure or pedicure, simply because, it's not something that catches my attention or looks interesting to me. The only thing "all Portuguese women do / is common here", is going to the hairdresser to get a haircut, maybe dye it, and do some hairstyle for a special occasion. people who are used to having beauty services may be disappointed with the services available here, as they may not be the same offered in their home countries.
Thanks for this post! It's an interesting topic, and your comments are thoughtful. I recognize the problems you describe in the U.S. and suspect that other people will as well - even if they've never lived anywhere else.
I have been checking many places and Lisbon always comes out #1 places in my list (also considering Lagos ) ….I’m a very lively person and love the Lisbon vibe😊
I had a heart attack in Portugal and agree with the health care there. I live in the states and if I had it here it would cost around $80k, because I have a Portuguese ID it didn’t cost anything.
When it comes to beauty services in EU many people recommend going to places where Russian/Ukrainian expats work. Quite often you can find such vetted locations in Russian/Ukrainian Facebook groups, because most of the time a Russian speaking customer will only go to such locations for the reasons you mentioned in the video :)
Great video! Wondering if you could do a video on life there with Covid? Like what you have to do...do you have to be vaccinated? Are there any other inconvenient things there...Something like 'Portugal and Covid...what it's really like!'
I was really concerned about the healthcare and building a friend community. Being lonely and ill is a sickening combo, and what I experience in the states, but with the outrageously high doctor bills.
Be carefull, if you moving to Costa Caparica, in rush hour you will get ALOT of traffic crossing the river to Lisbon, and in the summer too... (people from Lisbon go to Costa caparica beaches)
Great video. We looked at a second property in Costa and found everything from the right on the first line by the water on back, to be more affordble than our current location next door to you guys in Estrela. The apartments along the coastline are generally bigger, and they have several small townhouse/patio homes off the first line that give you a little area in front or back for a garden/bbq, etc. Enjoy your time back home and home you find something you like on the other side of the bridge when you return!
Really interesting takeaways from your experience living in Portugal! I'm curious as to how "easy" it is to break a lease, as you mentioned. I live in NYC where it's nearly impossible to break a lease (when there isn't an option to sublet). What was the process like, how long did it take and was your landlord "easy" to work with?
?? plumbing normally does not smell...rxcept you see big humid swaths on the walls. Try to check the syphons. Some newer ones are malleable (plastic), and inadvertently get the wrong "turn", so that the smell finds its way out.
As a Portuguese living in NJ I find urgent care doctors here so bad. Waiting for 3 plus hours is not uncommon. Also hospitals same thing. Then you have insurance you check with your insurance to make sure the doctor is in network but still you get mystery bills that cost at least 300 dollars. I guess the advantage in the USA is that you can get an appointment the same day! But doctors always want to rush you out and don’t really care to prevent disease, only to prescribe meds for life! I have a sneaky suspicion they work on commission!
Thank you for you videos :) I’m curious if you would recommend going through an agency for the D7 visa process, or just going it alone. Any thoughts on that?
So appreciate your video. Thank you!!! How are you going to look for the pipes without the smells? Is it obvious as soon as you turn on water? Is water already on when you rent? What things can you get in the US that you weren’t able to find in Portugal? If you don’t have a firm footing, what is the best place to live where the sidewalks are walkable?
I love your videos guys, so informative. I’m moving to Lisbon next year and it’s helping me a lot. One question I have - what is the insurance company you are using? Thanks.
I wonder if searching for a new place in one day impacted your feelings / decisions. I have been reviewing neighborhoods for over a year with criteria agreed upon with wife. Excited about our move. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good luck on next place :)
Excellent 6 month report. Nice and crisp to the point report. Seems to be a very good health care system. Talk about US, i have an Employer health insurance from a Tier 1 company and for 2022 they raised the copay for PCP and specialists to $30 and $60, and the annul deductible from $4k to 8K for me and my wife. This is a "Blue Cross Gold PPO" plan. Don't know what is GOLD about the plan. Bottom line Health care cost and service in the US sucks. May i know what are the rents you are seeing for a T1 and T2 furnished apartments in Lisbon. Thanks again and a belated happy new year and a Happy Valentines day!
Warning ⚠️ there is consequences for bad service. Ask for the complaint book and write a review. In Portugal these books are regulated and if they reach a certain amount of infractions, they close. We don’t give gift cards, that’s a Karen expectation. If service isn’t to our expectations we can ask the manager to fix it or simply never go back… make sure you review places online. I always try doing Yelp even though us Portuguese prefer google and Expedia
Hi from Loulé in the Algarve. First of all welcome to the best country in Europe! (I´m Swedish and been living here for 3.5 years) I was really impressed with the audio in this video, what cam and mic are you using?
So glad you are happy at the six month mark. I found the information about healthcare very helpful. You did a nice job of describing the differences between Portugal and the US. Now that the Omicron variant seems to be taking hold, are you seeing any difference in requirements for travel and being out and about within the city?
So far what we are seeing was coming about before Omicron which is additional restrictions around the holiday times so avoid an outbreak that happened last year. We’ll see if things change as experts learn more about Omnicron.
Feliz Aniversário! The things that you mentioned about healthcare was really helpful. Can you link or mention the name of the app that you used for finding doctors? Is it tied to your health insurance?
Be aware that Costa de Caparica and Lisbon are not the same city - they are not even in the same region. Costa de Caparica belongs to the Almada Municipality, which is a municipality inside of the Setúbal district. Lisbon is both a municipality and a district capital with the same name... About the weather, you still didn't experience real Portuguese weather at winter. These days have been really dry, much drier than average!
About Customer Services there is consequences try to ask for the Complain book. If you just enter a place and complain to the guy working there, depending of the Guy there is no consequences but a complain writhed in the complain book must be answerd in a certain amount of time (i think 2 months but no sure) otherwise they will be fined. And if to many complains start to apear they can be investigated by the ASAE. But usually just because of the bureaucracy that they have to do, there attitude will change for sure and things usually get a solution. Side Note: every establishment is obligated by law to have a complain book and can´t refuse to give it if you ask. If they do you can call the Police
Hey guys. Have you considered moving to Arroios (São Jorge de Arroios)? It’s just east of Saldanha, which you probably know is a cool, upscale area. Great local restaurants and community in Arroios. Access to small and large parks nearby as well. Just a thought. Bill
Customer service can never be "too much!" Nowadays, over here in the UK we have some really terrible and disinterested service - just miserably unpleasant. I spend a lot of time in Lisbon too, where service can be variable. But I love US customer service - and in most cases I don't think it's 'sickly' and 'false' as I often hear from Europeans - but much more a genuine desire to please.
We are thinking about moving to Portugal but we are concerns about the following 1) do we still pay taxes in the states as well as Portugal ? And 2) how are the schools for young ones and universities as we have two children. We love the affordable health insurance and friendly folks in Portugal.
I want to move to Portugal! My only concern is storms and earthquakes. Most of what I find says the weather is sunny and mild but are earthquakes and tropical storms a concern?
Thanks for this very candid video. When I hear about these bathroom, mould, insulation, and other problems, I am asking myself more and more if I really want to move there. I have 4 years before I my move ; and will keep coming back to check more places and decide, but I am glad you guys are not painting a rosy picture of everything.
All things to consider, we have friends that have had no problems by moving into larger stand alone houses or duplex, but that comes at a cost. Everyone’s situation is unique.
Yes this problem is very common with old apartments. Very cold in the winter and mold to. About the bathroom is not very common, they need to ask their landlord if there are a solution for that problem, the smell is not normal, before i buy in Odivelas i live in 2 different places all in Lisbon and in very old buildings, i used to live in Campolide (Rua Dom Carlos Mascarenhas) and in Arroios (R. Calçada de Arroios) and never i had problems with smell or with bathroom, i had only with cold and mold in the winter, but like they said they going to move, isn't matter anymore. The first thing is find a new building with less than 10 years. Forget rent in old buildings they have lots of problems. I live in Odivelas near the Rua Alfredo Costa (dont gonna tell you my real street) and in my house no mold, i spent half of electricity in winter that i use to spent when i live in Lisbon. Because my building have now 7 years old.
💖 The honesty is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your perspective. 1st time viewing your channel. Did you spend time there initially and then returned for citizenahip or did you remain there after and then applied?
Your videos are so helpful, thanks! We’re planning a “scoping” trip to check things out in March, and make our decision. What would be some recommendations of things to check out while we are there? We hope to live near the beach (surfing), but not roughing it too much. A video on that topic would be amazing! Thanks and safe travels home.
Hi Alma-Dan and Michelle are correct. We just returned from our 1st/3-week “scoping” trip to PT and there’s so much to see and consider that I believe it will be difficult to make a decision. Even if you’d limit your scoping to say the Lisbon area-it will be difficult because the area offers so much..particularly if you consider staying outside the city. We liked the Lisbon area a lot so we’ll probably follow you, Dan and Michelle in about 2 years. Best of luck. 👍🏻
You guys are fun to watch, so American! Always comparing your life in good ol US of A to life as a foreigner. I know Americans often struggle with that. I’m visiting Portugal end of February-March and looking forward to seeing what life is like there. Hopefully not as insane as life in US. I hate politics, it ruins everything😰
Hello Neighbor, it is sad to hear about your move, I was hoping to run into you guys at Mercado or the park next to it but I understand your situation. We have been here 2 weeks now and picked an Airbnb with townhouse styles as moving to an apartment would have been a huge change for my husband, and so far it has been a good decision we have small covered patio and 2 levels it also has a central heating which we didn’t use for 10 days until I started freezing and landlord was like why don’t you use the heating lol. Maybe you guys should consider something like that so you can be in the city as well as have some space and privacy. Good luck and thanks again for all the content , we really feel your choices so relatable and helpful.
@@HoneymoonAlways yes hopefully we can find something similar for long term lease, we initially thought to go for an apartment as yours looked really cute, but now we don’t want to try. Thank you again for saving us a bad experience. Enjoy your holidays!
@@HoneymoonAlways omg i am so shocked, I cannot even believe it’s possible. I always thought of people on screen as celebrities and never thought I can interact with them face to face. I will check with my husband but do let me know your availability. I still can’t believe this is happening , sorry for me being so naive :)
I just reached back home and my husband said most definitely yes, I am psyched. He was asking if you really have time since you planning to leave soon, we can meet whenever it is possible and convenient for you both :)
Hi guys! I would really recomment not moving to Costa, it's great for the beach but it lacks in everything else and city itself it's just not good. You're much better of in Lisbon! I really recomment the bairros of Principe Real and São Sebastiao. Enjoy Lisboa :)
That's what we noticed. If we do move there we will need to get a scooter to come back. Another option is living somewhere that is really close to one of the bus routes that go directly to Costa da Caparica. That way it's easy and convenient to get there whenever we want. We will see what's available when we get back from the US.
@@HoneymoonAlways that’s a great ideia! If you don’t know it already you could also visit the beach of Fonte da Telha, at the end of costa. There’s also buses going there even if it’s more remote but it’s a great beach and there’s this cliffs that are perfect to watch the sunset. Also not sure if you know about the amazing beach clubs in Costa like Irmão, Leblon, etc… happy to hear you’re enjoying Lisbon, you’re really welcome here 🤗
It's so interesting listening to someone's feedback about my own country. In general people love it but "complain" about the same stuff we complain, it's funny. Hope you guys enjoy your time here. Cheers
Please stop promoting Portugal internationally as an ideal place to buy homes🇵🇹 as it is negatively affecting my people. There is a direct link with the Airbnb, Golden Visas and Digital Nomads and the prices of homes all over Portugal. Proof of it is the fact that even the Portuguese government pretended to fix it with a new bill that they passed last July called “home for all” which still favours Golden Visas and Digital Nomads holders over their native Portuguese. Portuguese are now starting to see rich foreigners who are buying our homes on the international house market as the source of the rising houses and rental prices. How can we compete with rich foreign who are buying our homes with our minimum salaries of €760 a month?!!!! The sad reality that Golden visa holders know that they benefit of free movement all over Europe when they buy a Portuguese home above a certain price, so the house prices were forcefully inflated to accommodate the value that guarantee them the status of Golden visa. Furthermore, as they all automatically get a Portuguese passport after 5years , which grants them free access to many countries without any commitment, really. They only have to stay 7days in the country a year to apply for a Golden visa, but they are allowed to affect the house market, our life style and our power of acquisition permanently. We live in a country with portuguese salaries, but our houses are on an international market, that is problem. In addition to this, our elderly people were forced out of their rental properties in the historic centres of cities such us Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Faro, Coimbra , Braga, Funchal, Ponta Delgada,Setubal, etc. This has killed our heritage, culture and social fabric to accommodate a superficial postcard tourism that has nothing to do with us Portuguese.
Presenting the cons are extremely important. Every place has them so if we're aware of them it can make our transition easier. Thank you so much for this video, a great help.
You guys are wonderful in creating an accurate picture of what it is like to live in Portugal. Almost everyone else create this rosy picture that is clearly inaccurate. I am not sure why they do that. I appreciate that you guys are honest and open in discussing the good, the bad and the ugly.
Thank you for being honest & providing a balanced overview of Portugal.
I lived in Portugal for a year and we also had the sewage smell. I investigated the back of the toilet and bidet and they were open to the sewage pipes. After I closed the backs by taping plastic behind them the smell went away!
Yeah, it really is not "normal" for there to be sewage smell as an ever present thing. They really need to check with their landlord and have a repairman come fix this, because they're obviously being swindled
Really appreciate the information on things to be aware of around apartments, customer service, health care etc. Definitely not a negative but it's great to have expectations calibrated. Great video, thanks!
Really appreciate your sharing your experiences (good and not so good) in such an honest and open way. Very helpful as we mentally prepare for our move. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment! Hope we are helpful.
OMG, when Dan mentioned he just got a medical bill from the U.S. I was laughing... because that is so sadly, comically, and unfortunately true for us saps in the U.S. My wife and I can't ever figure out medical bills. For example for just a single visit we will receive multiple bills. The doctor visit is one bill, the blood test is a separate bill, the lab test for something else is another bill, and all of this is on top of the co-pay, which is on top of the monthly premium.. which by the way is about $1500 (shouldn't that cover all the crap we were getting billed for, but NO it doesn't. That's to pay for the privilege to have such wonderful medical care in the United States [joke]). Also we got charged for seeing an out-of-network doctor, which was strange because I checked prior to make sure the doctor was in network. After investigating the reason we were charged out of network for the doctor is because we saw him in a "facility" that was out-of-network. I'm like, huh? After much back & fourth the insurance company finally gave in because they knew I checked before hand to make sure the doctor was in-network. The doctor office had to re-code the bill to a facility that the doctor also uses but is 'considered' in-network. I mean how crazy is this. As patients not only do we have to do the homework to make sure our doctor is in network but we also have to do the homework to make sure the building we are going to visit to see the doctor is also in-network. If people don't believe we don't have problems in this country with medical care they're crazy. Long story short I envy your doctor experience in Portugal.
It really is unbelievable how bad it is and knowing this could be fixed while also knowing it won’t anytime soon if ever.
true that😅😅😅😅😅SAD indeed
Amen!!
I've experienced all of the above that you just said. Having lived in the US for only 7 years I wasn't exposed to any of this when I was younger so it was a huge shock to learn about these ins and outs of navigating healthcare in the US (most people don't do their research beforehand...and they shouldn't have to!). I wish there was a handbook that could tell us what to watch out for. Instead we pay the costly consequences because neither the doc's office or insurance provider will tell you. As a result, I do believe that the quality of healthcare is much better in the US compared to elsewhere in the world BUT it's also one of the most non-transparent and unaffordable (eek!!!).
My family is from Galicia Spain, my sister and I were born and raise in New York City. We traveled back and forth a lot since we were kids. There is just something about Europe and life there besides family that I always preferred it over life in the US even though all my friends are in the the states.
We feel the same way!
Galicia and Portugal are almost the same thing... Language, for example, is quite the same - if you know some Galician, you will get easily into Portuguese!
Me encanta la Galicia y los gallegos! Gente muy alegre y encantadora
I moved to Portugal 6 months ago, as well. I selected Madeira Island, which is very beautiful :). I think the toughest part about relocating is finding the right apartment in the right area. That can make all the difference in finding your tribe, etc. I'm still not sure if I'm going to stay here, or move to the mainland of Portugal. I feel like I should probably give the island a little more time in another town.
Hey Nancy! I’ll be moving in 2023 with my infant daughter and father to Portugal considering Madeira island… Are you still based there or did you go to the mainland? Would love to hear your thoughts.😊
I just visited Lisbon for the first time and lived for a few days in Campo dos Mártires da Pátria area and loved it and I'm not much of a city person. Lisbon can be really magical.
I soo loved! How you work from home and can choose & pick best place to live. I soo love that 😍 is a true blessing. I'll visit Portugal this summer, but my husband doesn't want to retire there...he is greek but mostly American. The USA got us spoiled in some many ways! We control the AC over an app, we can get any groceries to our doorsteps. When I travel to Peru 🇵🇪 I enjoy walking to the market, talking to people, and dry my own clothes in the patio...lol
The honesty here was really refreshing. Some other bloggers or people online in popular facebook groups always say that everything is perfect, which makes me really umcomfortable because I know that is complete BS. I think sometimes people want to support their overall decision to relocate and think that if they admit that everything is not 100% peachy that it indicates that they made a bad decision, which is not necessarily true. There are things that I hate about the US too and certainly every country has its challenges. But, I enjoyed how you guys just laid it all out and did it honestly. I'm actually in Brazil now for the holidays because the weather is always awesome here during the US winter season. But, I hope that you guys have a wonderful holiday and come back ready to continue sharing this wonderful information.
Good comment 🔝
Love this video! I can relate so much, especially the part about the layers and walking up and down the hills 😅
Great video, guys! My BFF lives in Portugal and I actually ended up using the hospital services there a couple of times. It was excellent, but I had a Portuguese friend there to guide me, which removed nearly all of the little communications frustrations. Get some good Portuguese friends and it will probably ease the process. Keep it up!
Please be aware that comments made by the posters ONLY apply to Lisbon. We live in Central Portugal in a house less than 10 years old with exceptionally good heating and insulation systems - like all modern properties must have by law. Cooler and wetter weather is usually found between November and April, except for the South of the country, which is generally warmer.
Yeah, but the rest of the country is used to the fact that "Portugal is Lisbon and the rest its landscape" ahaha thanks Chris for your lovely contribution
Really great video. The healthcare system sounds like a dream! Have a safe trip going to the US!
Thank you guys for answering few questions I had before visiting Portugal. I appreciated the quick responses which was exceptional:) we had a great time in Lisbon & Porto. Happy holidays!
Glad we could help!
Great information! Enjoy your visit in the US and looking forward to hearing about your move. We spent 10 days in Campo de Ourique in September and fell in love with the neighborhood, appreciate your perspective after 6 months.
it's amazing neighborhood for families BUT the plane noises are unbearable
Incredibly informative! Thank you so much!
I don’t know if you already found a new place, but be aware that insulation is usually a problem in older houses. Before renting, ask the realtor about the “certificado de energia” of the place. That way you might have an idea about the efficiency energy level of the apartment. Costa da Caparica is a good option. It’s just outside Lisbon and you have the beach. Sometimes traffic to access Lisbon might be nuisance though. Wishing you all the best in my country and city. Feel free to ask me anything. I’ll be happy to help you if I can.
Thank you for the information.
Very helpful and provides a good balance of some aspects of living in Portugal/Lisbon that are not always discussed in such videos.
I was in Lisbon and Porto for 2 weeks last month and absolutely loved it. Planning to move over next fall. I found the people so nice and helpful too. I stayed at a few airbnbs which were ok but found some of the issues you have experienced in the little time I was there. Very small kitchens indeed! And NO CLOTHES DRYERS, or it’s a luxury item it seems. Many places had washers but only a rack to dry clothes. Anyway can’t wait to get over there. Cheers 🥂
I did experience the odor problem you discussed in the vid. It was at an airbnb in Chiado, an older building, "remodeled". It was a top floor spacious flat but after I checked in, I noticed an odor around the bathroom area and even though they put a diffuser in the bathroom, it didn't help at all! I thought it was a plant, since they had very large plants in the room, but now I know better! Good thing to point out and be aware of for sure! Plus elevators are a lux as well and the one in the building even though it was extremely small and looked "newish" was out of order the whole time and required 10 flights of stairs to get to the flat!!!! OUCH!!
It sounds like dryers are a necessity there.. damp winters 😕
I appreciate your honest comments; they're very helpful. What are you doing to learn Portuguese, or do you think you'll be okay without it?
I was watching your video and I agree with what you’re saying. We are Portuguese but after lived in the US for 33 years everything here was
Hello Moon Crew,
Chad again with another sigh of relief that your not moving out of Portugal!!!
Thankgod!!!
Intriguing thumbnail-good job!!
I say this because we have bought our tickets for 2/10/22 ,Have the house leased in Alcobaca and are currently getting the house on the market to sell.If you were to tell us that you were outta the country permanently ,my feet woulda froze up as they are a bit cold because of the huge move -nerves that are racing through our minds…I would get a detached house as it seems way more private instead of apartments.Thank you so much for the intel…And keep on keepin on!!!
California Leavin not dreaming ,is the new hit song,
Chad
Hey, love our nickname! Nope, not leaving. Either way, your experience is going to be quite different in Alcobaca from ours. I bet it will be much more laid back and relaxing.
I'm also at my 6 months in a week! I'm in Caldas da Rainha an hour North. We have had many awesome experiences, but not so much with a salon! They came recommended... Oh well. Hospital da Luz is a fine oiled machine, very impressive agreed. It's amazing how long it takes to get a check at a restaurant, definitely. Overall, it has been an amazing whirlwind of house closing, major remodel, getting my parrot, pug and elderly parents here! Crazy. :) Love it.
How did you facilitate your pet transfer? I’m wanting to move to o Portugal but I have two cockatiels that are family 🌸! Thanks in advance 🍷
Also I have my elderly mom I want to bring with me
Hi Heather! How are you liking Caldas da Rainha? We thought about moving there at one time.... -Michael
@@Tourabunga we all love it. It's the perfect size and just the right level of chill and busy for us. I have met amazing friends already at less than a year in. It's just home
You two are absolutely adorable!
I think your brave moving to a new country. I’m interested but I’m not sure I would know how to begin the whole process. It’s hard enough to navigate the USA and it’s my native home. But, I’m interested in your journey.
You should consider Estoril-Cascias.. 25 minutes drive to Lisbon(45 minutes by train), less hot, beautiful beaches, amzing vibe, clean air, less traffic, healthy vibes all over, not so crowded with tourists(well at least not like Lisbon)
I tihnk you mean beautiful beaches, right? 😁 We stayed in Estoril for 2 months and thought it was too quiet for us. But we really did love being so close to the beach.
Literally same on the pedicure that left you with bleeding toes front. My lady had me put my foot in her lap as we both sat in plastic chairs. I deeply regret staying after I plopped my foot up there. 4 bleeding toes and an infection later. Girl, my first weeks in Lisbon were rough when it comes to beauty.
OMG! Haha I’m so sorry we had the same experience beauty-wise. It’s rough out there 😅
Just returned from traveling all of Madeira island and mainland Portugal and would like to say we found the Portuguese service consistently amiable - from Porto through the Douro to the Silver Coast, Algarve and Lisbon. YES, we too encountered that the Portuguese "have their ways of doing things" such as schedules, delivery on amenities and processes, and people are more forthright in their demeanor. However, service personnel almost without exception were accommodating and friendly - just perhaps more "blunt"?
Thank you for discussing health care - very helpful.
That kitchen issue is REAL! 😅 Great video, guys. Enjoy Christmas back in the States with family. - Josh & Kalie
Great summary. I have had a very similar experience. Took me about 6 to 7 moths to make the decision that I want to move to Lisbon. (Been here a year now, was supposed to go home over Christmas to collect my stuff, but got stuck cause of Omicron. Hanging out in Costa de Caparica now 😎things could be worse.) So only making the official move early next year.
Regarding the "apartment niggles" you spoke of. I have had some configuration of these in almost all the spaces I've lived so far. My first 5 months I moved around quite a bit (Santo Antonio, Estrela, Rato, Campo de Ourique), there was always at least one of them... stinky drain, construction noise, tiny kitchen etc.and the prices are steep, but overall you realise its all part of the experience. Also I had a nightmare of a time getting my SNS (healthcare number), but all sorted now. Basically as you said, things are different, sometimes slow, but overall the experience has been amazing.
I look forward to learning Portuguese and settled in for the next year or two.
About house construction, absolutely right!! That's because greed is the basis for all house builders and not their quality as a concern. In fact, they build bad houses and sell them as luxury ones. Its a shame but a sad reality.
Thanks for the great information. I’m hoping to move to Portugal so this is perfect. Thanks for sharing. From piano player new friend in UK ❤️🎹
I've spent the month here, in Principe Real,. I fly home in the next couple of days. I like to travel and see what it is like to live in different cities so I stay long term .. rarely less than 3 weeks, sometimes as much as a couple of months. In fact, there was a year where I lived 25% of the time in Mexico City. I'd not yet done any cities in Europe until this year though.
My thoughts on Lisbon: there's huge gobs of tourists here. I'm just shocked that late November is like this. I find it _much, much harder_ to practice my portuguese here than in Brazil. So many people speak English, .. and there are probably more people in the city right now who are not portuguese than there are who are (its really shocking, but I was told by a local winery that just Belem in the city gets over 5 million foreign tourists each year.. that's 8 times as many people as live in the entire city, just in that one freguesia!). I think even just a bit further out of central might be better for immersion; or, like I said, Brazil. Brazil is better for one other thing too, winter. A winter in São Paulo usually gets as 2C colder overnight as the daytime highs can be here during that season. But really its pretty mild, just as you said with walking. The views and multiculturalism that verges on unimaginable from the USA, are probably _almost_ worth the choice to stay here. I'd say if you have any personal connection that is making the transition seem natural, it has to be worth the try. I am pulling for you guys! And envious, part of why I am travelling is because I don't have any connection to where I live or anywhere else that does seem natural. Only part though :)
Ownership here, after only one month of research, seems tricky. there are vaguely cheap places, but most are either literally not fit to live in or really, really requiring a massive renovation that would add 50-300k to the price. Real prices for someone my age, in their late 40s, who wants a guest bedroom and/or an office, are starting at about 500.000€, and there's just a couple/few at any given time below 650k that are clearly not in need of renovation. You can save 40% on that price and still get a central-ish location like Campo de ourique by avoiding Lapa / Saldanha / Alfama and Parque das Nações, ie: exactly the most tempting places to look. For the lack of a natural transition, inaccessibility in daily practice of the language for me, and those prices, I think I have to move on. But its been fun!
prices in the inner Lisbon are just absurd, let me tell you I am Portuguese have 50 years, I consider myself middle class ( at least I think so ) but I cannot afford house above 150k that is my house price that I am paying to the bank and purchased about 3 years ago, on the Cascais region, but last 10 years its just absurd, even this house a T3 thre rooms garage and 110 square meter house 1 year prior to my purchase the owner had purchased it for 90k to the bank and sold me for 150k now if I want to sell I could ask 200k or 230k and probably it would sell, and it was renovated by the bank when it sold to the previous owner so its still new inside...
when I moved here I was living in a T1 with my wife was a great house in a good urbanization witch is now super expensive 1km just from this house, I like the area its good ( PARQUE DE SAO DOMINGOS , sao domingos de rana , cascais area) that T1 I had purchased it like 10 years before NEW for 120K then I sold it for 165K 10 years after I had to move to biguer house because my dauther was geting 3 years so she needed a room , but then I was stressing out because I could not find housed less than 200k that were any good with 2 or 3 rooms, it was like a miracle that I found this one luckily I catch it in an add of a website of a small real state agent and by the photo I saw where it was and instead of talking to the real state agent, I went and direct talked to the owner, and made an agreement saving at least 10k or more on the fee of the real state agents...
but now it super hard to find good prices...its crazy and for foreigners I imagine that it all up and up, because you normally go to more inner city and there the speculation is by the roof...I mean I even think to myself what kind of profession a person must have to buy a house above 300k its inimagible to me...
well I wrote just to give my story of an simple Portuguese person, millions here are even with less capacity to buy houses, I just cannot understant how could Portugal got so expensive in houses... cheers
@@Hdio99 obrigado pelo perspectivo! Acho q o mercado do imóveis cambia no mesmo no globo. Ninguém recebem aumentos dos 6% cada ano, como o mercado dos últimos 5 anos. É insustentável.Tem ser oportunidades de profit por o crescimento, mas é muito difícil quando também requer a casa pra morar!
The places you want are really expensive
@@jorgevieira4489 you’re not kidding! Inner Lisbon has regular 4bedroom apartments as high as 6 million euros! Not mansions, or 1000m2 palaces, just completely normal sized apartments. Obviously that scales right up and over 99.9% of humanity, .. I’m just amazed. It’s really hard to find something affordable that doesn’t look scary
Houses are gettjng out of reach for any portuguese dude. Foreigner demand has increased and guess what? Buying an house, even with poor quality and sometimes old, its a dream! Not complaining about foreigners but about builders and agencies greed!
Language is the thing I worry about most.. not everyday conversation, because I am willing to learn, but for more specialized experiences like you mention (healthcare, bureaucracy, pharmacy), especially if you have to do things over the phone. Thanks for another great video.
A lot of Portuguese people have a good enough understanding of English. In some jobs it is even a requirement. In all those places you mentioned there should be at least 1 person who is able to communicate with you in your native language. I said "there should be", so there is a chance of it not happening in at least one of those places.
@@elisabete_costa Foreigners who settle should/may learn the local language. Getting English speakers used to the fact that they don't have to learn the local language is a bit of a servile attitude when the one who should be making the effort to integrate is the newcomer. Conversely this is not the case, try to find a job in the UK WITHOUT mastering English ....
@@redco9895 My comment was supposed to make people feel less insecure about moving to Portugal. Most people here have at least some understanding of the English language since it is taught in schools from an early age.
But, by no means I encourage people to come without the intention of learning Portuguese. In Rome, do like the Romans do. Not learning the native language of a country you are living in is a huge mistake. It limits how much you can interact with people and the environment around you.
The pipe under the sink drain needs to have an elbow shape in order not to give off a sewage smell. The water resting in the elbow will block the smell. When I was in Denmark, I noticed that they didn't use an elbow pipe under the sink drains either, causing the smell to come out of the drain.
We've been in Portugal for just over 6 months and we absolutely love it here. I agree with the medical system being both easy and reasonable to use (not that you want to, just if you have to). The optometrist, dentist and vets are also amazing and very affordable. It's also the same for help around the home...ex - cleaners, gardeners and pool maintenance are extremely affordable. In addition, expert help like plumbers or electricians are also very affordable compared to what we would pay in Canada. Fraction of the cost for all services. We love it here so much that we've decided to sell our real estate portfolio in Canada and invest here instead. We just sold our Montreal Loft and will be buying a place in Porto. We were very fortunate that we were forced to buy right away (because of our pets). So our learning curve was home ownership issues vs. rental concerns. Good luck with your next living arrangements and enjoy the holidays.
👏 Getting past the learning curve is a lot of the problem. We also enjoyed the help around the house prices.
We are planning to move to Portugal as well next year with a pet… does having a dog force you to buy right away because there are no rentals that allow pets or are they just hard to find? Thanks in advance.
@@drlaurencetham we have friends that rent with dogs without a problem
@@HoneymoonAlways That's great. Thank-you! Thanks for the videos as well - they have been helpful! Hope to meet up in person in Portugal in the near future! Keep up the great work.
@@drlaurencetham depends on owners, i am sure many wouldnt mind. But even in other countries like England there are some condos that do not allow pets.
Nice to have you here guys. Kind regards from Coimbra.
Hello.
Congrats for the milestone. And seems slowly the Portuguese habits are growing in you or you are getting the hang of it.
There are some points you mark out that well, it shouldn't be like that even if people state... ah is normal.
- bad smell in plumbing - well this is very disappointing for a house to have and not normal. I think in this case it happens if is an old house and the plumbing was not renewed or maintained well during the house renovation - in case of apartment buildings this is a minor/medium constructions and must be dealt by the building management. So in fact is a matter to report your landlord and see best options.
- cold houses and humidity. Well this is a reality on older houses like pre 2004. Only afterwards you see laws establishing and regulating the house insulations, air circulation and comfortable temperatures (also is when houses started to be graded accordingly - newer building i think is a must, older not so much). Due to Portuguese reality, in city centers you will find alot of pre-2004 buildings. Even if they are renovated, the matter of insulation they might not have dealt with as also involves a building structural renovation (and higher costs, and also the end result might not affect nothing). So newer building are more compliant to these regulations.
- hairdressers and other amenities. Well I think this is normal in any country. Some places you will have good experiences and other bad. How you can reduce risk? Well is alot of word-of-mouth marketing. You can for example in a random conversation put a question like "i am looking for a good hairdresser do you have recommendations?". And then go and test. For myself I change barbers often, what i do to scout them: i pass by the store if I see it has customers waiting and always full... might be good. Also most of these shops now have a page on facebook where you can chat with them, put reservations or check availability and they warn their customer there if their closed.
- companies, shops, public office opening times. So Portuguese rule of thumb. Bank holidays everything is closed except some restaurants and malls (they do not give a warning as they assume people know). Restaurants and shops, some have 1 day off during a week and will vary business by business (normally in the door of the establishment it states when). Opening and closing times, put a buffer of 30 minutes :D
Espero que ajude. Cumprimentos.
Nice video! Sorry to hear about the pipes…and new sounds 😂. I had the same issue in Barcelona. The problem is probably fixable but it’s a big job involving a lot of work. I will never go back to the States for the health system alone. BTW nice interaction between each other!!! 😂🤗
Since you are going to move, see if you can get a house that fits your budget. It will likely be quieter, having a backyard is probably much closer to the experience you guys had in the US. I’m not sure we’re you’re from but I would certainly give it a try. Especially with a pandemic that god knows when it will be over, it just gives you that little bit extra of comfort and freedom.
Like your attitude, you guys are very receptive to the cultural shock and you come across as laid back and easy going.
Best of luck, have yourselves a safe flight and enjoy the holidays. Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
The video at the beginning with trees is exactly what we love. We want to be near public transportation, markets, and within walking of about anything. Setubal is on our list, but that video is perfect. Areas around CLE, Ohio are like that- old homes with tree lined streets. People out walking!! Thanks for these great videos. We visit in June for a week.
Hi! Portuguese here, and I agree with everything they said.
I would just like to add that: the beauty industry around here is not very "developed", as it is not common for Portuguese women to use these services. I, for exemple, have never had a manicure or pedicure, simply because, it's not something that catches my attention or looks interesting to me. The only thing "all Portuguese women do / is common here", is going to the hairdresser to get a haircut, maybe dye it, and do some hairstyle for a special occasion. people who are used to having beauty services may be disappointed with the services available here, as they may not be the same offered in their home countries.
I have lived in Europe for many years. The things that you are saying don't just apply to Portugal, but Europe in general. Get used to it lol
Fair point!
Thanks for this post! It's an interesting topic, and your comments are thoughtful. I recognize the problems you describe in the U.S. and suspect that other people will as well - even if they've never lived anywhere else.
I have been checking many places and Lisbon always comes out #1 places in my list (also considering Lagos
) ….I’m a very lively person and love the Lisbon vibe😊
Both great places, but so different!
Thanks
Love this video! Michelle, LOVE your sweater! Dan -- hi from Josh and Mia! We miss you in Austin, but love seeing these videos!
I want Michelle's sweatshirt, so cute! We are planning on a week in February to scope neighborhoods. I'm so happy you still love it.
Thank you!
Thanks for the videos, Merry Christmas from NZ , all the best .
I had a heart attack in Portugal and agree with the health care there. I live in the states and if I had it here it would cost around $80k, because I have a Portuguese ID it didn’t cost anything.
It makes such a difference and helps with peace of mind.
Frank , portugal called poor country . But
With world class helthcare system and living style ! Cheers
You make very informative videos. Well done!
When it comes to beauty services in EU many people recommend going to places where Russian/Ukrainian expats work. Quite often you can find such vetted locations in Russian/Ukrainian Facebook groups, because most of the time a Russian speaking customer will only go to such locations for the reasons you mentioned in the video :)
Great video! Wondering if you could do a video on life there with Covid? Like what you have to do...do you have to be vaccinated? Are there any other inconvenient things there...Something like 'Portugal and Covid...what it's really like!'
Regarding reviews. Best thing I’ve found is to ask in local groups for recommendations
Excellent video. I appreciate the raw perspective.
Check what foodstuffs you can bring back.
Enjoy your time in the USA.
thanks guys , have an awesome xmas ;-]
I was really concerned about the healthcare and building a friend community. Being lonely and ill is a sickening combo, and what I experience in the states, but with the outrageously high doctor bills.
Be carefull, if you moving to Costa Caparica, in rush hour you will get ALOT of traffic crossing the river to Lisbon, and in the summer too... (people from Lisbon go to Costa caparica beaches)
Great video. We looked at a second property in Costa and found everything from the right on the first line by the water on back, to be more affordble than our current location next door to you guys in Estrela. The apartments along the coastline are generally bigger, and they have several small townhouse/patio homes off the first line that give you a little area in front or back for a garden/bbq, etc. Enjoy your time back home and home you find something you like on the other side of the bridge when you return!
Thanks Joric!
Thanks Joric for sharing your experience. 👍🏻
Have a wonderful vacation ☺️
Stay safe and Merry Christmas 🎄❤️🙏
Obrigado!
I really enjoyed watching your video!
Keep up the excellent work!
I'm looking forward to another awesome video!
Take care and stay in touch! 🎄🙏🎄🙏
Really interesting takeaways from your experience living in Portugal! I'm curious as to how "easy" it is to break a lease, as you mentioned. I live in NYC where it's nearly impossible to break a lease (when there isn't an option to sublet). What was the process like, how long did it take and was your landlord "easy" to work with?
RE pro here - you can break your lease, if everyone is leaving.
You guys are great - thanks
?? plumbing normally does not smell...rxcept you see big humid swaths on the walls. Try to check the syphons. Some newer ones are malleable (plastic), and inadvertently get the wrong "turn", so that the smell finds its way out.
So happy you are moving
As a Portuguese living in NJ I find urgent care doctors here so bad. Waiting for 3 plus hours is not uncommon. Also hospitals same thing. Then you have insurance you check with your insurance to make sure the doctor is in network but still you get mystery bills that cost at least 300 dollars. I guess the advantage in the USA is that you can get an appointment the same day! But doctors always want to rush you out and don’t really care to prevent disease, only to prescribe meds for life! I have a sneaky suspicion they work on commission!
Thank you for you videos :) I’m curious if you would recommend going through an agency for the D7 visa process, or just going it alone. Any thoughts on that?
So appreciate your video. Thank you!!! How are you going to look for the pipes without the smells? Is it obvious as soon as you turn on water? Is water already on when you rent? What things can you get in the US that you weren’t able to find in Portugal? If you don’t have a firm footing, what is the best place to live where the sidewalks are walkable?
Hi, yes I now the best is Passo Darcos - Parede - Caxias - Cascais ther's just vilas, you 2 just injoy it all the best, good new week.
I love your videos guys, so informative. I’m moving to Lisbon next year and it’s helping me a lot. One question I have - what is the insurance company you are using? Thanks.
Bom dia que sejam felizes neste belo país
Obrigado!
I wonder if searching for a new place in one day impacted your feelings / decisions. I have been reviewing neighborhoods for over a year with criteria agreed upon with wife. Excited about our move. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good luck on next place :)
Excellent 6 month report. Nice and crisp to the point report. Seems to be a very good health care system. Talk about US, i have an Employer health insurance from a Tier 1 company and for 2022 they raised the copay for PCP and specialists to $30 and $60, and the annul deductible from $4k to 8K for me and my wife. This is a "Blue Cross Gold PPO" plan. Don't know what is GOLD about the plan. Bottom line Health care cost and service in the US sucks. May i know what are the rents you are seeing for a T1 and T2 furnished apartments in Lisbon. Thanks again and a belated happy new year and a Happy Valentines day!
good luck with the move
The way you describe the weather, it makes me think of SF or San Diego
Warning ⚠️ there is consequences for bad service. Ask for the complaint book and write a review. In Portugal these books are regulated and if they reach a certain amount of infractions, they close. We don’t give gift cards, that’s a Karen expectation. If service isn’t to our expectations we can ask the manager to fix it or simply never go back… make sure you review places online. I always try doing Yelp even though us Portuguese prefer google and Expedia
Google reviews also recommended. Be truthful with your write up though
Hi from Loulé in the Algarve. First of all welcome to the best country in Europe! (I´m Swedish and been living here for 3.5 years) I was really impressed with the audio in this video, what cam and mic are you using?
Hey, thanks! Just using an iPhone 12
So glad you are happy at the six month mark. I found the information about healthcare very helpful. You did a nice job of describing the differences between Portugal and the US. Now that the Omicron variant seems to be taking hold, are you seeing any difference in requirements for travel and being out and about within the city?
So far what we are seeing was coming about before Omicron which is additional restrictions around the holiday times so avoid an outbreak that happened last year. We’ll see if things change as experts learn more about Omnicron.
Feliz Aniversário! The things that you mentioned about healthcare was really helpful. Can you link or mention the name of the app that you used for finding doctors? Is it tied to your health insurance?
We use the MyLuz app. It’s an app by the hospital we go to.
Are there translators who offer a "buddy" service for non-native speakers seeking healthcare in Portugal? Seems like that could be a gig.
See Oeiras, is very close of Lisbon, very good place to live. Caxias and Paço de Arcos are great and there are new apartments there.
Be aware that Costa de Caparica and Lisbon are not the same city - they are not even in the same region. Costa de Caparica belongs to the Almada Municipality, which is a municipality inside of the Setúbal district. Lisbon is both a municipality and a district capital with the same name...
About the weather, you still didn't experience real Portuguese weather at winter. These days have been really dry, much drier than average!
About Customer Services there is consequences try to ask for the Complain book. If you just enter a place and complain to the guy working there, depending of the Guy there is no consequences but a complain writhed in the complain book must be answerd in a certain amount of time (i think 2 months but no sure) otherwise they will be fined. And if to many complains start to apear they can be investigated by the ASAE. But usually just because of the bureaucracy that they have to do, there attitude will change for sure and things usually get a solution.
Side Note: every establishment is obligated by law to have a complain book and can´t refuse to give it if you ask. If they do you can call the Police
Hey guys. Have you considered moving to Arroios (São Jorge de Arroios)? It’s just east of Saldanha, which you probably know is a cool, upscale area. Great local restaurants and community in Arroios. Access to small and large parks nearby as well. Just a thought. Bill
Thanks Bill, we were there once but may have to check it out for living there.
Thank you for the video, very informative.
Customer service can never be "too much!" Nowadays, over here in the UK we have some really terrible and disinterested service - just miserably unpleasant. I spend a lot of time in Lisbon too, where service can be variable. But I love US customer service - and in most cases I don't think it's 'sickly' and 'false' as I often hear from Europeans - but much more a genuine desire to please.
We are thinking about moving to Portugal but we are concerns about the following 1) do we still pay taxes in the states as well as Portugal ? And 2) how are the schools for young ones and universities as we have two children. We love the affordable health insurance and friendly folks in Portugal.
We are responsible to be taxed in both countries, but they have a tax treaty so you aren’t double taxed. Not sure about schools.
I want to move to Portugal! My only concern is storms and earthquakes. Most of what I find says the weather is sunny and mild but are earthquakes and tropical storms a concern?
Thanks for this very candid video. When I hear about these bathroom, mould, insulation, and other problems, I am asking myself more and more if I really want to move there. I have 4 years before I my move ; and will keep coming back to check more places and decide, but I am glad you guys are not painting a rosy picture of everything.
All things to consider, we have friends that have had no problems by moving into larger stand alone houses or duplex, but that comes at a cost. Everyone’s situation is unique.
Yes this problem is very common with old apartments. Very cold in the winter and mold to. About the bathroom is not very common, they need to ask their landlord if there are a solution for that problem, the smell is not normal, before i buy in Odivelas i live in 2 different places all in Lisbon and in very old buildings, i used to live in Campolide (Rua Dom Carlos Mascarenhas) and in Arroios (R. Calçada de Arroios) and never i had problems with smell or with bathroom, i had only with cold and mold in the winter, but like they said they going to move, isn't matter anymore.
The first thing is find a new building with less than 10 years. Forget rent in old buildings they have lots of problems.
I live in Odivelas near the Rua Alfredo Costa (dont gonna tell you my real street) and in my house no mold, i spent half of electricity in winter that i use to spent when i live in Lisbon. Because my building have now 7 years old.
Well Portugal may not have societal turmoil about covid but many other countries are experiencing turmoil, more than the US.
Great stuff! How long are leases there? I hear long term rentals are difficult to find...also, how did you go about finding apartments?
💖
The honesty is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your perspective.
1st time viewing your channel.
Did you spend time there initially and then returned for citizenahip or did you remain there after and then applied?
Your videos are so helpful, thanks! We’re planning a “scoping” trip to check things out in March, and make our decision. What would be some recommendations of things to check out while we are there? We hope to live near the beach (surfing), but not roughing it too much. A video on that topic would be amazing! Thanks and safe travels home.
It’s hard to say because there are so many options!
Hi Alma-Dan and Michelle are correct. We just returned from our 1st/3-week “scoping” trip to PT and there’s so much to see and consider that I believe it will be difficult to make a decision. Even if you’d limit your scoping to say the Lisbon area-it will be difficult because the area offers so much..particularly if you consider staying outside the city. We liked the Lisbon area a lot so we’ll probably follow you, Dan and Michelle in about 2 years. Best of luck. 👍🏻
Good and informative. I would like to visit and see if Portugal is in the future for me.
You guys are fun to watch, so American! Always comparing your life in good ol US of A to life as a foreigner. I know Americans often struggle with that. I’m visiting Portugal end of February-March and looking forward to seeing what life is like there. Hopefully not as insane as life in US. I hate politics, it ruins everything😰
Nice! We’re visiting the exact same timeframe. Hope the weather is nice for both of us 😎
Hello Neighbor, it is sad to hear about your move, I was hoping to run into you guys at Mercado or the park next to it but I understand your situation. We have been here 2 weeks now and picked an Airbnb with townhouse styles as moving to an apartment would have been a huge change for my husband, and so far it has been a good decision we have small covered patio and 2 levels it also has a central heating which we didn’t use for 10 days until I started freezing and landlord was like why don’t you use the heating lol. Maybe you guys should consider something like that so you can be in the city as well as have some space and privacy. Good luck and thanks again for all the content , we really feel your choices so relatable and helpful.
That sounds like a great place. We will see what’s available and where when its time to find a new place.
@@HoneymoonAlways yes hopefully we can find something similar for long term lease, we initially thought to go for an apartment as yours looked really cute, but now we don’t want to try. Thank you again for saving us a bad experience. Enjoy your holidays!
@@bliss2167 And if you want to grab coffee, we have time for that.
@@HoneymoonAlways omg i am so shocked, I cannot even believe it’s possible. I always thought of people on screen as celebrities and never thought I can interact with them face to face. I will check with my husband but do let me know your availability. I still can’t believe this is happening , sorry for me being so naive :)
I just reached back home and my husband said most definitely yes, I am psyched. He was asking if you really have time since you planning to leave soon, we can meet whenever it is possible and convenient for you both :)
Hi guys! I would really recomment not moving to Costa, it's great for the beach but it lacks in everything else and city itself it's just not good. You're much better of in Lisbon! I really recomment the bairros of Principe Real and São Sebastiao. Enjoy Lisboa :)
That's what we noticed. If we do move there we will need to get a scooter to come back. Another option is living somewhere that is really close to one of the bus routes that go directly to Costa da Caparica. That way it's easy and convenient to get there whenever we want. We will see what's available when we get back from the US.
@@HoneymoonAlways that’s a great ideia! If you don’t know it already you could also visit the beach of Fonte da Telha, at the end of costa. There’s also buses going there even if it’s more remote but it’s a great beach and there’s this cliffs that are perfect to watch the sunset. Also not sure if you know about the amazing beach clubs in Costa like Irmão, Leblon, etc… happy to hear you’re enjoying Lisbon, you’re really welcome here 🤗