Originally Posted by toots sweet

Have driven through Castelo Branco many times and to be honest it wasn't a place that particularly appealed except for the proximity of Spain and cheap (er) petrol! There are no larger towns particularly close by ,and like you we would like to be closer to the sea for an occasional day out. The only thing it had in its favour was house/land prices.
We looked at all areas that might appeal.Started with Silver Coast.Really liked the area but was quite expensive and very misty even in the warmer months. Inland Leiria wasn't too expensive ,but the fires that year put us off.Next was the area round Sesimbra.Loved it there,near Setubal ,beaches and closer to Lisbon,but the prices were way out of our budget.
However it did make us realise that we wanted to be nearer a larger city,able to get to a beach,water in an hour or so and of course a decent property ,with a bit of garden and costing less! We didn't consider the Algarve at all. OH is born and bred there and we lived there in the 80's before mass tourism ruined a lot of it., and we didn't really want that sort of area any more.
So we looked at our priorities( didn't really want to be much further N. than Lisbon) and ended up in the Santarem district.
We can get to Lisbon in an hour,Montijo for the shopping mall in 40 mins,an hour to the beach 1.5 hours to Evora and we live less than 10 mins from the Tejo.AND property prices are still low,but are rising quite quickly ,new builds all over now, I think from Lisbonites/Lisboans(?)cashing in on the cheaper land prices. We are about 40 mins south from Santarem,in farmland, so no worries re possible fires in the areas north of Santarem,so have almost everything we need. Temps not much lower/higher than the Algarve.
I would also like to move to the Sines,Santiago do Cacem area near the coast,but property is quite expensive there.

Originally Posted by toots sweet

Have driven through Castelo Branco many times and to be honest it wasn't a place that particularly appealed except for the proximity of Spain and cheap (er) petrol! There are no larger towns particularly close by ,and like you we would like to be closer to the sea for an occasional day out. The only thing it had in its favour was house/land prices.
We looked at all areas that might appeal.Started with Silver Coast.Really liked the area but was quite expensive and very misty even in the warmer months. Inland Leiria wasn't too expensive ,but the fires that year put us off.Next was the area round Sesimbra.Loved it there,near Setubal ,beaches and closer to Lisbon,but the prices were way out of our budget.
However it did make us realise that we wanted to be nearer a larger city,able to get to a beach,water in an hour or so and of course a decent property ,with a bit of garden and costing less! We didn't consider the Algarve at all. OH is born and bred there and we lived there in the 80's before mass tourism ruined a lot of it., and we didn't really want that sort of area any more.
So we looked at our priorities( didn't really want to be much further N. than Lisbon) and ended up in the Santarem district.
We can get to Lisbon in an hour,Montijo for the shopping mall in 40 mins,an hour to the beach 1.5 hours to Evora and we live less than 10 mins from the Tejo.AND property prices are still low,but are rising quite quickly ,new builds all over now, I think from Lisbonites/Lisboans(?)cashing in on the cheaper land prices. We are about 40 mins south from Santarem,in farmland, so no worries re possible fires in the areas north of Santarem,so have almost everything we need. Temps not much lower/higher than the Algarve.
I would also like to move to the Sines,Santiago do Cacem area near the coast,but property is quite expensive there.

Originally Posted by Rambling archer

We agree with what TootsS said and ended up just a bit north of the Tagus (Tejo) - take a look at the area round Santarém itself, Chamusa, Coruche, up to Tomar. The problem everywhere at present seems to be a lack of properties for sale anywhere as if everyone is holding their breath after Covid before deciding to put property on the market, and if anything prices are rising again. Consider accessibility of Train stations as the trains are amazingly cheap to get to the likes of Lisbon. Inland is hot and dry in the summer and cool and damp for 3+ months in the winter but good insulation helps even that out. There are some nice places around and south of Setubal ... Castelo B is handy for Spain, but looking towards life in Portugal has not much to recommend it though there is quite an expat community up there ...

Originally Posted by Lou71

Bons, have you looked at any of the towns and villages in Castro Marim, just north of VRS? There are plenty of reasonably priced houses in places like Odeleite and VDP with an excellent road to the motorway, VRS (all services, beaches, restaurants, shops etc) and just a few kilometres from Spain (Ayamonte).

There are some smaller, cheaper properties, some newly renovated, something that you could renovate yourself and many of them are on the edges of towns and villages with some land and more privacy.

If I can be blunt, I think it is a far more suitable location than the area you have mentioned - just my opinion of course. I would prefer to be somewhere with a more temperate climate that is nearer to places with services and frankly, a bit of life.

I would think carefully about what day to day life would be like in that type of setting.
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Originally Posted by bons

We looked at a house that needed renovation near Alcoutim, there was a Portuguese builder who had lived in England for 20 years renovating the house opposite and he gave us an assessment of the house for free. It needed a complete new roof, putting in proper insulation was costed at 23 grand plus. The walls were crumbling and would need a lot of attention and the rooms and windows were tiny with a bathroom outside. It just needed an awful lot of money with a huge starting price. I'd love to stay in the Algarve but it's too expensive and getting more expensive.

Originally Posted by Lou71

I would keep looking in the Castro Marim area if I were you. Check out places like Vale do Pereiro and Furnazinhas ie not too far from the coast with good road links and reasonable prices. Agents in VRS and Castro Marim town itself have quite a few properties in these areas but it might take quite a bit of legwork.

Please don't give up on the Algarve yet!

Originally Posted by bons

[...]We are being a bit picky which is why we may have to buy up north as we do want a little bit of land. [...]

Originally Posted by Red Eric

Up north?

If you folded Portugal in half, Castelo Branco would be right in the crease.

Originally Posted by bons

We met with an agent back in April, missed out on a cheap plot for building and he is helping us to find something, nothing as yet. We are being a bit picky which is why we may have to buy up north as we do want a little bit of land. We viewed a plot of land just north of Castro Marim but it was 90k with services needing to be connected a project was needed and I think the building cost would be over 100k. Are you in Eastern Algarve?

Originally Posted by Lou71

We are in the eastern Algarve (inland Castro Marim). We really wanted Tavira but it was beyond our budget so we had to compromise but not too much luckily.

I would keep plugging away at finding something slightly inland on the Algarve if I were you. For example, you could start looking in places like Vale do Pereiro, Furnazinhas or Tenência which all have plenty of properties for sale (some with land) and are not too far from the coast.

Keep looking!

Originally Posted by Lou71

We are in the eastern Algarve (inland Castro Marim). We really wanted Tavira but it was beyond our budget so we had to compromise but not too much luckily.

I would keep plugging away at finding something slightly inland on the Algarve if I were you. For example, you could start looking in places like Vale do Pereiro, Furnazinhas or Tenência which all have plenty of properties for sale (some with land) and are not too far from the coast.

Keep looking!

Originally Posted by bons

There is some land for sale near Castro Marim but I can't get hold of the agent, maybe a small firm and taking this week off. There is a house in San Bras I asked if it was detached or not, the agent contacted me, I wrote straight back giving her my number as requested by her if I wanted to view it. I've heard nothing since, I contacted her again. Nothing.

Originally Posted by Red Eric

Am I right in thinking that those sort of areas would be very poorly served by public transport?

Just something that might be worth bearing in mind if being within reach of facilities is a consideration. Whilst it wouldn't be too much of an imminent one for a car driver, what do you do if your car's off the road for some reason? Or if you're suddenly not able to drive any more, temporarily or permanently, for whatever reason?

Also, if there's an abundance of property for sale in those areas, it does suggest that maybe they don't move all that fast, so re-selling in a hurry due to such a change of circs might not be the easiest, and probably wouldn't yield a sum sufficient for the purchase of a more suitably located alternative.