Sooo, what are you guys opinions on the best place in Portugal to live where you won't have to spend a fortune in the winter months in order to keep warm.
Happy to throw a few logs on the wood burner of a night but don't wanna be worried about finding money for fuel or exorbitant leccy bills.

Good question, but then again the best place is usually more expensive, so you end up paying more for the actual property, or have to go for less space. Then again, living in a smaller property, also means lower costs to heat. And if you are used to heat, you'll feel cold when it's actually warm for others. It's a tough life.

The coastal plain of the Algarve is the best you will find in Portugal. A small, well-insulated house is advisable or maybe an apartment facing the sun.

Thanks guys,
We've definitely been thinking Algarve and would only be able to afford a small house anyways. How far inland from the coast are we still going to see a benefit do you think? Have seen a couple of houses about half an hour from the coast, but still classed as the Algarve. Would these be less of a good bet than sticking to the coast?

In my experience of winter in the Eastern Algarve, the climate often changes when you drive just 10 minutes north from the coast. Temperature drops as you rise in altitude and rain often falls in the hills whilst the coastal plain is bathed in sunshine. I recommend sticking to the coastal plain.

Thanks Bill ☺ It's much appreciated the great advice we've been offered on here. Will make the process much easier once we're ready to roll. ☺

I agree!

Just a thought, but before you go ahead and buy anything, why don't you do a long term winter let in the Algarve, so you can find out for yourself, how much the electric bills would be and how cold and wet it can get in Portugal.

Thanks Robbie, your suggestion is a supremely sensible one! í ½í± Our problem is that we are just not sensible! í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚ We are a bit fly by the seat of our pants kinda people and once the momentum kicks in it's all or nothing 100% commitment to the idea. We really should rent for the short term but I don't think that'll happen. We've seen this house but not sure if it's a bit too far out from the coast to still be warm in the chillier months. ☺ House for sale in Portugal,Algarve,Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Portugal

Evening, I've had a look at the house you are thinking of buying ? Clearly none of my business, but have you got the time and experience to renovate a property like that ? I only ask, because those are the very properties that will be very cold and damp in the winter. I speak from experience. I do think that even in the Algarve, even at the coast it can be cold and damp in the winter. Somebody who had been living in the Algarve for 20 years told me this, but we didn't listen.

FWIW I live near NYC in the US and I'm used to heating and aircon. most of the year. I visited my 82 year old mother who lives in Lagoa, Algarve (near Senhora da Rocha) in January and she only used heat in the TV room for a couple hours at night. The house was built in the late 80s and doesn't have insulation, it really wasn't much colder than my house in the US, and the heating bills are much lower than mine!

Santa Caterina is about half hours drive from the coast - and that house is virtually a ruin.

I'd think again and look for something ready to move into.

We lived in Fuzeta for 10 years - in a fairly modern house., Had mould most winters, especially at the back of house, which had no sun., one wood-burner for the whole house. Neighboures had water running down their walls in the winter, but we aired our house, they didn't. Other neighbours re-decorated their house every summer, inside, because of the mould and thought it quite normal.

No living in the Alentejo, similar age house, but so much warmer, even though it's colder during the winter.

We have done quite a bit of renovation on all our previous properties Robbie. We can do general building work, kitchens / bathrooms,tiling, lay flooring, landscaping, bit of plastering and joinery, plumbing etc. So have skills to fall back on. Would just need upgrades to electrics etc doing professionally.
If we insulated well with Kingspan or similar would that not ward off the cold and damp issues? I'm reading between the lines that you've experienced some major issues with the Algarve. ..?

Are the damp and moisture issues purely down to poorly insulated houses though Ouriquejan?
This was our thought process - better to buy a wreck and put it back together right with decent insulation etc, than pay a fortune for a house that looks ok superficially but is all fur coat and no knickers 😊 If you get what I mean. :-D At least we'd know it would have been done right and not just prettied up on the surface.

That makes me feel a bit more hopeful Zoff - thank you. :-)