‘Like an old jacket, it fits perfectly’

Folk dancers outside a church in Boliqueime in Portugal’s Algarve

A British man meets an American woman in a bar in Amsterdam. They fall in love and get married. So far so good, but where do they settle? James and Jennifer Harrison’s impulsive move to Portugal paid off, despite trouble learning the language and waiting ages for the plumber.

Rationalists who regard the process of buying a home in a foreign country as a science rather than sheer happenstance would frown at the Harrisons’ whimsical approach to choosing where to live. “We pulled out a map of the world and jotted down quickly where we wanted to be: Italy, Morocco or Portugal,” says James, who was brought up in a country house in Devon, south-west England, and met American “internet chickster” Jennifer, as he called her at the time, in an Amsterdam bar.

Six months later the couple were married and living in Jennifer’s Boston home. The crunch came, however, when her employer, a computer firm, wanted to transfer her to Los Angeles or New York.

“We said no to both places and flew out to Portugal instead,” says James about their move in 2001. “My father said you could always get a cracking three-course meal for only £7.50, so I figured that was a good recommendation for a country.”

James, then 32, and Jennifer, 30, rented an apartment in the small town of Vila Franca de Xira, just outside the capital, Lisbon. It was a great place to start out, according to James, because it was extremely Portuguese with no foreigners in sight. “We learned café Portuguese quickly – dois cafes e dois sanduiches, por favor – and six months later bought a small villa with sea views on the Silver Coast.”

A “beach bum” interlude of surfing and painting ensued for the Harrisons. James was instantly addicted to surfing when a friend took him to the beach with a surfboard. He was also producing and selling enough oil paintings to cover the rent and the odd plate of tapas and glass of cerveja in the local bar.

Their seaside idyll was disrupted when Jennifer became pregnant five years ago and James felt he had to focus on getting get a proper job, which he did, but in the Algarve.

“My surveyor’s degree from Cirencester came in handy, as property was the only game in town in 2005,” says James, who works for the Pestana Group, which owns golf resorts, hotels and pousadas (ancient buildings converted into boutique hotels) in Portugal and around the world.

Originally, the couple rented in the Algarve, the popular holiday region on the south coast, expecting to return north after a year. One year turned into two and more and the Harrisons and their two daughters, Sofia, five, and Felicity, 20 months, are now settled in a historic house in the centre of Boliqueime village.

“It’s rare because it has a marvellous garden with two 20-metre ficus trees shading the barbecue area. Most Portuguese houses in the centre of towns and villages never have any gardens,” says James.

He describes their home as having either five bedrooms or one. “I guess we have two ‘proper’ bedrooms really and a garage with a bathroom and kitchen above.”

Although he had to abandon his freer surfer-artist lifestyle, James declares that he’s enjoying life more today.

He says he had to stop painting nudes because “I couldn’t find anyone to pose in Portugal, so flowers posed for me instead”.

He also says he went into a panic when given commissions. “I worried people wouldn’t like what I created and remember feeling uncomfortable when someone commissioned a painting for his son’s 21st birthday.

Life can be inexpensive in Portugal – even on the pricier Algarve – if you live like a local. This means growing your own fruit and vegetables and avoiding English-style bars in favour of one catering for Ukrainian workers “A bottle of beer is only 70 cents there, while in the English bars it’s an outrageous €2.50.”

Along with the steady career, another plus is the Algarve’s mild climate. On the Silver Coast, the Harrisons said they seldom ate meals outside; in Boliqueime they have breakfast out-of-doors every morning. “Even when it is raining, it’s still warm,” says James.

Ironically, the laidback vibe of the place can be stressful. “I once organised a plumber and he didn’t arrive,” James recalls. “So I called another one but he didn’t arrive either. Finally, a third one came but left the final part of the job unfinished. I jerry-rigged it myself and kept calling the plumber. He kept saying he would bring the part but two years later we moved and I simply gave up.”

He and Jennifer laugh whenever newcomers complain about how long it takes to make something happen in Portugal.

Another complaint is how difficult the language is. James has two fat tomes on his desk, Essential Portuguese Grammar and 501 Portuguese Verbs Conjugated. He studies both every day but still can’t understand what the locals are saying.

“It makes me feel pretty thick-witted but the accent is hard to master. I’m learning a lot from Sofia, though; she pronounces words to me while we lie in the hammock together.”

Disregarding his tortured vowels, James says his favourite thing about Portugal is the fact that it isn’t particularly special. “It’s like one of your old jackets – a bit ratty around the edges but it fits perfectly and feels comfortable.”

Even Jennifer, after initial misgivings, has been won over, adds James. “We arrived in Portugal on September 2 2001. When people heard Jennifer’s accent after 9/11 they would walk up and hug her, saying they were sorry about what happened, and walk off. This was very special for her and still is.”

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The Algarve, Portugal: Family comes first

Pros

Property taxes and buying costs are reasonable. Property transfer tax (IMT) is on a sliding scale starting from 2 per cent of the value of a home below €117,000 to 6 per cent above €535,000 of the value of the property. Stamp Duty is of 0.8 per cent is paid upon completion and solicitors charge up to 1 per cent of the property’s value.If you avoid tourist spots you can find many unspoilt traditional villages and towns.

Cons

Paperwork can be very complicated, eg when applying for citizenship or a resident’s card. Portuguese families are very tightly knit. Although outsiders will be welcomed, you will not be rewarded with the same back-up family members give to each other. Gastronomes might get bored with the simplicity of Portugal’s standard fare of barbecued meat and grilled fish. Learning Portuguese can be difficult and you might not be able to practise as much as you expected, with many people on the Algarve speaking English.