I’m thinking about starting a homestead in Portugal.
Posted by KorunaKoreko@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 29 comments
From the bit of research I have done it seems to be a great option for starting an animal byproduct and garden variety vegetables farm, is this a feasible location for this goal and what budget would I need to make it happen?
FinestTreesInDa7Seas@reddit
One of the biggest things you need to be aware of is the fact that you don't automatically have the right to live on rural land that you own in Portugal.
To live on land that you own, the property needs a "Habitation License" (Alvará de Utilização). Some land in Portugal is heavily protected by the local governments who issue these licenses, and apparently they will deny to license a property for habitation if it's valuable farmland that they want to see farmed properly.
If you're buying a rural house in Portugal, the land probably already has this license, but if you're buying empty land, it's something you'll probably need to take care of.
I bought some rural land in Portugal for $4000 in 2009, but they refused to let me build a house on it (they would force me to demolish it if I tried to build). So I currently lease it to a farmer on an adjacent property. And I'm require to offer the land to him first if I ever choose to sell it. The laws in Portugal over rural land are very strict.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
This definitely feels like some hurdles I will need to overcome but I will make sure that I look into houses that are already built, thank you for giving me your time.
Bagpuss999@reddit
Advice from someone homesteading in Portugal...
Inland is cheap for a reason. Scorching summers, freezing winters, abandoned villages, elderly population, nonexistent public services and now corps expropriating land for giant solar projects.
The soil is actually very poor almost everywhere. The north rains more than the south. Avoid areas with eucalyptus, as much as possible, due to the fire risk. There are also virtually 0 wildlife protections here so dont be surprised if a logger comes to clear cut down the adjacent native forest, leaving all the slash and a load of stumps. And then
If youre serious, get a 1 year rental somewhere remote and see if you can commit to the lifestyle.
Also, if you see somewhere, before you buy, always ensure it has an urban article for the house with the right m2 listed (and that it's not an agricultural building). If not, you face a 5 figure fine and the joy of paying to demolish your own home.
It's not easy here. You will need significant existing passive income as your job chances here are virtually 0 without fluent portuguese.
But it can be worthwhile. But seriously, rent for a year to see if you can hack it first.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
Thank you very much for this it’s exactly the advice I am looking for, I am now signed up for a Portuguese language class so it’s on my priority list, I’m looking into rental locations and it is my plan to rent for a year to make sure it is something I can do, and if it comes down to it I will try to by a preexisting home just to fix up, thank you again for your time and your comment.
expats-ModTeam@reddit
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VentureAlong@reddit
Hi, my wife and I are in Portugal on the D2 Visa (we just applied last year). We also purchased land for a homestead. We would be happy to answer questions and connect you with the firms we used. We also started blogging about our experience so far in case it’s helpful.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
I would absolutely love to connect with you and maybe get a link to the blog as well if it’s not too much to ask
Diligent-Hat-4559@reddit
Start with land rules, water access, permits, and zoning first. The land may be affordable, but infrastructure and repairs can get expensive fast. Renting in the area first may be safer.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
I will, this is extremely helpful and I will make sure these are my first steps and I will also do more research into renting a home to start as it does seem to be a safer bet, thank you.
DifficultTerm-20@reddit
Portugal is honestly one of the better options in Europe for starting a homestead, especially if your goal is small-scale farming, gardening, and raising animals. The climate is good for vegetables, fruit trees, chickens, goats, and similar setups, and rural land is still more affordable compared to many other Western European countries. Areas in central Portugal and inland regions tend to offer the best balance between land prices and farming potential.
The main thing to understand is that homesteading there is very doable, but it takes more work and money than most people expect. Water access is extremely important because summers can get hot and dry, so buying land with a reliable water source should be a priority. For budget, I’d say you realistically need at least €50k–€100k for a simple setup if you’re willing to build things gradually and live modestly. If you want a comfortable property with a house, fencing, equipment, animals, and proper infrastructure from the start, it can easily go above €150k. Personally, I think the smartest approach is to start small first instead of trying to build a full farm immediately. Learn the land, grow vegetables, raise a few animals, and expand slowly over time.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
This is an amazing plan and I think it’s exactly what I want, size to me doesn’t matter too much so long as I am able to support my family so starting small would be perfect, thank you very much for the budget estimate and this great advise.
badlydrawngalgo@reddit
What exactly do you mean by animal byproduct? That wording covers a multitude of things, could you elaborate?
I'm not 100% sure of what you mean by "homestead" either really, you call it a farm too. Would your products just be for your own consumption or would you be looking to sell them?
There are lots of quintas and small-scale farms in Portugal where people keep some pigs and chickens, raise veggies, fruit and olives and then sell the products in local markets. So if this is what you mean, yes it's doable, you'd be in "competition" with lots of Portuguese people - or good company, depending on how you look at it.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
I’m hoping it’s good company, I definitely don’t want anything big and selling to locals would be best but I don’t need a whole lot personally so anything unsold would just go back to us, I was thinking chickens, goats or sheep, maybe a couple of dairy cows, and your basic garden variety vegetables to be grown, stuff that’s useful even when it goes unsold.
BrilliantUnlucky4592@reddit
Very difficult to do any real building in most places.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
That’s why I’m hoping to find a fixer upper so that I may make a positive influence on the local area.
BrilliantUnlucky4592@reddit
They actually have issues with fixers uppers. They want everything left the same...
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
I see, and I think I understand, some of those homes are generations old and they don’t want some foreigner coming in and westernizing their home town, maybe just something abandoned with it fixed up by local construction crews or just handymen, just enough to be livable again. Where ever I go I want to make sure I have a positive impact on the community.
edparadox@reddit
Do you speak Portuguese?
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
Not fluently as I have only taken 2 years in high school but I will make sure that I am fluent enough (excluding accent as that’s something you need to pick up by actually talking to fluent speakers) before I even start moving, but that’s why I’m looking into it, if Portugal isn’t the place that I end up I want to make sure I am fluent in what ever native language I move to (though my heart is a little set on Portugal I am a very open-minded individual.)
dutchtyphoid@reddit
Question No. 1:
Do you have the legal right to live in Portugal?
Question No. 2:
Do you know the Portugese language?
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
Yes and I took Portuguese in high school so I’m sure I can pick it up again
edparadox@reddit
Yes, because Portuguese is so simple…
Languages high-school classes are truly the best, aren't they?
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
lol you are absolutely right, but I am absolutely serious about taking the time to learn it fluently as I find it very important to know the local language of the place you want to move to. It’s not up to the locals to figure out what I’m trying to say.
Logical-Comment-9621@reddit
I dont know much about homesteads but I do know that portugal is genuinely one of the best places in Europe for this kind of venture from talking with a distant cousin who is into that kinds of stuff.
From the conversation with him he says that Portugal ticks all the boxes in terms of climate, good soil, and there are no restrictions on foreign buyers.
But you might want to get an opion from someone with more experience
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
Thank you very much this helps out a ton and I’ll make sure to get as many opinions as I can before I make my decision, this may still be about a year out or so, though if things go right I may leave earlier.
Logical-Comment-9621@reddit
Yeah well you never know. I never asked but I assume you have the legal rights to live in Portugal if you're thinking about starting a homestead?
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
Yes that is something I made sure of before I created the post.
icecream1973@reddit
With Portugals mild temperature this could indeed be an option.
Budget highly depends on location.
You sound american, be aware you can't simply just move to another country permanently without the proper visa. If I were you I would FIRST check if you are actually eligible for a visa.
KorunaKoreko@reddit (OP)
I am yes, and I do understand that I will need a visa, from my limited research as of right now I believe it is the D2 visa that I will be looking into, I am in no rush and I understand this will take a lot of time but I want to make sure I do this correctly as it is my first time looking abroad. I am also definitely looking at places further inland as these prices seem to be more budget friendly.