I Moved to Portugal Sight Unseen- Here’s The Major Mistakes I Made

As the time got nearer to moving I didn’t have many logistical stressors or worries. I have moved countless times across the United States and once to Germany and back. I’m used to moving to new places I’ve never been to, so I wasn’t concerned. Europe is Europe right?! I know I like cobblestone streets, cafes, and European charm so I was certain Portugal wouldn’t disappoint. As someone who tends to easily stress, I took my laissez-faire approach as a sign of personal growth. Looking back, if there was ever a time to worry, moving to a new country was probably the time! 

Here are the top mistakes I made moving to Portugal:

Not Having a Big Savings

Ok, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I stopped prioritizing savings. I’m the more risk-averse person in our marriage, but our time as a military family led us to not rely on savings since we had guaranteed income for many years.

When shit hit the fan while we were 5,000 miles away from home I was regretting not having a large savings.

I would recommend having about 6 months’ worth of living expenses for your entire family ready at any given moment. Don’t be tempted to dip into it for frivolous things like furnishing your new place or taking a trip. Just leave it and rest assured you can get by for a few months if you unexpectedly lose your job.

Relying On Future Income 

We had high hopes for our house sale and put too many eggs in one basket. Our home took longer than expected to sell and ultimately did not help us as we planned. Diversify your savings and have multiple streams of income if at all possible.

Choosing An Expensive Starter Apartment

Looking back, there was no need to rent a place as nice as we did. It was at the top of our budget. We realized once we got to know the area that we wanted to move to Lisbon once our lease was up. Consider renting on the low end of your budget to save money and then go from there once you know you want to stay in that location.

Picking a Small Town

If you plan to be working while in Portugal, either remotely or in person, I would highly recommend checking out Porto or Lisbon as your primary destinations first. The reason for this is key infrastructure. Although access to high-speed internet wasn’t an issue in the Algarve, the lack of amenities was severe. Limited coworking spaces, no professional services, and low levels of commerce- just to name a few. If you know that you would like to live alone and work alone, without any other human interaction, the Algarve can be a great fit. But, if you’re hoping to build professional relationships or like meeting people in your field, I’d choose a more populated city.

Skipping the Scouting Trip

I have never done a scouting trip for any of the major moves I’ve done. Albuquerque to Germany. Germany to Virginia. Virginia to San Diego. San Diego to Seattle. And finally San Diego to the Algarve. I’ve taken a lot of pride in being able to use the internet to decide where to move. But I missed the mark on the move to Portugal. We originally planned on moving to Lisbon. But I overestimated the importance of sunshine and nice weather and I underestimated the drawbacks of a small population. If you can afford a scouting trip, I would highly recommend it as it will save you money in the long run.

What are some mistakes you made in your major move? Would you move abroad sight unseen?

Thanks for following along!

Jessica

To read more about our time living in the Algarve, check out https://itsmejessicajean.com/why-ill-never-go-back-to-vilamoura-portugal/