The Van Table

The Van Table

Pull up a chair. The van table is an unedited podcast about life changing decisions from a pub landlord to van life, family, Portugal, Scotland, food, Business and our adventure building a new life. We bought a mountain in Portugal and then 2 years later decided to sell everything and move there. That was the plan or so we thought!

الحلقات

  1. ١٧ أغسطس

    Can You Really Buy a House in Portugal for €20,000?

    Can you really buy a house in Portugal for €20,000? Yes. But finding a cheap property is only the beginning. In Episode 5 of The Van Table, Alison and I talk about what we’ve learned from actually buying property in rural Portugal, including our mountain and our village house. We talk about €8,000 houses, €12,000 ruins, an €18,000 shop with three floors above it, where cheap Portuguese properties actually turn up, and why getting to know people locally can completely change what you find. Then there’s the bit that doesn’t normally make the property videos: what happens after you’ve bought it. Water, solar power, rural access, renovation, woodworm, fire season, builders who may or may not appear, Amazon deliveries that may or may not arrive, and the joy of discovering that the screws you need are a 40-minute drive away. We also talk about our experience buying through Melanie at Home Key Portugal, NIF numbers, rural versus urban property, renovation and planning, and what our own purchase actually cost us. And after everything we’ve learned, the storms, the work and the occasional questionable decision, would we still buy the mountain again? Absolutely. Important: This is our personal experience of buying and owning property in Portugal, not legal, tax or planning advice. Rules, taxes and permissions can vary by property, municipality and individual circumstances. Always check current requirements with the appropriate Portuguese authorities and qualified professionals before buying or carrying out work. The Van TableVan life • Portugal • Property • Off-grid living • Family chaos

  2. ٧ أغسطس

    Why We Bought a Mountain in Portugal

    Why on earth would anyone sell everything and buy a mountain in Portugal? In this episode of The Van Table, I tell the story of how Alison and I went looking for a small piece of land with a few trees… and somehow came home with around 100 acres of Portuguese mountainside stretching all the way down to the river. It wasn’t the plan. We talk about: 🌿 Why Portugal beat Italy🏔️ The moment we knew we’d found the place🚙 The terrifying 4x4 drive to the property💰 How we actually afforded it🌳 Olive trees, springs, wildlife and the reality of owning so much land🤕 Breaking five ribs while clearing an olive tree🚐 Why we’re still living in a van four years later☕ The long-term dream of creating a simple retreat where people can slow down and reconnect with natureThis isn’t an expert guide to buying property overseas. It’s simply our story, mistakes included. If you’re dreaming about escaping the rat race, curious about rural Portugal, or wondering what possesses someone to buy a mountain, pull up a chair. Welcome to The Van Table. 🌍 Website: https://thevantable.me📖 Articles, photos and the free Van Guide: https://davidstanley.me Dave’s Accuracy Notice These podcasts are recorded without a script, usually with coffee. Measurements are approximate, stories occasionally wander, and the facts don’t always arrive in the correct order… but they’re all true as far as I remember them!

حول

Pull up a chair. The van table is an unedited podcast about life changing decisions from a pub landlord to van life, family, Portugal, Scotland, food, Business and our adventure building a new life. We bought a mountain in Portugal and then 2 years later decided to sell everything and move there. That was the plan or so we thought!