Buying property overseas.

[happywriter]

Many people from UK are targeted by overseas property developers who think that they will purchase their apartments and houses at a higher price than local people are willing to pay. That reasoning is very indicative of how other people thinking of the English !
How do UK people think of that?

[Chutzpah]

Well, my mother-in-law and her partner have just purchased a house in Portugal. But luckily (maybe) they'll be doing it up themselves, so it's not one of these plots of land that is never finished.

[happywriter]

Local builders and repair people who can speak any foreign languages normally flock to people in that situation, because they know that they will have an advantage.
I suggest that they take great care in finding out how things are done locally - and it is certainly not the same as UK. Some of the building codes and requirements are much more advanced in many ways than in UK.

[Chutzpah]

My mother-in-law's partner is quite savvy. He's already had a good lawyer check over all the details numerous times, and will be doing most of the work himself as he's VERY hands-on (unlike me!) and also have contacts over there in numerous disciplines.

I'm personally looking forward to visiting them a couple of times a year!

[happywriter]

Many English people don't accept the methods of foreign countries, including Portugal, and modify properties to UK systems. They forget that the local methods function well locally - examples are the electrical systems and water systems of Portuguese properties. Totally different to UK, and works well.