Hi Carlos… well done very informative… my biggest concern and I am so so glad you mentioned it… is to take care of our Islands… we don’t want them to turn into Hawaii… I was so disappointed when learning Terceira has a McDonald’s… sure hope it doesn’t come to Faial. I was born on Faial and it is so dear to my heart … I have seen changes I don’t like… especially when it comes to nature … I won’t get into it… anyway take care great video… good information.😊
Thank you for the kind words. We really don't need these big fast food chains. agree! What I learned is that sometimes they come with a a large grocery store, it's part of the partnership. We have Burger King on Pico, inside the Continent store. Most people still go to the restaurants! We will only consider doing a project or business if care is priority. We have designed and are working on a small tourism project with care being the main reason we chose to do it in a certain way, we will be doing a video on this in the near future. Nature has to be in the forefront of everything done on these islands, this is the only way to protect them. Take good care! Cheers!
Hi, My wife and I love your videos and appreciate them. Very informative and down to earth. We are looking into retiring to the Azores and have been doing a lot of research, and your videos are very helpful to us, Thank You so much! Dave and Robin Jones
Thank You. Do you happen to know the current tax situation moving to Azores with U.S. social security income will be? With the nhr being canceled or changed to exempt pensions, we are getting conflicting info about it's effect on U.S. income. Do you have a source for current information on this? Thanks so much, Dave
@@SmokyRobin This is something we know very little about, especially when it comes with a US citizen. We would share it if we did. The best and probably most accurate would be a tax expert. I will try and find a good contact for you. Take care!
We have watched your channel for over three years and enjoy it very much and find it very informative. I’m sure you usually get a lot of questions about buying a home on Pico. In our case we need guidance in selling a family home on Pico. We have no idea what the process is or what is involved. While in Pico this summer I spoke to family and friends but got conflicting information. While watching your episode on Sunday I thought you might be kind enough to give us some guidance. You and Laura love the island and we totally understand why. My sisters and I visit Pico regularly. Our lives are here in Canada and we need to sell our family home. My parents retired to Pico about 40 years ago. At that time they totally renovated the house. The house needs to be update but is very livable. What can we expect or what steps do we take when selling a family home? What kind of taxes and real estate fee should we be expecting to pay. Does Portugal have MLS listings. Hoping to hear from you.
I thought I had answered this comment, sorry. We are not professionals in this field, you will need a good notary and real estate agent to answer your questions. There is a lot of important information when it comes to this, best to get it form the best source. We only share our experience, and every one has a different situation than ours and yours. Send me an email if you want the contacts we used. Take care! soarescarlos64@gmail.com
Miss the Azores, hope to someday return. We owned a home on Terceira in Lajes near Praia da Vitoria in the 80's overlooking the ocean, it was wonderful.
For those that want to visit the Azores for the first time, are there multi island tours out there for active individuals you'd recommend? Thanks for the video 😀
@jonathansargent6224 Yes; there are island hopping tours. This is what we specialize in. Feel free to send me an email, and I will send you links to a few videos we did on the subject. Thus will give you a good idea on multi island visits. thetravelguys@picoislandexperts.com Take care!
There is good & bad on all 3. I always say there is no perfection in the system, lots of room for improvement. I also say that most of the other 200 countries around the world are worst. Take care!
I still love the idea of renovating one of the ruins on Pico island as a retirement project. There is at least one right in Lajes Do Pico. Free anger management included.
Hi Carlos, do you know what the current cost is to build average quality and above average (but not luxurious) that is new construction per square meter? I've looked up on idealista for the homes currently for sale. There doesn't seem as a whole any logic to the home's prices for sale. They are all over the place. It seems like people put their house for sale for top dollar hoping for a bite. That's my take.
I am in the Canarias, not Azores. I have the idea that the Azores may be quite remote. I am at my limit here waiting for at least one month for many things to be delivered from the mainland. Some places on mainland Portugal can be very remote as well. A good grocery store might easily be 25 miles away. Back roads are not fast, so it might take you half a day to go shopping. And actually there are not a lot of choices. Portugal does not have much competition in general. Think about that seriously. Island fever may be a problem there. The weather may also be not very great. Winter low temps may not be comfortable and it seems to rain quite a lot, at least in comparison to Canarias. There may be quite a lot of variation form the north side to the south side of the island. Study these things carefully. I will say making an estimate of current building costs is difficult. Prices of building materials has gone nuts. Everything has doubled, and some things are 3x more expensive as 5yrs ago. It may be worse out in the Atlantic where everything has to be shipped in. Plus labor is difficult to find. I have had to wait a year for a contractor to fit my work into his schedule. In the Canaries ... Normal construction might be 1,000 to 2,000€/m2 Higher quality might be up to 3,000 €/m2 Small kitchen update to latest style is 10k €. A bathroom remodel about 5k. Best to go in with a conservatively high budget in order not to get caught out for lack of cash in the middle of the job. Supervision of work is essential. Do it yourself, if you can, or find a local trustworthy architect or engineer to do it, or help you. I also doubt that you could find anything move-in ready for less than 200,000 unless it is a lower quality, or very small apartment/condo/flat. I'd say 250-300,000 could work. 350-400k and above for an independent house that may still need remodelling work. A lot of properties tend to have original interiors that are 50yrs outdated... but at least authentic. Here (Canarias) any independent house lower than 200,000 will need a lot of work, 100,000 +, or it will be likely to remain an eyesore. Getting permission to build or remodel exteriors could also be a challenge. Not sure about Azores, but in Canarias it can be a real PIA. Sometimes not difficult, but sometimes not possible at all.
The cost of new build varies, it depends on the builder, day of the week etc. My guess would be that the average traditional build cost falls between 1000 to 1200 euros pre square meter. It will also come down to materials, location, size etc. You might be able to build a nice wood cabin/prefab for way less; I have seen some around 700 euros per square meter. Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional in this field, just my 2 cents from my experience. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 I have found builders are usually very close with their bids. Material selection and location make for the biggest cost variation. Location because of local land cost, suitability of the site and availability of materials in the local area. You don't want to ship in a lot of stone from long distances. 1000 €/m2 (here) while possible, implies a rough stone finish, cheapest possible materials and only the minimum creature comfort level.
@@bipl8989 There are definitely a lot of things to look at and consider when it comes to building or renovating. I'm thinking of doing a quick video on this subject. One thing that I can say from my own experience is that aside from covid times, local suppliers rarely run out of main building materials. The key to anything is to plan ahead, create a good relationship with not only builders, handyman etc, but also the suppliers. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 Leroy Merlin does not stock many products here in the Canarias. Only the basic stuff that they sell all the time. If you want to make something look nice, upgrade something, it's at least a 3wk wait, often delayed.
Hi Guys! Question from Moncton. Is there any advantage at all for me to buy a 1/2 acre rustic lot? Will it help with eventual retiring there? Porta DelGada. Not to live on the land , but as a land owner. Advantage? Als, I understand you can have rustic or farm field and sit a minihome (on wheels_ or camper. =) for 90 days, but must be able to move in 30 minutes. Is that true. In Sau Miguel march 2025
Hi, and thanks for taking the time. We know people that are renting for 1 year and are already a resident. So the short answer is that in my opinion is that with land or no land, it's pretty much the same. I do think the sooner you get to be part of the economy by either paying taxes, owning something etc...it will really help and show your overall connection to the country. I hope this makes sense. Please keep in mind that I am not an expert in this area, just from my experience. Cheers!
You should always do an inspection, in the Azores or anywhere else. These are problems that can also be found in many places, I would say in most countries, including Azores, Portugal. The mold, insects or rodents are more common in older houses, this can be fixed very quickly. Nowadays you have insulation, AC/Heating etc etc. Great question! Take care!
He means that anything requiring rebuild, or remodelling is difficult. I would not do another serious rebuild. Mine took a few years. 2 to 3 times what it would take on the mainland. Not something I would even think about doing remotely. Constant attention is required. Especially to details.
@@bipl8989 I totally agree! I wound only attempted again if I had someone I can trust to do the work. I would also consider bringing a few construction friends if it was only simple renovations. I hope the labor problem improves! Appreciate you sharing! Cheers!
Portugal should ban all Canadians since the Canadian government bans all foreigners from purchasing a property in Canada. That would only be fair. Canadians shouldn't have the right to buy any real estate in Portugal or in Europe for that matter. Just stay in Canada please.
@Carolinapetroska Nor sure what you're trying to say or what it has to do with our channel. Foreigners can buy in either country, just have to follow rules and pay your taxes. The new rule is that you have to he in the country 2 years before purcgasing. By the way, I'm a Portuguese citizen!. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 You have to be in Portugal for at least 2 years before being able to purchase a property on the Azores? I guess you can prevent that 2 year rule by using investment companies? Mostly it's working like that. But nice to hear that they implemented the rule.. Even though I actually planned to buy a property there. Important to preserve that paradise as long as possible and not make it a new Hawaii.
@eimsbush05 You definitely do not have to be in Pirtugal for 2 years before buying property, you find even need yo be a permanent resident or citizen. You do need to meet other criteria such as a fiscal number, an address( either yours, someone you know(a sponsor, a bank account. This is pretty much it. If you want to know more, go to the government site. Cheers
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 Thanks for the info, gonna dig down a little bit deeper. I'm just at the beginning of my plans to leave Germany and Azores and Madeira are on top of my list. Your channel provides great info to get started - thanks for that. You got a new subscriber for sure ;)
Very good information, thanks for sharing it with us... Have a great night!
@@SimpleIslandLivingAvenueAzores Glad you enjoyed it! Enjoy the evening! Saude!
Hi Carlos… well done very informative… my biggest concern and I am so so glad you mentioned it… is to take care of our Islands… we don’t want them to turn into Hawaii… I was so disappointed when learning Terceira has a McDonald’s… sure hope it doesn’t come to Faial. I was born on Faial and it is so dear to my heart … I have seen changes I don’t like… especially when it comes to nature … I won’t get into it… anyway take care great video… good information.😊
Thank you for the kind words. We really don't need these big fast food chains. agree! What I learned is that sometimes they come with a a large grocery store, it's part of the partnership. We have Burger King on Pico, inside the Continent store. Most people still go to the restaurants! We will only consider doing a project or business if care is priority. We have designed and are working on a small tourism project with care being the main reason we chose to do it in a certain way, we will be doing a video on this in the near future. Nature has to be in the forefront of everything done on these islands, this is the only way to protect them. Take good care! Cheers!
Terceria Island also has Subway.
I'm sure the Food is Far better made then in Canada and America
Pico island has a Burger King.
Hi, My wife and I love your videos and appreciate them. Very informative and down to earth. We are looking into retiring to the Azores and have been doing a lot of research, and your videos are very helpful to us, Thank You so much! Dave and Robin Jones
That means a lot to us, this is why we enjoy doing these videos. Glad you are choosing Azores. Stay in touch. Cheers!
Thank You. Do you happen to know the current tax situation moving to Azores with U.S. social security income will be? With the nhr being canceled or changed to exempt pensions, we are getting conflicting info about it's effect on U.S. income. Do you have a source for current information on this? Thanks so much, Dave
@@SmokyRobin This is something we know very little about, especially when it comes with a US citizen. We would share it if we did. The best and probably most accurate would be a tax expert. I will try and find a good contact for you. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 Thank You!
Really enjoyed this video 👍very informative!
We’re still looking for the right house for us.
@@JK-zl6rx I'm sure you will know it when you see it. Take care!
Thanks for the info! What is the best real estate website that you could recommend for the islands??
Thank you for watching. I thought I had added to the description of this video. Feel free to check it out, there are 5 different websites. Take care!
We have watched your channel for over three years and enjoy it very much and find it very informative. I’m sure you usually get a lot of questions about buying a home on Pico. In our case we need guidance in selling a family home on Pico.
We have no idea what the process is or what is involved. While in Pico this summer I spoke to family and friends but got conflicting information. While watching your episode on Sunday I thought you might be kind enough to give us some guidance.
You and Laura love the island and we totally understand why.
My sisters and I visit Pico regularly.
Our lives are here in Canada and we need to sell our family home.
My parents retired to Pico about 40 years ago. At that time they totally renovated the house. The house needs to be update but is very livable.
What can we expect or what steps do we take when selling a family home?
What kind of taxes and real estate fee should we be expecting to pay. Does Portugal have MLS listings.
Hoping to hear from you.
I thought I had answered this comment, sorry. We are not professionals in this field, you will need a good notary and real estate agent to answer your questions. There is a lot of important information when it comes to this, best to get it form the best source. We only share our experience, and every one has a different situation than ours and yours. Send me an email if you want the contacts we used. Take care! soarescarlos64@gmail.com
Miss the Azores, hope to someday return. We owned a home on Terceira in Lajes near Praia da Vitoria in the 80's overlooking the ocean, it was wonderful.
@JD-xo3xz That's a great area to have a house. Cheers
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 What do you recommend as the best time to visit?
@@JD-xo3xz We really enjoy September & October. It's away from high season, and still nice. Cheers
For those that want to visit the Azores for the first time, are there multi island tours out there for active individuals you'd recommend? Thanks for the video 😀
@jonathansargent6224 Yes; there are island hopping tours. This is what we specialize in. Feel free to send me an email, and I will send you links to a few videos we did on the subject. Thus will give you a good idea on multi island visits.
thetravelguys@picoislandexperts.com Take care!
Hi, Carlos,
How's The Government??
Hows The Banking System??
How's The Health Care??
There is good & bad on all 3. I always say there is no perfection in the system, lots of room for improvement. I also say that most of the other 200 countries around the world are worst. Take care!
I still love the idea of renovating one of the ruins on Pico island as a retirement project. There is at least one right in Lajes Do Pico. Free anger management included.
@@annahopp Those are very rewarding projects. There are quite a few in the market. Cheers
Hi Carlos, do you know what the current cost is to build average quality and above average (but not luxurious) that is new construction per square meter? I've looked up on idealista for the homes currently for sale. There doesn't seem as a whole any logic to the home's prices for sale. They are all over the place. It seems like people put their house for sale for top dollar hoping for a bite. That's my take.
I am in the Canarias, not Azores. I have the idea that the Azores may be quite remote. I am at my limit here waiting for at least one month for many things to be delivered from the mainland. Some places on mainland Portugal can be very remote as well. A good grocery store might easily be 25 miles away. Back roads are not fast, so it might take you half a day to go shopping. And actually there are not a lot of choices. Portugal does not have much competition in general. Think about that seriously. Island fever may be a problem there. The weather may also be not very great. Winter low temps may not be comfortable and it seems to rain quite a lot, at least in comparison to Canarias. There may be quite a lot of variation form the north side to the south side of the island. Study these things carefully.
I will say making an estimate of current building costs is difficult. Prices of building materials has gone nuts. Everything has doubled, and some things are 3x more expensive as 5yrs ago. It may be worse out in the Atlantic where everything has to be shipped in. Plus labor is difficult to find. I have had to wait a year for a contractor to fit my work into his schedule.
In the Canaries ...
Normal construction might be 1,000 to 2,000€/m2
Higher quality might be up to 3,000 €/m2
Small kitchen update to latest style is 10k €.
A bathroom remodel about 5k.
Best to go in with a conservatively high budget in order not to get caught out for lack of cash in the middle of the job.
Supervision of work is essential. Do it yourself, if you can, or find a local trustworthy architect or engineer to do it, or help you.
I also doubt that you could find anything move-in ready for less than 200,000 unless it is a lower quality, or very small apartment/condo/flat.
I'd say 250-300,000 could work.
350-400k and above for an independent house that may still need remodelling work.
A lot of properties tend to have original interiors that are 50yrs outdated... but at least authentic.
Here (Canarias) any independent house lower than 200,000 will need a lot of work, 100,000 +, or it will be likely to remain an eyesore.
Getting permission to build or remodel exteriors could also be a challenge. Not sure about Azores, but in Canarias it can be a real PIA. Sometimes not difficult, but sometimes not possible at all.
The cost of new build varies, it depends on the builder, day of the week etc. My guess would be that the average traditional build cost falls between 1000 to 1200 euros pre square meter. It will also come down to materials, location, size etc. You might be able to build a nice wood cabin/prefab for way less; I have seen some around 700 euros per square meter. Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional in this field, just my 2 cents from my experience. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 I have found builders are usually very close with their bids. Material selection and location make for the biggest cost variation. Location because of local land cost, suitability of the site and availability of materials in the local area. You don't want to ship in a lot of stone from long distances.
1000 €/m2 (here) while possible, implies a rough stone finish, cheapest possible materials and only the minimum creature comfort level.
@@bipl8989 There are definitely a lot of things to look at and consider when it comes to building or renovating. I'm thinking of doing a quick video on this subject. One thing that I can say from my own experience is that aside from covid times, local suppliers rarely run out of main building materials. The key to anything is to plan ahead, create a good relationship with not only builders, handyman etc, but also the suppliers. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 Leroy Merlin does not stock many products here in the Canarias. Only the basic stuff that they sell all the time. If you want to make something look nice, upgrade something, it's at least a 3wk wait, often delayed.
Hi Guys! Question from Moncton. Is there any advantage at all for me to buy a 1/2 acre rustic lot? Will it help with eventual retiring there? Porta DelGada. Not to live on the land , but as a land owner. Advantage? Als, I understand you can have rustic or farm field and sit a minihome (on wheels_ or camper. =) for 90 days, but must be able to move in 30 minutes. Is that true. In Sau Miguel march 2025
Hi, and thanks for taking the time. We know people that are renting for 1 year and are already a resident. So the short answer is that in my opinion is that with land or no land, it's pretty much the same. I do think the sooner you get to be part of the economy by either paying taxes, owning something etc...it will really help and show your overall connection to the country. I hope this makes sense. Please keep in mind that I am not an expert in this area, just from my experience. Cheers!
Are there any common issues with Azorean properties that homeowners should look out for? For example: mold, insects, rodents, etc.
You should always do an inspection, in the Azores or anywhere else. These are problems that can also be found in many places, I would say in most countries, including Azores, Portugal. The mold, insects or rodents are more common in older houses, this can be fixed very quickly. Nowadays you have insulation, AC/Heating etc etc. Great question! Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 the question was common issues with the azores properties not about most countries .
@@tonybarradas3673 Including the Azores! Stand by my answer. Cheers
Leave it for the people. 90% of the new ppl there don't have a clue on what's it's about.
Not really sure what you mean, but appreciate you taking the time. Take care!
He means that anything requiring rebuild, or remodelling is difficult. I would not do another serious rebuild. Mine took a few years. 2 to 3 times what it would take on the mainland. Not something I would even think about doing remotely. Constant attention is required. Especially to details.
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552too many brain dead loud tourists
@@bipl8989 I totally agree! I wound only attempted again if I had someone I can trust to do the work. I would also consider bringing a few construction friends if it was only simple renovations. I hope the labor problem improves! Appreciate you sharing! Cheers!
Portugal should ban all Canadians since the Canadian government bans all foreigners from purchasing a property in Canada. That would only be fair. Canadians shouldn't have the right to buy any real estate in Portugal or in Europe for that matter. Just stay in Canada please.
@Carolinapetroska Nor sure what you're trying to say or what it has to do with our channel. Foreigners can buy in either country, just have to follow rules and pay your taxes. The new rule is that you have to he in the country 2 years before purcgasing. By the way, I'm a Portuguese citizen!. Take care!
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 You have to be in Portugal for at least 2 years before being able to purchase a property on the Azores? I guess you can prevent that 2 year rule by using investment companies? Mostly it's working like that. But nice to hear that they implemented the rule.. Even though I actually planned to buy a property there. Important to preserve that paradise as long as possible and not make it a new Hawaii.
@eimsbush05 You definitely do not have to be in Pirtugal for 2 years before buying property, you find even need yo be a permanent resident or citizen. You do need to meet other criteria such as a fiscal number, an address( either yours, someone you know(a sponsor, a bank account. This is pretty much it. If you want to know more, go to the government site. Cheers
@@ourjourneyonpicoisland-car552 Thanks for the info, gonna dig down a little bit deeper. I'm just at the beginning of my plans to leave Germany and Azores and Madeira are on top of my list. Your channel provides great info to get started - thanks for that. You got a new subscriber for sure ;)
@eimsbush05 Our life's work is always in progress. All we can do is continue to work at our own pace. It will happen for you! Cheers