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The Bendy Barn Portugal
Portugal
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 9 ธ.ค. 2024
We are Lauren & John, join us on our adventure as accidental farmers where we will attempt to renovate our 150 year old Quinta in the Portuguese mountains. The Bendy Barn is a Mind Yersel' project - check our story from the last 4 years out on Facebook! Our ethos is accessibility. We hope to break physical and financial barriers to those who are normally excluded from accessing mental health support and experiencing life in the mountains. Your support is truly appreciated and we look forward to you joining our journey. Above all, remember to always Mind Yersel'.
We maxed our budget buying a 22 acre farm in Portugal - Did we pay too much?
Find out how much we paid for our paradise in Portugal within the Serra Da Estrela Natural Parque. There are 22 acres, mountain spring off-grid water supply to our taps, a river with several waterfalls plus an abundance of fresh produce. On top of all that we have not only one, but two houses for renovation. Our 150 year old stone building is incredible but it does need a lot of work! Join us as we offer OUR 5 Non-Negotioables when buying property abroad.
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We bought a farm in Portugal - 22 acres! Land Tour Part 1
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Join us as we give you a tour of our land in the Serra Da Estrela Natural Parque in Central Portugal. We have 22 acres in total, in this video we introduce you to the bottom half. These videos are part of our project to renovate & restore the 150 year old farmhouse. We hope you enjoy and would love to hear your feedback in the comments. Lauren & John.
Our new stone home in Portugal
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Welcome to The Bendy Barn! We're delighted to share our first video from the Portuguese mountains where we introduce you to our 150 year old traditional Portuguese farmhouse that we're going to renovate.
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Amazing 🤩 big respect for you and I wish you the best ! God bless you guys 🙏🫡
Omg it's amazing, I think you bought well ❤
And you think you're gonna live forever??? 😅😂
Hey neighbors I bought river land near Silvares south of you near Fundao. I am excited to watch your process. I arrive this year to begin my journey. Check out my channel. Thanx for taking the time to document. Scotland? What made you move to Portugal? Cheers. Gina in Upstate New York USA moving to Portugal in 2025...
Enjoy every moment. you sound a lovely couple . Hope you have great times Dave
As a non native english speaker you guys are hard to understand I would suggest letting image/video speak more and at least walk around and show something when talking-
Seems like a very good price but I'm not inside the value of property in rural Portugal. In Lisbon area near the beach, in 2015 my mom sold a two bedroom apartment with a "box" garage for 100k, what a bad deal, even for that time, now the price is almost 4 times that.
I am exactly just like you: i did the opposite road, I left the big city - Lisboa- and chose to live in a small village in alentejo. It's very difficult to explain to the majority of people that this is what I always wanted. I don't want malls, crowds, traffic, night life, etc. Having a house - a house, not an apartment! - with a fireplace, a big garden, a swimming pool, a big storage and plenty of fruit trees makes me feel privileged and rich. There are of course disadvantages, but I wouldn't trade this for any Lisbon or Oporto. Good luck to your life, and feel free to change your mind❤
Unless you are a millionaire or won the lottery, how do you finance the normal living expense and maintenance costs? Do you have a job?
@tommyjames789 yes, i am a teacher. There are several jobs that allow you to choose the place where you want to live. It just so happens that the rural life is not attractive to the majority of people, these days. Meaning no disrespect, of course. My grandmother was a die-hard city person and J am a die-hard nature lover 😀
@@tommyjames789 I am a teacher, and the doctor who lives in the village came from são Paulo, Brasil.
It’s a great price. Looks like an amazing property. Lots of work to keep you both busy! ❤
Thanks for sharing your experience and things you learned. Continued success on your beautiful farm!
Welcome to Portugal!
You are Scottish I am Portuguese and live in London enjoy guys❤❤❤
Amazing property, you can get more views if you can reduce talking and face showing and show more clips of outdoor area.
Yes at times they have diarrhea of the mouth. Too much gibberish.
Your property is beautiful! You did good. Love the river, waterfalls, and the fruit and nut trees. All the best of luck as you continue to make progress around the place.
Your property is beautiful! You did good. Love the river, waterfalls, and the fruit and nut trees. All the best of luck as you continue to make progress around the place.
Feckin bargain. Get a tractor. Goats are great for clearing brambles and for barbecuing.
Despite Portugal's positives safety, healthcare and climate many UK expats are leaving due to unmet expectations and negative attitudes. Their reality didn't align with their dreams, leading to disappointment. While financial benefits and opportunities draw expats to Portugal, the report found many do not plan ahead so need to be careful before the benefits run out. They may also struggle with language barriers, work culture differences, and visa restrictions, which can make it hard to settle down and establish themselves. The banking and tax system is very different. Maintaining a positive attitude, even in difficult situations, can help you navigate the challenges of expat life and make the most of your experience. See the small things, want to be in Portugal - and see it for what it is, not what you want it to be. You have your work cut out for you? Do you have the fortitude to carry on and succeed?
Having this farm is like having an Albatross Around Your Neck, an inescapable burden for sure. Good Luck, you are going to need it.
hey i come in the 111 comment :D just one question , did you consider other places in central portugal for your home steady? maybe you can share some town names etc? what happened on fires of 2022 in your area, is it safe to live in central portugal consdering the fires? thanks!
@@GianniVeroni Hello 111! 🤣😊 Thank you for watching! These are excellent questions. May I add them to our upcoming Q&A video? It would be amazing for the full audience to get the answers. Let me know! 😊❤️
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 thank you :D
@GiannisVeronis you're super welcome! Turn on notifications to get updates on the new videos 😊❤️
Strongly, I believe that you did such a marvelous job in searching, due diligence and buying the right property. Not everyone can do the same as you did. You used your wisdom and logic. Congratulations and wish you the best.
@@abduharbi7996 Thank you for watching! Due diligence really is key 😊👌
what website did you use to find your property
@@sabrina290708 Hey, thank you for watching! Our property was listed on Era which is Right move Portugal 😊
Just live this scotugese 😅😅 good luck in all you do looking forward to the next video ❤
@@teegar7252 Thank you for watching! Scotuguese is brilliant, I have to agree. Well done John! 😂 If you click the notification it will let you know when next video up. Tuesday around 8 is the plan 🙏😊
Amazing ❤ finally got a chance to sit down and watch these and I am hooked! That view was amazing and the wee corners of surprises is even better! X
@@liannelynch1744 Thank you!! It really is incredible. LOVING that everyone is getting to see it in all it's glory ❤️🙏
As a Portuguese born , and now a Canadian living in Canada , saddens me to see so many of these old farms just being abandoned , thank God for brave people like yourselves that are bringing these "Old Beauties " back to life , as for myself, a farm that size would overwhelm me , as I was born in Lisbon and I am a city girl. God bless you both and best of Luck .
Thank you for watching! How wonderful, I've always wanted to visit Canada. John too! We are doing our very best and will continue to do so as long as we are able. The farm is my favourite place in the world. We will explain more about how we manage the farm over forthcoming videos. Your luck and support is much appreciated! Igualmente, muito obrigaga.
Where in Canada?
I hate to prove you wrong but as your age, the zest for living and maintaining a farm diminishes. Age is not a barrier to working, but physical and cognitive abilities can change with age. Just the stress alone to keep the farm ship shape will be very taxing. From an outsider looking inward, I feel that you were too ambitious starting this venture at your age without farm skills and experience. I hope your dream comes true, you are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream. Please accept this as constructive criticism. Good luck in your daring journey, you'll need it.
Hello Dougie, firstly thank you for watching and engaging by commenting. Secondly, for making us laugh. I'm not certain what age you think John or I actually are but it is not something that concerns us at present, thank you for your concern though. It has been 3 years since we bought the farm and I can honestly say the maintenance has caused no stress. There have been other stressful situations, me breaking my back as an example , but one of the reasons we bought the farm was because of it's set up and the maintenance being manageable, we were very thorough in our research and ultimately decision making. I wonder if you could answer me this though, you state you hate to prove us wrong, to the best of my knowledge proof requires evidence - what evidence do you have the we have made a wrong decision? It is quite a strong suggestion and whilst I value your opinion, it is simply that, just an opinion. You also state that a person is never too old to set another dream, why would we when ours is in action and succeeding? 55 people have come to ease their mental health. So far, all for free. That is literally our dream. It seems a little contradictory to say our dream is not doable because of our age, but choose another. I hope you accept this as constructive criticism of your comment. I thank you very much for you good luck wishes and I wish you the same. I hope you are not putting off dreams for fear of failing. We certainly chose not to. I hope you continue to follow our journey and realise we are younger than you think! Haha. Mind Yersel'.
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 55 people have come to ease their mental health? Are you trained psychologists or psychiatrists?
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22keep this positive spirit. It’s what everyone needs.
@@abduharbi7996 we agree!! ❤️😊
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 You look very young but John looks like he is 83.
A lot of work bought
@@annmwende432 Thank you for the guess haha, but we can't give away in the comments! Not close though 😜
@@annmwende432 Yes, and a lot of joy along the way 😊 Thank you for watching!
No land should be sold to anyone who is not Portuguese.. go fix Ireland or Scotland...every grain of sand belongs to Portuguese. Period..
@@yodaz101 I'm sorry you feel that way. We have been truly welcomed by our Portuguese neighbours and have made true friends over the last 3 years. We continue to learn the language, culture and history. We value this country as much as our own. We are here to continue the traditions that will otherwise be left behind as more and more farms are abandoned. This creates more and more risk of fires.. Earth belongs to us all. We all have a responsibility to care. Sending you best wishes 🙏
Nice property 🍊🍒🍋🍎🍏The price is good but you'll likely need to spend another 75K to make it perfect. You didn't mention location: if not too far from good services such as shops, street market, cafe, restaurant, bank, post office etc. then you've got the bull's eye. If access to main roads & motorway & airport is also good, then you've hit the jackpot! The only problem is it's size: too big, 22 acres is 90,000 sq meters or 9 hectares. You'll be spending the rest of your life in endless maintenance. You'd better buy a tractor as paying a "man & tractor" will cost a fortune. If you get a flock of sheep, they'll keep the vegetation trimmed. Goats are not so good as they chew the tree bark and the trees would die. Note: All streams or rivers are public property (not yours even when fully on your property), but there may be an ancient right to dam it and use the water. Make sure you don't fall foul of the law. Also check with your local Camara Municipal if there are any grants for small farms. Every municipality has a duty to help start-ups and you may be able to acess EU grants for your projects, even if its just to renovate the orchard & buy sheep. There's also a subsidy for any olive oil you produce, the paperwork is done by the olive press. And another subsidy for sheep. Good luck!
Thank you for watching! Your information is appreciated 😊 We are in the Serra Da Estrela natural parque, within the Guarda region. We have very good access to shops etc and we are within walking distance of a local village with a Farmacia, 2 small shops, ATM and believe it or not 4 cafes. The drive from Porto is great and public transport to the city is also excellent as so cheap. Actually, the farm has been set up exceptionally well and the maintenance is not what you might imagine. We will discuss that in later videos. A tractor may be on our long term plans but for now we hire a local with a tractor and he is 40e per hour and it's done much quicker than we expected. The orchards etc do require pruning as they were untouched for 2 years when we bought but we are making our way steadily through that. We hire the help of locals as and when but also do a lot ourselves. We understand there is a significant investment required to renovate but even if we spend our life doing that, it would still be a bargain to us. Live stock in the future are part of our plans, definitely not goats haha as they're a bit too mischievous but we would love donkeys. Our farm is registered with ADAG and we do receive a subsidy depending on how much of the farm is being used each year, but this is excellent advice if we weren't aware of it so thank you! I am researching regarding other grants in relation to renovation. Because we own both sides of the river we have a license to use the water, but yes all overflow goes back in and carries on to the public accessed parts. I'm glad you took the time to explain in detail as I'm certain these are things we may have missed and so might others! Local knowledge is invaluable 😊
You are planning to have an elevator in the house? Is possible of course. Anything is possible. But probably easier, to build something like a ramp, outside with an entrance into the top floor. Maybe straight from the road or the street even.
@@petervermeer.4904 It would be our first choice if possible, but unfortunately it's not from the outside (it's too high meaning the ramp would be extraordinarily long). Nothing on the inside is set in stone of course and at this stage it's just floating ideas but yes, a lift designed for homes would be our first choice and long term goal. Thank you for watching and your suggestion! We appreciate them a lot! 😊
Now the financial fun starts. The easy part was the initial purchase, the hardest part is the cost of renovations and upkeep for years to come which will be never ending. You will probably never own the farm.
@@tommyjames789 I guess we view the world very differently, and that's ok 😊 We own the farm in as much as a person can own a piece of the earth. We've been here for 3 years and have never been happier, our fun is found in happiness! There is a lot of work ahead of course (we've done a huge amount already) and the work will continue, but so will the fun and happiness 😊 Thank you for watching!
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 The largest contributors to housing costs are consistently non-mortgage ongoing costs, which collectively are about half of total purchase costs over the ownership period. Indeed, the largest expenses are utilities, property taxes, home insurance, and home improvement expenses. Homes can be wonderful investments that bring years of joy for both of you, but they can also bring on added stress. Plan carefully and make sound judgement decisions that your finances can withstand the real cost of homeownership especially in a foreign land.
Lovely clear thoughtful video. Love the inspiration you have and give. Love your gratitude for life. Long may you enjoy abundant harvests. Look after yersels.
Thank you for watching Tom. That is really kind, we are trying our best to 😀 We hope you continue to follow our journey! 🙂
Great property, thanks for sharing. Just curious, what do you plan to do for income whilst living in Portugal? You mentioned you'd spent everything on the property (which is great btw), but do you still need to earn to pay ongoing expenses? Thanks
Thank you for watching! May I add your question to our upcoming Q&A video? It would be great if we could answer so the full audience get the reply? It's a very important issue so thank you for raising it! Let us know 🙂
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 Yes of course. I feel like many people looking to do something similar to you will worry about income, so it would be an interesting topic to discuss. I'm not sure if you've also covered this, but do you have any property related experience / building experience? Are you planning on renovating yourself or getting pros to help?
@bamboozle999 This question, also great btw, will be answered in the video! Keep them coming 😊
Lot of work there. We farmed 800 olive trees in Crete, gave it up finally when I reached 64. Loved it. Now in Ireland, where we did up a house empty for 12 years. Wish you all the joy of it. xxx
@@olivefarmer3491 Wow! Sounds amazing. Thank you for watching 😊
I guess the TH-cam algorithm has brought me here, based on my search history! I have experience in fruit farming and I'm looking for a medium sized property, 50 acres or so, in Portugal! I'd also like a large reservoir, I'd like to run a campsite with fishing! The business doesn't need to generate any money as I'm financially secure, it would be more of a hobby! I will follow you with interest!
Thank you for watching! Your project sounds great! It is a country full of many spectacular lands so no doubt you will find what you need. Good luck and keep us up to date with your progress! 😁
Campsites are heavily regulated in Portugal, so make sure you understand the minimum requirements to get a license and do your search with regulations in mind. The best way to go about it is to contact each local Camara(s) of the area(s) you are interested. In rural areas of the interior the Camaras are very keen to attract new start-ups and there are certain EU grants for development you may be able to access. TIP: Check the map of the basin of the river ZEZERE, good fishing with annual competitions. I think the Camaras of VILA DE REI and FEREIRA DO ZEZERE would be interested and could help & direct you. There's no other campsites nearby. Good luck!
Congratulations, you have purchased a wonderful property for a bargain... Now we just have to wait and see the transformation happen when the restoration of the farm begins.. Welcome to Portugal. A country full of opportunities.😉✌️🍀
Thank you so much, that is really kind! Yes, we love it here and have been welcomed greatly 😁
22 acres almost 9 hectares, thats a good price and deal for that money.
thank you for watching! We think so too! 😃
What did you do for a visa?
We have a D7 visa, we will discuss more about our experience of this on our future Q&A video. Thank you for asking a very important question, I hope you continue to follow our journey to find out more! 😊
I envy you this purchase and wish you joy of living on this farm.
Thank you for watching! There will be opportunities to visit in the future so you might get to spend a little time here, you never know. Your kind wishes are appreciated! 🙂
I think you got it for a good price, and I agree with you that you got yourself a wonderful property.
Thank you for watching! It really is, We hope you continue to follow our journey 😁
ps... if u ever see a lovely little cottage for sale in village or rural, please do let me know. I also have been looking for years . my budget is very smalll, but i love the land so much, and I too want to grow fruit trees, and have honey bees 🙂
There are never a shortage of properties, we may show some in the future. No matter your budget there seems to be something here to meet all needs. Good luck and keep us up to date! 😁
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 Thanx a million for reply. i keep looking on idealista,, can never seem to find close to what i need.. but yes i will defo keep looking 🙂
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 Thankyou! I will do! 🙂
ack its lovely. So happy for yous. lots of luck
@@peaceforchildren4303 Thank you so much!! Really appreciated ❤️😊
@@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 youre welcome 🙂
That's Amazing! Like you said 'worth' is different to value. And what you guys are doing with that beautiful place is definitely worth it. Well done both of you! Keep living that dream & minding yersels💕
@@Deborah-r4f Thank you for watching! Ah, it really fills my heart when people just get the project. Big love ❤️🙏
I've only recently started looking in Portugal and I was expecting you to say at least €120k
@@darrenj3267 Yeah, the market has changed quite a bit!! Thank you for watching 🙏
@TheBendyBarnPortugal-22 you may have covered it in another video but may I ask what type of visa you have?
@@darrenj3267 of course, we have a D7 😊 We will cover a bit about our experience on a Q&A video coming in around 3 weeks 😊
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@@LurdesGomes-mv8us 🙏❤️
first time watching, enjoyed it a lot, as for the price you got a great buy you could have got something cheaper but i dont think it would have come close to ticking all the boxes, well done and good luck to you both
@@seanwhite7189 Thank you so much for watching and your comment! We really appreciate it. We also agree! We've 2 other videos that let you see the land in more detail, check them out if interest you! 😊🙏
great vid,will be watching,good look.
@@shanebrownrigg8632 Thank you so much, delighted to have you here! 🙏😊
You have a gold mine! I love it and can't wait to see more!
@@libbylong9059 Thank you for watching! So glad you enjoyed! Every Tuesday evening is our aim 😊🙏
Ok heres the number one question in my home and its probably manys query. I s there a means test of your finances to wether or not the Portuguese authorities allow you to live in Portugal? Im reading theres a certain amount of financial security you must be either earning or have stacked away in your bank before they'll concider giving you a residency permit. What were your circumstances and how long was the process?
@@dieselmum1 Thank you for watching and I love these questions, they're really important. The options available have changed a lot since we applied for our visa, so we will share our experience based on requirements at that time in outr future Q&A video coming soon. I will include these questions from you to be answered if that's ok? 😊
You got an absolute bargain there!
Thank you so much for watching! We agree ☺
I’m here for your beautiful Scottish accents and the music. The bendy barn and land development is just a bonus and I look forward to watching 😊
@@gailh3048 Thank you so much for joining us and that is SO kind. We're delighted to have you ❤️🙏