½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

@incassa

Hello Peter,

I have a recommendation for you. His name is Hélder and he does home remodeling. He is nearly finished with remodeling two bathrooms for me. I have also seen an apartment he fully remodeled in Porto.

He was recommended from my realtor Emerald. He does great work and is reasonably priced. If you’d like to get in touch with him, I can either pass on your number to Emerald or can provide her number to you. He does not speak English.

Take care,

Jason

Thanks Jason,

Do you speak Portuguese if not how have you dealt with the language barrier as this would be an issue for us?

I do not speak Portuguese. I plan to take classes when I move to Portugal permanently.

I have not had too much difficulty so far when I’ve been Portugal.

Hello incassaH,

Welcome to ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

I invite you to check the list of housing & building contractors in Portugal from the Portugal business directory.

Cheers,

Cheryl

½ûÂþÌìÌà team

Hi Peter

we have just renovated but our builder would not work in your area as it would be too far, but some advice that may help

1. download google translate as it helps tremendously to get the details across
2. if you’re on Facebook, check to see if there is a local community page, as you can then reach out to that community for recommendations, advice and information!
3. 
   

our local community page has been a great source to find recommendations and suggestions, and I really appreciate it.

Good luck Grainne

Hi Peter,  Local builders tend not to internet based but work and live in their area which means the best way to get in contact is to physically be in the area and ask around, construction suppliers often know all the builders and/or stop at any nearby house where building is taking place and ask. Different builders obviously specialise in different trades but know each other locally. Also when you say "renovation" it will need to be carefully defined what you require as some works on some houses will need to be "registered" and given permission as a project by the building department of the council. All builders need to be registered and major works (usually on newer buildings) need to be added to the buildings paperwork and comply with the latest regulations. Also different places interpret the rules differently which may be why a local builder may not wish to work away from they area.  I have also noticed some are a bit weary of being asked about work (by non-locals or non-Portuguese ) then spending time/effort looking at the site and working out prices and materials only to be told the plans have changed or they are not needed and so not being paid for time/effort  ie the UK practice of getting quotes from several builders for the same bit of work.

Hi Peter,

You also have here this information of home renovation english speaking businesses in the algarve:

You shoul prefer business references from other expats. Remember that the more oriented these businesses are to expats, the more expensive they are....

@Jrenda hi do you mind passing his number to me tx darren

Hi all,

we thank you all so far for your suggestions and tips on finding builders to renovate our house.

Hi all,

I've note the forum topic and just wanted to present myself.

My name is Elian and by trade I am construction project manager.My experience is mostly based in London/uk where I have been project manager for 5 years and also director of construction company for another 5 years till I've decided to relocate in Portugal. I live around Coimbra but I pretty flexible when it comes to relocation.

If I can be of any help, let me know and we can discuss more details.

All the best,

Elian,

Hi Elian,

You can register your business contacts in these business directories:

/en/business/europ … ntractors/

It might be worth checking local expat groups or asking neighbors for recommendations – word of mouth often works wonders.

It might be worth checking local expat groups or asking neighbors for recommendations – word of mouth often works wonders.

I've recently come across some innovative solutions like metal joists. These modern joists combine lightweight timber with sturdy metal webs, allowing for longer spans and easier handling on-site. They've made a real difference in the building process for me.