Guest of the Week: Anna and Jan Nordfors, settlers in Portugal

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Anna and Jan Nordfors met in 2003 and not long afterwards they invested together in a farm in rural Portugal. At the time of purchase, the farm lacked exactly all the amenities of life, including a house, but that didn't stop Anna and Jan. They simply built a house themselves and in the meantime, for more than 6 years, lived in their caravan Tjosan.

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Today, Anna and Jan live in a charming little house on a hill, with a view for miles over the green and beautiful Alentejo countryside. Maybe someone remembers that we visited them during our long journey around Europe? We asked Anna and Jan about their fascinating story and the process of settling and building your own house in Portugal. If you want to follow their life on the sunny hill, read their blog. You see the river.

How did you decide to move to Portugal and build your own house?

Although Jan came down to Portugal before we met, we basically had the same reasons. It was about the long dark and cold months in Sweden. So the climate was the big attraction. Anna went down mainly to meet Jan. We had met, via a contact page, in Malmö in the spring of 2003. Jan was already living in Portugal at the time. He was looking for a life partner and Anna succumbed to the temptation and moved down.

How do you find a hill in Portugal to build a house on and what are the laws and regulations regarding house building?

It was not possible for us to find a house with a lot of land in the Algarve. So Anna looked online for properties north of the Algarve in the Alentejo region. There, prices were low and land was plentiful. Anna found a ruin with 9.5 hectares of land, which was impossible to resist.

In those days, you could only build in the countryside if there was already a dwelling. The fact that the ruin was almost just a pile of earth didn't matter, as all the papers showed that it was indeed a former residence. At that time, building regulations were very restrictive, but we know that it is now easier to get building permits in rural areas.

Can you tell us a bit about the construction of the house? How much did you do yourself and what did you need help with?

The construction itself took about 4 years, which was a long time for such a small house (50 square metres). But we wanted/must do as much as possible ourselves. It was the economy that governed together with the desire to really get a house as we wanted it. For the heavy roof work we had help from craftsmen. They wanted to work all day and it was very tiring for Jan to be their handyman. When we built the house ourselves, there was never an 8-hour working day.

What were the main difficulties during construction? Did you have any mishaps?

It wasn't the muscle work that weighed most heavily. Instead, it was the necessary interaction with authorities, craftsmen, engineers and suppliers. Culture clashes constantly echoed across the beautiful landscape.

Your house is a bit remote. How do you get electricity, water and internet to the house?

Most people would probably say that we live in the middle of nowhere! The fact that we are far from other buildings is one of the advantages of our farm. We could not, with reasonable costs, be connected to the electricity grid. Therefore, we get all our electricity from our solar cells, which gives us an almost completely normal electrical life. We get water from a newly dug well and the internet is of course mobile.

What was it like to live in a caravan for so many years during construction?

In total, we spent 6.5 years in the caravan Tjosan, which was originally 25 years old. We can say that we really learnt how nature/climate affects the accommodation. Initially, the summer heat was probably the most difficult to handle. But we got more solar cells and were able to use fans that gave us more heat.
cooling at night.

We countered the winter's cold with a gas stove. But condensation and moisture damage required constant attention. There were many rent-free years, which meant we had money for the building. Sometimes you have to fight for your dreams!

What are the best and worst things about living as you do?

We think we live in the most beautiful landscape in Portugal. In summer and winter it gives us constant pleasure. Blooming lavender hills in warm winds while Sweden hunkers down in winter. The downside is that our road to the village is so bad. These days we no longer get stuck in the winter mud, but we plan our journeys carefully so as not to travel unnecessarily.

Finally, a question we ask everyone we interview: What is your dream destination?

We sometimes talk about travelling to Europe's beautiful cities. Florence, Rome, Vienna or Prague. Maybe we'll go there, but the road to the village will have to be easier to drive on first!

Thank you Anna and Jan Nordfors, for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

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