What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Tomar

Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.

Three things I wish I had brought were my CDs,all my clothes and my flat screen TV.

Three things I wish I had left behind are:

tent
business briefcase
bicycle

What advice would you give someone preparing to move to your area about the actual move, choosing a neighborhood and finding a home?

Rent a small property first do not buy as there are too many hurdles to cover without knowing the Portuguses system. There are also at present unscrupulous estate agencies and unless you know who they are you could be on a hiding to nothing.

What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?

We decided to wait before jumping in and buying and watched the buying behaviours, issues other expats had, studied the market, visited houses extensively.

At present we have decided not too buy due to the exchange rate issues.

How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?

We travelled extensively around Portugal, and although we wanted to live in the far north it was too cold in winter so we travelled further south and loved Tomar with its peaceful atmosphere, good connections, good shopping for my wife, good facilities and excellent access.

We lived close by for 3 years.

Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?

Costs are generally lower In Portugal and but prices are static at present.