Graham and Ruth Denby made the move from Huddersfield to Portugal. Graham describes here how they set up their new home in Gomes Aires, part of the municipality of Almodovar

WE – being Graham and Ruth – had given a great deal of thought to moving somewhere warmer, cheaper and with a healthier lifestyle.

Portugal fitted the bill after we did extensive research on holidays, particularly in local bars and restaurants!

Returning from a week’s riding holiday in the Alentejo, the rural area above the Algarve, we declared we now had a rescue horse Rooni, a young puppy, Bom (meaning good in Portuguese), an option on a fantastic parcel of land, a solicitor and local contacts including builders.

No pressure there then!

This was in October, 2004, and in December we returned to view and review the situations and options.

We had booked into a small local motel where you had to knock on the doors of adjoining houses to find the manager to let you in (and, on leaving a similar operation to find someone to pay!).

Car hire is essential as there seem to be many bus stops but few buses.

A visit to the land was carried out the next day and it was found to be spectacular and beautiful. The area is a Portuguese eco-reserve (that’s like an eco-warrior who can’t get in the first team).

It means building for living in can only be done where there has been one previously and this has to be registered on the cartenata (deeds/land plan).

The plot under consideration, Alcaria Alta, had one such and also there was an option of an area in the old monte (farmhouse) at the top, which Ruth enthusiastically declared would easily convert to temporary accommodation until the new place was built.

This proved to be impractical as stargazing is great in the Alentejo, due to nil light pollution, but not through the roof. Plus the chickens had been given first option of occupation.

After due consideration the green light was given to the project and the solicitor – a necessity to have one out here, and a good one at that – retained and instructed to sort through the tangle of ownership and to secure the purchase.

The rest of the week was a blur of Ruth pinching ideas for construction, layout and materials from all over and more digital snaps taken than the paparazzi manage in a month.

Contacts were made as there are some ex-pats out here (mostly southerners, but OK) and in particular a good, registered, freelance translator for the official documents which would need to be signed.

It was then back home to the cold and wet.

The weather during the visit had done its best to impress; it was lovely.

Another sortie was made as documents were ready and money had to change hands, a bad time for any Yorkshireman.

This done, there were topographical surveys to be done for the architect and, obviously, plans prepared for presentation and approval, before prices being obtained for building.

The plan was to have a two-storey casa (house) built, possible only because we were digging into the hillside, with an access track, and fenced paddocks for the horses (yes, Rooni was not to be an only child).

There was also a borehole to be dug for water, electricity to be brought in and dozens of other considerations. We sorted a 12-month let on a town flat in Ourique and set off back to the UK to sell up.

As things moved along Ruth got a job at an international school and set off gleefully, bags packed to oversee, well everything.

I was left to serve notice at work and spend a lonely time with pals watching Town, saying goodbye in many pubs and having farewell curries, Chinese meals and fish and chips

Well, it’s a dirty job but someone had to do it.

Finally the house was sold, everything put in storage and the overland trek was made in a second-hand pick-up new to us.

In all, just over 12 months was spent in the rented flat, during which time Ruth bedded in at her new school and I progressed the planning approval, quotations and building of the new place.

We moved into it in July, 2006.

The work on improvements is still going on and shows few signs of stopping. But slowing down, ah yes.

It has been such a rewarding life change and worth all the effort.

Horses and Bom are doing fine.

If you would like a relaxing break here contact us via email at Alcaria.alta@gmail.com

We would love to hear from you.

Graham begins a series on their new life in Portugal on this page next week.