It looks like we are completing tomorrow, but I cannot get over to Cvo now until 26th May. It will be a fleeting visit, and mainly to sort out all the things that need to be bought and upgraded in the property. I could do with some help/recommendations on a few areas, and wondered if any of you would be able to assist.

1. Currently we have the biggest satellite dish in the world which we would like to remove. We would like to have UK Sky in the apartment. So - who should I talk to and any idea on what the costs would be on this.

2. The only gas requirement is for the gas cooker. As it is bottled, I would prefer to change this to an electric cooker. I therefore need an electrician to do this for me.

3. I would like to have air con/heating installed in the sitting room and one of the bedrooms. I have seen a post somewhere recommending someone, but I now (of course) can't find it!

4. In order to have the air con put in, I need to upgrade the electrics. I apparently have a mains 30 amp single phase supply which is considered sufficient. However, I only have 6 circuits which I have been told is bad So, in order to put the aircon I need to improve the electrics. Perhaps install additional circuits which will involve channelling through walls and floors. So, can anyone recommend an electrician.

5. As I will have electricians and aircon people chanelling through the walls, eventually i will need someone to come and replaster all the walls for me. (this is beginning to sound more complicated than I had hoped!) - so also looking for a plasterer.

6. I would like shutters to be installed. I think they need to be the louvre type and I would like to find someone who can quote me for these.

7. I also have a poor seal on the apex of my roof which needs additional sealing before winter.

8. I need to purchase some electrical goods i.e. fridge, cooker etc. Is there a good local supplier for this?

9. I also need a telephone line and broadband to be installed.

So - if anyone is able to help at all with recommendations I shall be most grateful.

Finally - if anyone is around on the 26th-29th May and fancies meeting up with us, let us know where and when!

Well to get UK Sky through a dish, you are going to need the biggest dish in the world, unfortunately! There are many suppliers for Sky about, you just need to purchase a box etc. I am sure someone can help with this. We brought our box from the UK and bought a big dish.

With regards to an electric cooker, don't you need 3 phase electricity or something similar to run it? I think I was told something along those lines and not all houses have it.

The only other thing I can say is that if you go to Algarve Shopping or somewhere similar you will find Worten and other electrical suppliers and a wide range of white goods.

Can't help much more (if that was of any help at all?).

S

Thanks for that, Summer. Our dish is big enough to seat 6 people around it quite comfortably were it a dining table. Is yours of a similar size?

You don't need three phase to run a domestic cooker but it does need an independant circuit. This may well be in place. As you will be having the electricians in for other jobs anyway, I'm sure they will advise. You might also like to consider solar panels

Hi fmm, yes the dishes are huge I am afraid, if not you don't get Sky...

I would recommend an electrician from Silves, he speaks very good English and has done lots of work at our villa, always very prompt, friendly and a very nice person, not too expensive either, he will always quote first. He is Armenio Dias tel: 00351 282 445 298 (mobile: 917 248 284) He will also be able to help with air con. He will also be able to check your supply and let you know if you need to be upgraded.

Sorry can't help with plasterers or shutters or the roof problem, hope someone else can.

Worten in the Algarve shopping centre in Guia is a very good place to buy electrical white goods, you should find the prices more or less are in euros what you would pay in pounds in the UK. Depends on the quality you need, we bought a really good washing machine for €220 would have been at least £300 here.

Good luck with the move and hope you have a great time in your new property.

Congratulations. If the dish is set up correctly with a good quality LNB (the bit that points in to the dish to receive the sinal) you should be fine with a 120cm dish. We had one of those dining tables but now have a 120cm. Wortens are probably the best but I hear that the back up service is a bit slow. www.worten.pt Very best of luck

Be very careful when changing to an electric cooker, it is possible to buy a single phase cooker which is usually the type of electric circuit you have in an apartment, ( had the experience of buying an electric cooker not knowing there were different types for different phases and it blew up ).
Jacobs electric shop in Lagoa very helpful with purchases and good installation electricians as well.

Thanks for all your advice. Spoke to the solicitor today and it has all gone through, so I shall be out with you on 26th May for a long weekend cleaning and trying to sort out everything that needs to be done. Very excited and can't wait to spend the first night in my new house

Congratulations fmm,

Would suggest you contact R.J.Technica for an opinion on the dish. Would not expect them to charge you. They are on Rua do Farol. You will need a 1.2m dish for Sky, but sounds like your's is a monster.
We are upgrading our electricity supply having gone "all electric". You can contact EDP online, and they will reply - in English!

Best of luck,

Barry

As a matter of interst for the future, did you purchase direct from vendor (if so how did you find them) or from an agent , again how did you find them. There seems to be so many in town and on the net.

What was the experience like?

Thanks

G, you will think I am mad - I decided in February to invest the money I had from selling a property in the UK somewhere in Europe. I had been on holiday once to Silves 5 years ago and liked it, so decided the Algarve was the place. Spent several days researching properties on the net, bought several books on how to buy properties in Portugal and read every post on this forum!

I visited for 3 days and saw 20 properties going from East, middle and west Algarve. Didn't find anything I liked, but was able to narrow down the type of property and towns. Made a second visit in March for 5 days. Saw about 30 properties over 2 days, got a shortlist of 5 and my OH turned up on the 3rd day. We saw all the shortlist on the 3rd and 4th days, made an offer on the 5th day on one of the Carvoeiro properties, which was accepted.

On the 4th day (it sounds a bit like the Creation!) I also found myself a solicitor who managed to get my fiscal number and also sorted out my power of attorney. On the 5th day I also opened a bank account.

On the 6th day I started my nervous breakdown ...

Re the agents - they were all extremely good. I made appointments in England, told them the timescales and requirements and they suggested better properties to look at etc. They all met me at the right place at the right time, acted very professionally and the ones which sold the apartment to me (Vernon) have been really helpful about passing on my enquiries to the vendor. The solicitors don't really do things the same way as in England, so there were certain questions that were easier to do through the agents. I found Winkworth (also in Carvoiero) to be very helpful, and they have offered advice on various matters even after they knew that I was purchasing from another agent.

I would not recommend this scatter gun approach for buying a property - at least you know you want to buy in Carvoiero!

On my Silves holiday, we covered over 1000km in 1 week visiting various parts of the Algarve, so I had seen a lot of places, but found it difficult to remember about each of them.

As I was seeing so many properties, I had a spreadsheet printed out with specific questions about the size, area, proximity of other buildings, facilities, utilities, parking, condo fees etc etc. At the end of each day I then put together my top ones on another sheet so I could compare more easily to make the shortlist.

Most of the estate agents I saw have contacted me since to make sure that the sale has gone through. I was contacted by MRI who told me not to pay cash and get a mortgage and come and see their properties - an offer I turned down quite quickly. The UK companies selling properties overseas were slow to react and I received an email a few days ago sending me details of a property I had registered an interest in about 3 months ago! I advised them that I had already purchased something. The problem is that there are so many browsers who never go on to purchase.

Hope this helps!

One does not need a big Dish....I confirm that 120 is very good indeed....and yes any Oven runs on Single phase...

My architect advises that a 120cm dish won't run an oven long enough to roast a mid sized chicken

hehe...Richard!!

Another question (sorry)
We are arriving on Friday late afternoon and I have found out that we do not have towels or bedding in the apartment. Does the Intermarche sell bedding and towels? Or is there somewhere in Carvoiero which will be open latish on Friday where I can buy supplies. I don't want to bring them with me as I am only taking hand luggage. Towels I can always buy the next day (or possibly buy a few beach towels assuming one of the beach type shops is open), but the bedding may be more difficult!