Buying the property is the well-trodden part. People get stuck on the order of everything else: the tax number before the bank account, the lawyer before the offer. Below is that order. It is not legal or tax advice, and I will send you to a lawyer for that.

1. 01

   A conversation, months before anything

   We talk about what is prompting the move and when you want to be here. Some of my best conversations are with people who end up waiting two years.

2. 02

   Choosing an area

   I drive you through Cascais, Sintra and Estoril at the hours you would be living them. Sit in the school-run traffic at eight in the morning before you decide anything.

3. 03

   The professionals around you

   You need an independent lawyer and a tax advisor who knows your home country's rules as well as Portugal's. You also need a Portuguese tax number and a local bank account before you can buy anything.

4. 04

   Renting first, if it makes sense

   Take a rental for six to twelve months in the area you think you want. It costs you a year of rent, and it has saved more than one of my clients from buying the right house in the wrong town.

5. 05

   The search and the purchase

   Shortlist, viewings, negotiation, then the promissory contract and the deed. I am at the table for all of it, and I will tell you when a house is not worth what they are asking.

6. 06

   Settling in

   Utilities, insurance, healthcare registration, and a contractor for the work you spotted on the viewing. I expect to still be hearing from you a year later.

• Do I need to speak Portuguese?

  You can function in Cascais on English alone. To stop feeling like a visitor you will want Portuguese, and people here are kind about a bad accent.

• Can I buy before I have residency?

  Yes. Ownership and residency are separate here. You need a Portuguese tax number and a bank account, and your lawyer arranges both.

• How long does a purchase take?

  Two to four months from accepted offer to deed, longer with financing or if the paperwork needs tidying. You commit at the promissory contract. By the deed it is already finished.

• What should I budget beyond the price?

  Transfer tax, stamp duty, notary and registration fees, and your lawyer. Ask your advisors for the figures that apply to you before you make an offer.

• What about schools?

  Cascais and the towns around it hold several established international schools, between them British, American and IB. Places fill early, so the school often decides the area.

• Do you only work with buyers?

  No. I represent sellers, and I advise on investment and renovation projects. Most people find me while they are still deciding whether to come at all.