Our paths crossed in the Algarve while Gabby was working in tourism and researching for her book.
A Londoner by birth, Gabrielle moved back to the UK and currently lives in Somerset. She has also published British Marathon Running Legends of the 1980s (being an ex-athlete herself).
Gabby, I'm not going to ask you what a book called Buying Property in Portugal is about - I think it's self explanatory - but I know you took a different approach to other similar books, which makes what is usually a dull subject, less so.
The book is about the processes and documentation involved when buying property in Portugal, as well as the things that people should consider when seeking to permanently relocate or when buying a holiday home there. It is the boring bit, but it cannot be helped if you want to be well informed.
I think my book goes into a lot more detail and is hopefully a more practical and ‘streetwise’ guide than most.
It also includes some case studies from people who have moved there, which not only helps break up the information, but also gives would be property hunters and/or those wishing to relocate a realistic view.
What inspired you to write Buying Property In Portugal?
My family bought a property in the Algarve in 2000, which inevitably meant that I began spending more and more time there.
Due to the fact that I love learning languages and had already learnt Spanish, French and some Italian, I picked up a working knowledge of Portuguese fairly quickly. On hearing that I was conversant in the language, many non-Portuguese-speaking friends and acquaintances started asking me to do them small favours.
While doing this, I visited more than my fair share of local government departments, authorities, utility companies and businesses to sort out various problems, in particular those surrounding property purchases.
I soon began to realise that a fair number of the people I was helping had been caught out by their lack of knowledge of the bureaucracy, and their unfamiliarity with the language. Several of them had also been far too trusting and naïve.
The property world is naturally a cutthroat one and while many purchases go through smoothly, there are others that could only be described as ‘nightmares’!
Little by little, I learnt all about property documents and the processes involved in buying a property in Portugal, and I started to write about the potential pitfalls on various Internet forums.
My reputation for being fairly knowledgeable soon spread and other people started to contact me for help and advice. I was also invited to appear on Kiss FM’s Straight Talk with Phill Gilbert, a phone-in radio show in the Algarve, and later asked to assist with the filming of a TV programme about relocating to Portugal.
It therefore seemed the logical next step to write a book in order to pass on the knowledge that I had gained in this area, and I was lucky enough to get two editions of Buying Property in Portugal published by Bookshaker and Summertime Publishing before releasing this third edition under my own publishing name.
Is there going to be a 4th edition once Brexit finally becomes a reality?
I was planning on updating it shortly, but since the Brexit result I will wait to see how things pan out. There may well be changes to the residency and taxation requirements for British people once we are officially non-EU citizens, and I don’t want it to be out of date as soon as it’s published. A lot of the fundamentals are the same regardless and so the current edition is still largely relevant.
Would you consider retiring in Portugal?
While it is certainly an excellent place for retirement for many people, I don’t think it would suit my particular requirements in life. It’s a bit too sleepy and quiet for me, especially in the winter months, and as I am not part of a couple it can get a bit lonely. We are all different.
Do you remember your favourite restaurants and foods?
Yes. Some of my favourites include lulas grelhadas (grilled squid), arroz de pato (duck rice), chicken piri piri, bifanas (pork fillet sandwich) and ameijoas (clams). Two of my favourite restaurants in the Algarve are Marisqueira Rui in Silves and A Ruína in Albufeira, and I have fond memories of a little surfers’ hangout near Guincho (close to Lisbon) called O Biscoito.
Beach or swimming pool?
Both! Sorry to be awkward but as an ex-club swimmer I like training in a pool. However, I do like lying on the beach in the late afternoon/early evening and taking walks along it in the winter.
Your favourite place in Portugal?
Perhaps Sintra although it is really difficult to answer as there are so many great places.
Tea or bica?
Bica! I am not a tea drinker (certainly not with milk) and I love my strong, black coffee. [A bica for those who don’t know is a small, very strong, black coffee similar to an Italian espresso.]
I remember an amusing incident when we met for ‘coffee.’ You ordered tea with milk and I ordered a bica. The waitress, on realising I was British, put the tea in front of me and the coffee in front of you. Her face was a picture when we swopped them over!
Finally, where can readers buy your book, and do you have a website and social media profiles where they can follow you?
You can buy my book on Amazon in paperback format, or in electronic format on Amazon Kindle and itunes via the following links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Property-Portugal-Gabrielle-Collison/dp/0957218648
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Property-Portugal-Gabrielle-Collison-ebook/dp/B00UEP0RIG
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/buying-property-in-portugal/id975034165
My own website is www.gabriellecollison.com where you can also find links to my social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.
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