Freedom to Choose – Off Grid in Portugal

  • 6 years ago
  • Blog
  • 7

Doing the work I do for Home Key Portugal I have the privilege to meet a lot of lovely people. From different countries, with different life stories and dreams, but all with the same purpose: looking for a home in Portugal. I recently met a couple that inspired me with their courage, positivism, and kindness.

We are born, raised, go to college, get a job, a partner, a house, a dog/cat and/or children. That is the course of life that is expected from us and becomes our paradigm. And there is nothing wrong with that! But what if you, during this human ‘progress’, feel the urge and have the ability to step aside, and choose differently. Because between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose.

Off grid blogMeet Jonas (Belgium) and Miho (Japan), an enthusiastic couple that found their dream spot via Home Key Portugal. In January 2017 they bought a plot of land of 2500 m2 in Castelo Branco and last March they arrived to Portugal to start their off grid life.

We are following this couple for a few weeks while they are setting up their home. Their shelter will be a Mongolian Yurt arriving on a truck from Belgium, together with the rest of their possessions. Their power supply comes from solar panels and water from two wells. For drinking water they cycle to the closest water fountain (3 km). They already seeded several vegetables and herbs, but their priority is setting up their yurt, preparing the land and creating shade before the heat of the summer arrives.

DSC01851The last few weeks they have been busy with setting up their temporary home consisting of a large tarp and they have been leveling the ground as a base for the yurt.

They are planning to get their income out of art they make together, providing massages and making music!

Make sure you follow the exciting adventure of this lovely, positive couple choosing to live their off-grid life in Portugal.

Join The Discussion

7 thoughts on “Freedom to Choose – Off Grid in Portugal”

  • Ballekens Pol

    We volgen Jonas en Mihoo op de voet!
    We staan in bewondering voor hun moed om door te zetten.
    Bedankt voor deze blog,we worden trouwe volgers!

    Reply
  • Kristien Coucke

    enjoy your life!!

    Reply
  • JOZEF DUBAERE 12 MEI

    Wij zijn enthousiast en volgen het koppel pertinent .
    moge hun speciale levenswijze hen zeer gelukkig maken .
    Jonas en Miho , ga ervoor !

    Reply
  • ralph Morris

    Hey there wishing you all the luck touring this year love to visit and lend a hand

    Reply
    • Melanie

      Thank you Ralph! Maybe we´ll meet soon

      Reply
  • Barbara

    is it possible to live legally in a rustic land in Portugal? eben if you cannot build ?

    Reply
    • Melanie

      That is the most asked question Barbara, because the answer is tricky. As our lawyer says, no one can keep you of living on your OWN land, because if you own it, you have the right to be there. However, if you decide to live in a building that is registered as a rural building don´t expect to get the habitation license because it is not registered as a building for living purposes. If you decide to live in a temporary structure (caravan, yurt etc.) it is also officially not legal since it is a temporary structure which means it can and need to be moved after a certain time. But here, in the Castelo Branco district there are A LOT of people living in rural buildings and temporary structures for years without any legal problems.

      Reply

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