Fires in Portugal

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, Building Plot, buying property in portugal, House for sale, Living in Portugal, Security in Portugal October 30, 2017

Fires in Portugal

It can be alarming and saddening to witness the Fires in Portugal.

Most people who have a full time home or holiday home here worry about the Fires in Portugal and the effect that the Fires in Portugal will have on the value od their property and their ability to insure a hone against the Fires in Portugal.

Its a fact we have Fires in Portugal every year. Normally during the hottest period of the year July – August and September.

Usually people are not killed and few properties are actually destroyed by the Fires in Portugal. Occasionally like in 2017 things are bad and many people are killed.

So what can you do to protect your own life and that of your family and pets from the devestating fires in Portugal.

1, Don’t buy a house in a highly forested area.

2, Don’t live in a wooden or timber house

3, Old houses with their very dry timber roofs are often set alight by brush fires nearby concrete roofs are safer.

4, Clear the land of weeds, grass and shrubs around the perimeter of your land. Make a 4 meter wide clear band.

5, Make sure that your neighbors’ are obeying the law by cleaning their land along your perimeter. If you are not you can ask them to carry out the work promptly or ask the Camara to enforce the law and contact the owners.

6, Make sure that your neighbors’ are obeying the law by clearing the trees on their land along your perimeter if they are too close to your home. If you are not you can ask them to carry out the work promptly or ask the Camara to enforce the law and contact the owners.

7, Make plans to have a water spraying system or enough large bore hoses to reach all around your property. Preferably at the perimeter so that you can wet down large areas before the fires reach you. You will need a motorized pump and a water source like a swimming pool or well.

8, You cannot rely upon the public water supply having any water that you can use or for the electricity to work as over land wire become rapidly burnt out in a Portuguese fire.

9, If you are not living permanently in the property you must have the land cleared regularly and have a neighbor who will react to save your property in the event of a Portuguese fire.

10, Planning aids prevention. Just hopping for the best will cost you dear in the long-run.

Tags Fires in Portugal Maintaining or increasing your home value in Portugal portugal refurbishing property repairing stone wall traditional What to look for when buying an old house in Portugal

About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders