I know that economically times are hard. Yes, I know that in all likelihood the bailout of Portugal will go ahead but that does not necessarily need to destroy your dream of buying a home in Portugal. A bit of motivation and a bit of planning at this stage may well assure you of a property that proves to be a good investment in the future…

Once you have a firm plan of action in mind it becomes so much easier to make that plan work…Part of your motivational plan should be to determine why you wish to buy in Portugal – and where.

Having firmly established that nowhere but Portugal will satisfy you, you need to settle on exactly where it is that you want to buy. Once you can visualise the location or, better still, the exact property, you will be amazed how that motivates you to make the dream come true. If you are able to chat to people in your area of choice, preferably expats as they will best know your concerns, so much the better. It will also strengthen your determination if and when you find that a number of people have bought property in your area of choice and are delighted that they did so.

Only buy what you can afford: beware of vacillating exchange rates – in fact get hold of a really good currency company like Smart Currency Exchange and, with their assistance, work out a financial plan. It’s amazing how motivated you will be once you know that you can really afford to go ahead, with currency surprises taken out of the equation.

So…out with pen and paper! Jot down all the reasons you want to buy property in Portugal. Is it the endless sunshine, the lovely beaches, the cheaper cost of living or the small, friendly towns with their local fairs and festivals? Whether you are buying to move, to retire or as a holiday home you CAN make it happen but you need to motivate yourself – many others have done what you want to do and made it work for them…so can you.