Different people. Different plans. Property tailored to buyers.

The exercise did exactly that. In the end, it gave them greater clarity and confidence in their original choice.

From there, we could focus on what the property itself needed to do. It had to be a family holiday home they would love spending time in, while also working well as a rental when they were away.

That meant balancing lifestyle, accessibility, rental demand and the practicalities of owning a second home from abroad.

We looked at very different properties, each with its own strengths. Some were bigger. Some had better views. But those things don’t necessarily make a property the right one.

Des and Laura stayed disciplined and ultimately bought in Praia da Luz, where they found the balance they were looking for. We also introduced trusted local property management so the home could be professionally cared for when they weren’t there.

Eric pictured something quieter: slower mornings, more space and the familiarity of knowing his neighbours by name, and perhaps practising his Portuguese at the local café.

So before looking for the right property, we needed to understand what the right life in Portugal looked like for both of them.

We explored different locations through that lens. Several appealed to them, but for different reasons, and each raised the same question: would one of them have to compromise too much?

They also had a clear favourite property.

Eventually, they chose Lagos: enough energy for Lynda, with the space and rhythm Eric was looking for.

And that meant not choosing their favourite property.

It was a perfect example of a decision we see often: property versus lifestyle. In this case, lifestyle won, because the home has to work for the life around it, not the other way around.

Once the location was clear, we introduced a trusted developer and helped them navigate the additional considerations involved in buying off-plan.

A beautiful view was never going to be enough. The purchase had to make sense as a shared lifestyle asset while also standing up as a long-term investment.

That meant looking closely at build quality, location, long-term demand, ease of ownership, resale potential and what the property could become over time.

The search ultimately led to a sea-view villa in Praia da Luz with renovation potential, giving the group strong fundamentals, flexibility and the opportunity to create something distinctly their own.

The search was over. The complicated part was about to begin.

As the transaction progressed, delays caused by the mortgage process began putting the purchase at risk. After reviewing what was happening, we recommended changing brokers. We worked closely with the new broker, explaining the urgency of the situation, and a new mortgage offer was secured within days. The purchase began moving again.

Later, communication between the different parties started to break down and the sellers were becoming increasingly frustrated. We stepped in to keep the professionals coordinated, clarify what needed to happen next and help keep the transaction on track. We communicated daily with the sellers to make sure they understood the situation and didn’t doubt Tracy and Eugene’s intentions or motivations.

The objective was to be able to spend Christmas there. They completed in time to spend their first Christmas in Portugal with seventeen members of their family. We couldn’t have been happier.