Do we regret leaving the UK to live off grid in Portugal? 

Wouldn't life be so much more boring without your animals. They are always so entertaining, they add so much to being a homestead.❤

Maartijn Dolaard ...in Italian alps. Super photography and precise restoration of ancient stone cottage. Minimal talking and loads of learning from him.

I love how the kitty was making sure he was pruning the branches correctly! Thank you for truthfully informing us on how off grid living is. I always love your videos.

The Dutch Farmer is excellant. They live somewhere in central Portugal. He ran a large market garden in France. In Portugal they bought a piece of scrub land and are doing an amazing job of turning it into a beautiful farm. He hasn't posted lately but the older videos are well worth watching, and he also has a website. Albi is the very best kitty. She also deserves a story book, after Frankie of course 😁. Well done you two. Great video, as always. 🥰♥️

As others have said, this was an unusually interesting Q&A. Well done. It is because of you that I started watching Simple Life Portugal. It's been heartbreaking lately with Sindy's death, but Dan needs all the viewers he can get. He's having trouble getting through his grief and back to building, but I really encourage others to join his channel.

I’m very happy you enjoy live in my country,I’m from Lisbon living in USA for 45 years. I really miss Portugal and my culture and my family only being back twice for a week each time . I would love to be there but for health reasons I can’t move back,I’m 70 years old . Plus my grandchildren are another good reason to be here. I’m in New Hampshire the weather here is just awful in the summer it’s very hot and lots of mosquitos we can’t go outside after dark, in the winter very cold today is 22 and snowing till 6 afternoon tomorrow is going to be messy. Please be happy and take time to enjoy yourselves and the puppies and cat. I will continue to support you good luck

Hi my name is kaz in London,I am enjoying your channel and seeing your journey as a young couple doing something I would of loved to do in my youth but realise now there's no way,so that's why I would like to contribute to your journey,I also love your animals 😊

Fabulous video as usual. Your site is one of my favourites to watch. It was good to hear how you got there and how much work goes into living your off grid lifestyle. You have come a long way in the last few years. I really liked the drone footage of the layout of your land, it gives a really good perspective of your property. I do watch quite a few RU-vid videos on expats from around the world choosing to live in Portugal. Here are a couple you may like to check out. One in particular, “Portugal from scratch” is with Kirsty, a fellow Canadian who settled in Portugal. She lives alone and is single handedly renovating her historic stone house on an olive grove. It is amazing to see what she is doing. Another one is called “Life by Living”, a couple who moved from England and settled on an olive grove. They have 2 historic stone buildings on their land and are busy working on renovating the little house. Check them out if you get a chance.☺️ Thank you for taking the time to film and edit all of these amazing videos, as I am sure it is very time consuming while, working also on your land. Love the music you use to accompany your videos too! Take care & have a great week! xx 💕🇨🇦

I just love the way all your animals follow you everywhere. They make me smile :)

If it is possible to go up a floor it makes total sense, you get almost double the floor space and can have living and sleeping space in one. I think you'd also have a great view over your property. 👍

Love how you talk about resilience! So crucial for your lifestyle and makes one appreciate all the small things. 😊

I love your honest, straightforward, easy-going nature! Your videos are beautiful, relaxing and interesting. I do love hearing about your gardening projects especially. You will love the drip irrigation if/when you get that going! It makes life so much easier!

As far as Portugal vlogs go, you could try THE NEWBYS and THE SCOTTERS. Both vlogs are about buying properties in Portugal and renovating or building from scratch. They're both very interesting and informative.

What to see Frankie get more loven... He is adorably cute..he need some hugs! ❤

I watch most of the RU-vidrs that have been mentioned - a favourite of mine is Roaming Wild Rosie, she is renovating a cabin in Sweden and her videos remind me of yours (apart from the snow!!!) in that they give me a peaceful and calm feeling, thank you both xxx

You have done the most interesting, interactive and engaging Q and A I’ve seen so far. Huzzah!

The intro of this video was so warming 🥰 love seeing your land on the drone, it looks amazing! This was my favourite Q&A, I loved how you moved around to answer the questions. So excited to see where this year takes you guys! Also loved how cute/bashful and giggly you were when you were saying RU-vid in your job/income! I hope you are so proud! You deserve it 🎉

Hey there both. I would like to congratulate on giving me the greatest feeling of warmth and peace, with your videos. well done as always.

You don’t have a snail and slug problem, you have a duck deficiency problem! - Bill Mollison; Permaculture 😊

A couple great channels are Our French Chateau- 2 very down to earth Americans renovating a small-ish chateau alongside lots of rescue animals, and Little Spanish Farmstead - Brit and Argentinian couple with a small baby renovating a small cottage and veggie gardening. For a real change, This Off Grid Life is in the forests of British Columbia and they’re quite fun, too.

Thank you both for letting us into more of your personal life. I love your channel, you are both very down to earth in everything you do and the transformation you're making on your property is lovely to watch. Again thank you both for your honest and informative Q & A video.

Hey another great RU-vid channel is Make Do and Grow. They are another couple transplanted from the UK and are renovating an old Portuguese farmhouse Dave really get down to the nitty gritty as far as techniques with hemp plaster, limewashing, pointing, gardening, you name it. And thank you so very much for your wonderful videos and I love watching this beautiful life you all are creating unfold God bless

You might enjoy the land of slow living, they are a young couple living in much the same way you are but in Estonia (I think). I feel really chilled after watching them❤️

Really enjoyed the walking destinations and drone work!

WHEN I LIVED IN PORTUGAL , IN SUMMER ALWAYS LEFT SHALLOW BOWLS /DISHES OF WATER ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR HEDGEHOGS, BIRDS, ETC. ETC. THEY WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR IT❤❤ ALSO CHECK YOUR PETS FOR CARAÇAS AND PULGAS ALLOVER AND BETWEEN THE PAWS AND IN EARS..😊THANK YOU GUYS ❤❤

Great video today! Besides the Q&A I liked the views of your walking around your area. Beautiful! A couple other Portugal YTubers I watch are Nearby Veggies (they make me laugh a lot), Our Portuguese Homestead, Portugal on a Postcard, and Project Kamp. Yikes I watch a lot of vloggers!!! Thanks for sharing your life with us. I really enjoy your vides. 😆😁

Hi there, I found your blog by chance and after 5 min watching I subscribed. I really enjoy it ,I admire your honesty,your bravery to start a new life in another country. Me myself had that experience but in the UK. I am a Bulgarian ,I was a single girl for many happy 😂 years ,building my career and enjoying life. But then when I was 47 I met my husband and next year we got married. He was currently leaving in the UK and convinced me to come there,I didn’t know the language very well and went to Chichester college for 6 months- the most amazing experience being in a college in my forties. Then I started a job and we stayed in Cornwall for 14 years. It was very,very stressful and challenging for me at first but I persevered and after 2-3 years I started enjoying and appreciated my new life.We haven’t got children ,I never wanted having kids,my hubby as well. Sorry to be so talkative but I just watched this video and wanted to share with you,thanks a lot Love your four-legged part of the family and your love and kindness to all animals.xx+xxxx(for the cats a and dogs)

It’s been hard work, but so rewarding. Plus look at all the time you two get to spend together instead of you both working a 9-5 and only seeing each other nights and weekends. I think you guys made a super wise choice.

I have just found your channel and watched your two videos on your journey. I had a little chuckle when you said about keep moving the furniture around during the renovations. My husband was a builder and he was always renovating our houses while we lived in them. 3 houses over 27 years. I would quite have liked to live in a house that was finished. Just for a little light relief we bought an old animal building which someone had converted very badly into a house, on a 1/4 acre plot in France. Two sides and the back were 2 foot thick stone walls, look very much like your stone walls and the front wall was made out of breeze blocks with doors and windows. All very old and rickety. This took a long time to rebuild as we could only go over weekends and holidays. I loved my hovel in a muddy field. We bought an old small touring caravan for a bedroom, shower and toilet. It took a gas bottle fire 48 hours to heat the stones up but once they were heated up it didn't take too much to keep it warm. So we ended up with a wet room a long lounge and two eaves bedrooms once the roof was raised. Unfortunately we had to sell it at that point and so only enjoyed it during the building process. Though we did have electricity and water but no waste services so had to put in a septic tank. I wish you both well with your new life. You certainly picked up practical building quickly.

We recommend Andy’s Real Algarve.

for flies grow pots of tansy by the door ways. also wipe lavendar oil around the outside of the window frames and this will keep the flies away. We have had a thing called Cluster Flies and have sprayed our buildings with a dilute lavendar oil and this got rid of flies! good luck

Weve been travelling for 12 months then came to Portugal...fell in love with it and on a whim brought an old cottage in the Santerem region which we are renovating ourselves, whikst still living in our old truck, we found your channel last year and love your videos, especially the gardening ones!

CARISSA! Get that land in your name, or get married, or start charging Ewan retroactively for all your labor. Seriously, things happen. Especially if Ewan were (god forbid) to suddenly pass away without a will, or his will was ruled invalid, or it was valid in Portugal but not in Wales, or something. I'm sure Ewan's family are all lovely people, and that they would still be lovely in that situation; but, sometimes, people are not lovely. Women often get the short end of the financial stick in those situations, and I'd hate for that to happen to you. That aside, great video (loved Albie's guest lecture in vine-pruning tutorial), you two are delightful, and thank you for answering several of my questions. 😊

Love your channel. Make, Do, Grow is a good channel to watch.

22:08 min. Diogo finds a way to come into the chickenspace. 😂😂😂

You two look like the famous painting "American Gothic" by Grant Woods.

You have the same weather that we have in California. And we love it.

Did you notice how Diogo snuck under fence behind you into the chicken coop? Love The Newbys and Mr and Mrs Adventure, Indie Projects also besides all the Portugal based ones already here mentioned so far by you I love Kinging it and then in US and Canada, Nate and Kara, Bec and Eamon. Love also LeAw in Italy/Sicily. So many more. So sad about Sindy. 😢😢 Love your channel and love when you visit all the other local channels!!!❤❤ Best of luck in future. We made our dream come true by retiring on Maui. Dreams can come true.

u guys by the end of the year 100k subscribers

#Carissa is a such a #SweetSoul... So genuine, caring & gentle!!! Even the pets & animals reflect your personalities... Thank you for your transparency & honesty about life in Portugal... Wifey wants to live there but #MODCONS are a concern!!!

That was very interesting. I really enjoy your videos. I love to see Frankie and all the other animals, the flowers, the garden, the insects - everything you do already. I have enjoyed seeing you draw. I love the calmness of your videos. I have a few favourite RU-vid channels I watch regularly. I love Portugal from Scratch. She is so funny and very very clever and occasionally we get glimpses of life outside her land. She's named all her trees (Manny the Mango), etc. All the best for 2024. I hope you get a new shower room, preferably attached to your bedroom.

I was the same about kids. I never really KNEW that I wanted kids and I’m quite a realist about how I think about things, don’t shy away from the hard facts etc… I knew it was such a big life changing thing and such a responsibility and people LOVE to say that your freedom will come to an end and you will never sleep again etc etc etc…. All about the negative comments… But…. I have a 3y and now pregnant with my 2nd and I’m so glad I took that step. Parenthood is amazing. Sure there’s hard times. But isn’t that life?! But wow…what people don’t talk about and can’t I guess, because it’s impossible to explain… the constant awe you are in watching this little person grow and learn about the world, all while holding your hand with their little chubby ones is something else… and the love.. is incredible. My mum used to always try to explain to me how amazing it is but I never really understood it..until I did it. And moving back to Portugal was just the best thing.. watching my little one charge around in the mud and getting excited about Nature as much as I do is a beautiful thing to watch. So…it’s a very personal thing.. but from me I just say that if your worried about your freedom and all that stuff.. you don’t lose it like people say.. it’s up to you how much of that freedom you lose.. you can live your life where your little ones just slot in.. a bit like a dog really…. Oh I know,people hate me competing dogs to kids but, it’s similar in the sense that they just slot in.. you need to make some adjustments but mostly they add to your life in such a big way you couldn’t imagine life without them. Whatever decision you make is the right one for you though and you have time. I had mine at 37 and now will be having my second at 40 and it’s great xxx

I really enjoy your format, but it was nice to see you chatting and answering questions for a change. Keep up the good work 😊

We get 110 F during the summer and I love it.

Just found your channel! I am from Nyeri, Kenya!! How awesome!!

You two are some of my favourite RU-vidrs. Thanks for all the work you put into the filming and editing. You may want to watch the Scotters...they are in Northern Portugal and making an old stone ruin into a home. Also, I love the folks at Living the Skye Life.

The cat that visits me I call Capataz (Foreman) because he's also great in supervising! 😂 @AlongThePathsOfNature

Watch 💫Living in the Algarve Portugal 🇵🇹🌞

This was a great Q and A. Loved the changing locations. I have been wondering if you consume all the wine and oil you produce or are you able to sell any of it? I am impressed by how you take time to do social and pleasurable things despite all the ongoing projects. You have decided not to rush your lives and that is wonderful

Something to think about... 1) a screen door - in good weather, having a screen door that lets the air in and keeps bugs out (especially flies) is the difference between sanity and totally losing your mind. 2) Simple 2x2 wood pop in window frames with screens - see #1 3) Do you produce enough electricity to install a ceiling fan? Is the ceiling high enough for a ceiling fan? Reverse engineering is smart. I've discovered that what faces south and the summer sun is really important. Conversely, what faces north in winter is also important. Frozen pipes are no fun! (I'm convinced my house was built by committee - several inebriated fellows with some ghastly ideas!)

You are a great team and family. You have worked so hard and deserve the happiness you are experiencing. Long may it last. Great vids. Thank you

Having a 2nd floor on the wine making building sounds interesting. Uncle Nick knows best. Kisses for the doggies and kitties.🙂👍🙂🇨🇦

I really enjoy your videos… beautiful scenery..very peaceful music that you choose to play.. Diogo and Frankie are a hoot..Alfie is a big boy and so fast going up those trees🤣 I’m happy things are better for you guys .. your such hard workers .. keep up the good work👏👏💜

Very interesting! You can build a vermicomposting toilet set up!

Beautiful video, as usual! I love my weekly dose of the 'Foggies'. Thank you for sharing your lives, plans and projects so intimately and honestly with us. I am sure that it will be an exciting and rewarding year.❤

It has been a very entertaining video, greetings from rural France

Lovely video. Amazing to see how far you have come from the beginning.

Use a bigger bucket for compost loo..if you possibly can ideally you only want to be opening your compost centre once a week. Its all about containing the heat in the centre.

You should try putting netting around your cabbages (a cage not just thrown over) to stop the white butterflies laying their eggs.

I've been viewing from the beginning of your channel and look forward to your videos each week. It has been fun watching how your filming has matured. The quality is excellent and your videos are a joy to watch. Also, want to mention how tasteful your music selection is and how well it compliments the videos. Love all of the animals but Frankie's soulful gaze into the camera always gives me a smile. Many of the other RU-vidrs I watch have already been mentioned but did not spot a mention for Little Spanish Farmstead or Anne of All Trades. Looking forward to watching Frankie Off Grid in 2024!

Hello One of my favorite is "Mother the Mountain farm" two sisters in Queensland ,Australia. keep well...

Was interesting to hear your Q&A Thank you 🐕🐕‍🦺🐈‍⬛🐈🐓

I was just thinking you needed to write a kids book about your animals and then you said it. It would be amazing.

That old favorite brexit, and the other one the pandemic, made alot of people change and think of change, some acted other pondered, personaly I had a life changing event, and eventually we escaped to another country, after losing everything, our tempreture is 36 to 40, and around -10, eastern europe, adjusting takes time I uderstand this, you are both young people and have taken things in your stride, your doing much better now, the style of this video was a little different and very intresting, other channels, for design and way out things I never thought of "mr wu" portugal channels " life by living" "Maya Feliz" and finally children and everything else "LeAw Leave Everything and Wander" so many good people out there, take care you two..

Diogo & Albi are the best supervisors! Thank you for the very informative video, you answered so many questions. It must be quite something to think so many people want to know the ins & outs of your private life but that's the way it is these days I suppose.

I’m very much a city (old) girl but i absolutely love your vídeos!!! most of all i love all the work you are doing!!! Well done!!! Keep up with good work!!! Me and my 5 brothers and sisters inherited a few pieces of land and two houses, not far from Serra da Estrela , and , unfortunetly never made nothing out of them… nowadays abandones and in ruins… what a shame. You are such a good exemple to young portuguese couples! How many of them could do the same as you… some, like me, might have inherited land or houses in the portuguese country side…

Birdlist, yes please :-) - do you watch the make, do grow with Kylie and Guy? They are doing a fantastic renovation job somewhere in Central Portugal.

Oh my gosh! All that hard work the two of you put in created such a beautiful home.

I’m glad that you’re happy with this life you’re building. It’s interesting watching you learn & grow.. Best of luck with the garden, the grapes, the wine & everything else you’ve developing and working on. Thanks for the Q& A.👍🏻🤞🍀🇨🇦

I recommend Foresty Forest, Tiny Shiny Home, Brucke and Real Algarve Living.

Maybe a robe towel with a hood would make your journey from the showroom to the cabin much comfortable. 😅

Look up natural fly repellent, also they claim if you hang bags of water at the doors and windows flies wont go inside..wasps hate peppermint, spiders hate citrus, things like that might help. Just found you and am enjoying your videos. Ty

I’ve got a suggestion to make it’s called the Scottish isle on you tube

Please check Portugal from Scratch.

The grape vine prunings make wonderful fuel for wood bbq's. They add an excellent flavour layer to bbq food. They're also great for smoking foid.

I realized that the hot summer here in Italy was not helpful for beet root. I discovered they like the much cooler weather in December. Also, I had enough of hellish summers so two summers ago, I installed a dual split AC unit. One is in the Bedroom, the other is in my kitchen. I only use the AC in the bedroom at night and once it is cool, my 1 meter walls keep it cool all night.

Many thanks to those who asked such great questions, and to you for being open in your answers.

Living The Skye Life & Escape to rural France and The Irish Homestead 👍👍

That was lovely!

Well done on your achievements

I forgot to mention that I love watching your videos every week and the following ones: The Newbys, The Scotters Go Off Grid, Living the Skye Life, Talasbuan, and of course the ones you already mentioned. : )

Loved all the shots on your walk, so pretty.

I am loving seeing your visual storytelling style develop, and your music and attention to beauty as always are impeccable! Great video guys xx

I'm putting this here because I don't know if you look at comments on older videos. Your channel is great, love the storytelling, the photography and the music (except for the droney one). Your videos are lively, open to life, animals and people.

I love your kitchen 'shelves'. It reminds of the soft curves you find in earth ships

Your videos are wonderful. Thanks for the tour today. Best wishes to both of you.❤

What a great Q&A, made it all the way to the very end! Laughed really hard seeing you go getting the wine with your head-torch on. Seriously nice to hear some insights and how it all came about! Have a good one!!! Cheers Bert 🙏🏻❤

Looking forward to that book ! Slainté ! 🍷

have you tried the clear baggie with water in it and 2 pennies hung very near the door? It may sound crazy but it does cut down on the flies coming in house, shiny pennies. Here in farmland in USA. Pennies in water. For real

I love this q and a and usually i find them less interesting than regular videos. Deciding where to put things, the exact issue i'm grappling with for our off grid right now. ..... having a look at permaculture zones, there is some great thinking put into this question regarding frequency of visits and how that particular thing works in a system eg locating chickens, compost and veg gardens close because they're interlinked. I love watching Portugal from Scratch on YT, lots of natural building and problem solving i think would appeal to you.

I know you don’t want to pay 10k and it’s a lot of money . But imagine the wrong neighbors and also the land will go up in value as you improve . Especially annexing it to your lot I hope they do bend and at least meet you half way. I really enjoy your videos . So calming and also I learn along with you. I enjoy Tiny Shiny Home you tube . Their solar and water systems are amazing and they are making the desert bloom. Mr and Mrs Adventure and the Newbys .

What's bed size? You are absolutely genius to turn everything usable, I love local gardening ❤❤ keep up the good work

Grapes are very easy to propagate, you may not want to throw the trimmings away.

Great work again both of you, and thanks for a lot of really valuable info along the way. If you have details of the water testing lab you used, I'd appreciate you sharing. We kicked off our project in Central Portugal (a bit west of you I guess, near Coimbra) last Autumn, so still early days. We have an overgrown well and a stream that I would like to check out before we get too advanced in planning and begin changing our minds, again, - the Iwan approach I think. Way too early to be on your radar of the channels, but if you ever have a few minutes, have a look for Hotkeys Portugal. As I said, it's early days, we have a slightly different situation and lots to learn on the video front, but we are having fun, even at our time of life. Thanks again and all the best, Jane and Phil.

Thanks for this nice video! I enjoy your weekly updates very much and will continu following you in 2024!

Definitely consider evaporative air conditioning. It uses way less power and works amazingly well in a dry climate.

I love your videos. Thank you for sharing your life with us here. I also watch a RU-vid channel titled ”Finca Life“. They aren’t in Portugal, but close enough in Spain.

Great upload. If you fancy some winter TV try True Detective , season 1 is hands down brilliant. Season 4 is just starting so plenty backlog

Hello there. I think it's good to keep your minds occupied. Has you will realize as you get older.

I feel it a much better system to compost our own waste.. Like you I won't put it on my food, I feel there is no need when it can be used on trees. Love your calming videos guy's 👍😉🇮🇪☘️Eire