The House is Almost Ours

We All have to be Flexible…

The owners promptly applied for a new registration to change the size of the house. According to our contract, they have three months to finalize. We expressed concerns about the timeframe, considering the owners’ possible delays in arranging the house documents.

Clara’s response was, “We all have to be flexible.” We understand this, especially given our experience in Portugal, where timelines can often be extended.

…Three, no Six Months

Being flexible meant waiting for the documents for half a year. After six months and multiple visits from Clara and her husband to the offices, the municipality finally approved the change in size in February 2021. We were relieved to receive this news from Clara—it was a long-awaited confirmation.

Meanwhile, we found ourselves in the midst of the second COVID lockdown in The Netherlands and decided against flying to Portugal at that time. Instead, we arranged for a friend of ours, Gui, to sign on our behalf.

Now, our task is to trust the notary, the lawyer, Clara, and Gui, which we do. Soon the house will be ours. We’re observing and waiting to see how easy it will be to communicate with the notary and lawyer solely through email or phone in English. We’re no longer in a rush as the house documents have been corrected. Everything will work out fine.

As we move forward, the architect has already begun measuring everything. His contract estimates ten months for completion, though we believe this timeline is quite optimistic. We anticipate it may take more than a year, possibly even two.

Reflecting on Clara’s advice, “We all have to be flexible!” remains a guiding principle as we navigate through the project.

After the architect’s initial visits, I asked Ilya about the projected timeline: “Autumn 2022.”