David turns 58, Alison attempts a lemon drizzle cake with catastrophic consequences, and we dig around in the Dead Good Ideas Graveyard.

Harveste is back, this time starting with a simple map of honesty boxes before we attempt anything resembling global vegetable domination. We talk about wasted fruit in Portugal, two days spent trying to put one pin on a map, why we finally decided to build it ourselves, and another old project called Stomplings that might eventually escape the graveyard too.

There’s also Beyla’s Beasts, Wolf stealing the show, reducing the kids’ YouTube diet, Scottish midges, Alison knitting two socks at once, and the increasingly exciting prospect of getting back to our mountain in Portugal.

No script. Very little sleep. Ten bullet points and the usual rhubarb.

The Van Table · Series 1 · Episode 7

Episode 6: We’ve Rebuilt Our Campervan Six Times

Three years, six different layouts, and a considerable number of ideas that seemed absolutely brilliant at the time.

In this episode of The Van Table, we talk through the many versions of our Mercedes Sprinter campervan, what worked, what definitely didn’t, and the ideas that eventually ended up in the Dead Good Ideas Graveyard.

From trying to squeeze six people and all our worldly possessions into one van, to beds, storage, seating and the endless business of making a tiny space actually work for a family.

As usual, we wander off course occasionally. But that’s half the point.

Grab a brew and gather round The Van Table.

Can you really buy a house in Portugal for €20,000? Yes. But finding a cheap property is only the beginning.

In Episode 5 of The Van Table, Alison and I talk about what we’ve learned from actually buying property in rural Portugal, including our mountain and our village house.

We talk about €8,000 houses, €12,000 ruins, an €18,000 shop with three floors above it, where cheap Portuguese properties actually turn up, and why getting to know people locally can completely change what you find.

Then there’s the bit that doesn’t normally make the property videos: what happens after you’ve bought it.

Water, solar power, rural access, renovation, woodworm, fire season, builders who may or may not appear, Amazon deliveries that may or may not arrive, and the joy of discovering that the screws you need are a 40-minute drive away.

We also talk about our experience buying through Melanie at Home Key Portugal, NIF numbers, rural versus urban property, renovation and planning, and what our own purchase actually cost us.

And after everything we’ve learned, the storms, the work and the occasional questionable decision, would we still buy the mountain again?

Absolutely.

Important: This is our personal experience of buying and owning property in Portugal, not legal, tax or planning advice. Rules, taxes and permissions can vary by property, municipality and individual circumstances. Always check current requirements with the appropriate Portuguese authorities and qualified professionals before buying or carrying out work.

The Van Table
Van life • Portugal • Property • Off-grid living • Family chaos