At Portugal Homes, we’re proud of maintaining a close relationship with all those who have been with us, whether they are a client or a part of our internal teams. At the end of the day, we fully believe that this is what sets us apart from our other agencies on the market. That’s why we pioneered the concept of an “After Sales” department in the country—a dedicated team who continues taking care of our clients in the post-purchase process and doesn’t leave them stranded in the aftermath.
And it’s why we’re launching Life in Portugal, a short interview series with expats who have a close connection and relationship with Portugal Homes. From the first visa stamp to finding out their favorite Portuguese treat a, they’ve felt the excitement, and the headaches, that come with starting over in a new country.
In this first story, you’ll get to know a little bit more about Viviane Bergmann, our Admin & Sales Assistant within the After Sales team, who left Brazil for Ireland, then chose Portugal in the middle of a pandemic and learned how much difference the right guidance can make.
Her resilience, local know-how and warm welcome are things she takes into consideration into every relocation file she touches today. Dive in, discover what she wishes she’d known on day one, and see how real-life experience can become the differentiating factor in the real world.
Background & Motivation
Question #1
Portugal Homes: Hi, Viviane! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and for joining us today. Just to start, can you explain a little more about what exactly is your role in Portugal Homes and the broader Harland & Poston Group?
Viviane: Hi! Of course, thank you for having me. Well, to start with, I’m basically the “guardian angel” who steps in the minute a client signs their reservation contract.
On the day-to-day I’m the person that puts together the practical side of relocation together: I chase the notary for deed dates, open the client’s tax number and bank account, translate the fine print with lawyers, switch on the utilities, organise the snagging inspection, then send a video walkthrough so they can see their new place from wherever they are in the world.
From there it’s all about maintaining a long-term relationship: I help in issuing rental invoices if the property is let, filing the annual IMI and IRS taxes, scheduling gardeners or plumbers, and generally making sure the investment they bought is earning money instead of headaches. Because Portugal Homes is part of the Harland & Poston Group, I’m the client’s direct line. There isn’t any bouncing around; they just call me and I untangle whatever Portugal throws at them.
Read more:
After Sales | Portugal Homes
How Do After Sales Services Take Care of Overseas Investments
#Question 2
Portugal Homes: Where were you living before Portugal, and what was life like at that time?
Viviane: Before I lived in Portugal, I was living in Ireland. I lived there for one year and a half, from January 2019 until July 2020. My fiancée and I, we were students in Ireland, and we were studying English there.
Question #3
Portugal Homes: Was Portugal always on your radar, or did it surprise you as an option?
Viviane: Yes, Portugal was always my goal after Ireland. Well, we were actually undecided between Spain and Portugal but then we chose Portugal, for the beginning at least. Because, of course for us, being Brazilians, we already knew the language and because of similarities with the weather, sunshine, food and everything.
The originally plan was coming to Portugal in January 2021, but due to pandemic and everything that happened in 2020, my fiancé and I, we decided to move six months earlier to see if pandemic situation here was better. So, we decided to move from Ireland to Portugal in July 2020.
Question #4
Portugal Homes: What were the non-negotiables in your decision to relocate?
Viviane: Our one non-negotiable was to go somewhere where we could be fully legal. Which made us ask: where’s the easiest country we can go to and be legal? Well, the answer was obvious to us: Portugal. Because Brazil and Portugal have an agreement, it was easier for us to get our documentation here, to be legal.
The Relocation Journey
Question #5
Portugal Homes: Walk me through your relocation process. What was easy and what went wrong?
Viviane: Well, we were very impacted at the beginning. Of course, when we first came to Portugal, we were like tourists, so everything for us was so cheap because we were coming from Ireland, and the salary in Ireland was much better than here. But we knew about that and about the cost of living. But it was during the pandemic, so it was another scenario, not like nowadays, and it was totally different.
So, we were like enjoying a lot the city, we visited many places, and we were in love with Portugal. Then when we started living the Portuguese life with work, salary and everything, of course. At the beginning we were a bit frustrated, especially to find a job was pretty hard because we weren't being given opportunities.
Question #6
Portugal Homes: Were there any cultural shocks or unexpected bureaucratic hurdles you faced?
Viviane: In Ireland we felt that the people there, that they have more hospitality but they they were like—hm, how can I say this?
They were: for example when I started my first job there, I was working in a fast food as an assistant, and in one week they consider you as best friend forever… So they embrace you more.
We felt that from many, from the school, from the English school, from the job, from all the places that we’ve been. So we felt that there.
In Portugal, we felt we were treated a bit cold at the beginning because I believe we have the same in Brazil. First we need to know the person, we need to see who is the person.
We don’t trust that at first sight... It was like that for us in Portugal.
Question #7
Portugal Homes: How did you choose your city or town in Portugal?
Viviane: We decided first to come to Lisbon and see how it would be going. Of course, we had some thoughts like, oh, let’s go to Porto, let’s go to the Algarve. Because we came in July, so we came in in the summer, so we wanted to explore all the possibilities. But since we arrived in Lisbon, we started doing our life in Lisbon, then we moved to Costa da Caparica, but our life was still in Lisbon, work and everything.
Personal Impact
Question #8
Portugal Homes: How did this move affect your family, children, or close relationships?
Viviane: For our family, it was much easier because, as I said, we are from Brazil, our family are also from Brazil, so for them is just to get one flight, eight hours flight, and they are in Lisbon, it’s much easier than you think.
And of course, the language, so when our family came last year, for example, in February last year, And despite from the culture and some barriers that they had, they felt so good in here.
Question #9
Portugal Homes: How do you feel you’ve changed as a person since moving?
Viviane: Well, I believe one way we changed a lot was that we became more resilient. As I said, in the beginning, it was difficult to find a job and be welcomed the community in the neighbourhood. in every place that we went to, we struggled a lot in regards like to feel welcome, because we are Brazilian and we know that we have these cultural differences and everything despite the similarities.
Question #10
Portugal Homes: Was there ever a moment when you questioned the decision. And if so, what made you stay?
Viviane: Yes, there were moments where we thought about moving back. After arriving in July 2020, we flew to Brazil that November, as we weren’t finding jobs in Portugal. We spent 3-4 months there, weighing our options, seeing if were going to stay in Brazil or return to Portugal. Then after a few more months there, we recovered our minds, we recovered everything. Then we found a job remotely here in Portugal and we decided to come back.
Life in Portugal Today
Question #11
Portugal Homes: What does your everyday life look like now compared to before?
Viviane: Well, the main difference is—In here, I’m a professional. In Ireland, we were students, and we were working because we had this flexibility where, with a student visa, we could work for 20 hours per week...
Question #12
Portugal Homes: What’s one small detail about Portuguese life that you’ve completely embraced?
Viviane: Assertiveness. For example, if a restaurant says they close at 3pm for lunch, they really close at that time. If they just just gonna let them know like okay we’re closing the kitchen 15 minutes or something like that and that’s… I felt very respected in this sense, and it was very good. And of course, the sunshine! After Ireland, having real summers feels like a luxury, even if they don’t compare to Brazil’s!
Question #13
Portugal Homes: How has your work, business, or retirement life evolved since moving?
Viviane: I’ve worked for three different companies in Portugal. In a restaurant, then in a customer service role for the Spanish market, and now as an Admin in the After Sales department at Harland and Poston. For me, the biggest difference from my first job here, which was also at a restaurant, is how totally different I’m recognized here. My job is valued, and I’m very thankful for that.
Question #14
Portugal Homes: What’s one myth about moving to Portugal that turned out to be false?
Viviane: Hmm... This is hard. I don’t know, to be honest, what I changed or... about Portugal. I know now how things work here. Not everything, exactly of course, because every person has their own experiences, but I can’t think of anything else.
Reflections & Advice
Question #15
Portugal Homes: What do you wish you had done differently in the process?
Viviane: When I arrived in Portugal, I would have hired a consultancy or someone to guide me on steps because, well, my fiancé and I were scammed in Ireland for more than €3,000. So that was very frustrating… We didn’t know anything about obtaining documents, how we get everything, where do we go, what to do…
Question #16
Portugal Homes: Which makes your case very interesting. Because now, working for Portugal Homes and the Harland & Poston Group, that’s exactly what you’re doing.
Viviane: Yes! And it’s funny how I ended up working here, and that’s why I’m telling you that’s what I would have done differently. It’s because now I know how important my role is for someone that decides to come to Portugal. I’ve made a real difference in the lives of the people that I work for, and knowing I contributed to their success is a feeling that can’t be described.
Question #17
Portugal Homes: Knowing what you know now, and considering the unfortunate situation in which you fell victim to, how do you build that trust with your clients?
Viviane: It’s all about that human connection. First, I share my own experiences, let them know that I was once on their side. Then, it’s about creating the rapport, letting them know the work we do, the services we provide is everything that they need, especially if they’re thinking in relocating or purchasing a house to invest in Portugal.”
Question #18
Portugal Homes: What would you say to someone who’s thinking about taking the same leap?
Viviane: Hire a consultancy! Hire a trustworthy company that does the services, because it can and will save you a lot of money. And try to do everything at that one company. In my case, it was a mess. One friend referred a lawyer, another friend referred an accountant, and we decided to do all with different people and it was not good because at the end we spent more money than if we have gone for example with one company like Harland & Poston that does everything.
Question #19
Portugal Homes: Well, that’s all the questions we had, Viviane, thank you so much!
Viviane: Any time! Thank you for having me.
Wrapping-Up
Viviane’s journey captures exactly why we launched Life in Portugal: to spotlight the real-world experiences that shape our company’s experience and, in turn, shape every relocation we manage. From language hurdles in Ireland to bureaucratic mazes in Lisbon, she’s lived the highs and lows our clients face, then took and transformed them into a playbook that facilitates the path for the next family who lands in sunny Portugal.
As we publish this, Viviane has just begun a new adventure of her own: she’s on maternity leave, welcoming the arrival of her first child. All of us at Portugal Homes and across the Harland & Poston Group wish her nothing but joy in the months ahead, and we’ll be here to support her—just as she has supported so many of our clients.
Stay tuned for the next instalment of Life in Portugal, where another expat will share how they turned a leap of faith into a Portuguese address.
