Expat Community > Portugal

EightFlowers
Joined 2019
Posts: 2

Heating Options for Winter

5 years ago

Hello everyone,

I’m considering moving to Portugal but what I have read about the winter and the lack of heating is making me hesitate, and I am looking for advice from seasoned vets like yourselves who have already had this experience.

I would be renting a flat and working from home, so I will be in the place more often than not. So staying warm and being comfortable are of utmost importance. I have a very strong anxiety about being cold because I am anemic and the thought of not having central heat plus the possibility of dampness/mold in is worrying me. My worst nightmare would be to be stuck in a cold, damp place and have to sleep in a damp bed (I've done before and gotten really ill).

???????The areas I am considering are:
Leiria (the city itself)
Caldas da Rainha
Loule
Evora

What are my options for heating up an apartment? I've come up with these solutions, but I don't know if they will be enough:
-Space heaters (only works for a space, and not sure if they will work well enough)
-Get an apartment with the dual ac/heating unit - but I know (from experience) they don't work that well unless you are in a small space
-I can get an apartment that faces the sun, but that’s only good for the daytime.

I’ve also read about the high cost of electricity there and since I will be working from home, I can imagine I will most likely be running a space heater (or two) in my work space all day. Can you give me a rough estimate of how much extra cost per month that would be?

What are some tips on how you stay warm? How bad is the winter, really? It’s hard to tell if my mind is over exaggerating things but I’ve slept in places without heat – Balkans in the dead of December for instance – and it’s not something I want to do as a part of my long-term life.

Since I've heard the winters are windy and rainy, (I know it varies depending on the area) I'm also curious if the rain a constant for 1-2 months, or are there breaks of sunshine? I suffer from Season Affective Disorder and worry that depression might kick in if I have to deal with weeks of straight rain.

I know this post has been long-winded and I have many questions :) but I truly do appreciate any insight on this subject that will help me make my decision on whether to move or not to Portugal.

Thank you so much!

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Expat Community > Portugal

Heating Options for Winter

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