A couple bought a ruined farm in Portugal. What's next?

CNN - They were originally looking for a vacation home, but Alan Andrew, originally from Pennsylvania, and his Belgian husband Vincent Proost found themselves moving to Portugal permanently after buying an abandoned farm in the Alentejo region. The couple, who met on a blind date in London in 2006, had been living together in the UK for about two decades when they started looking for a new home in Europe.

Although neither of them had spent much time in Portugal before, Proost, an interior designer, felt it might be the right place for them and suggested they spend some time exploring the country together. "Honestly, I was leaning more toward something like Italy," Andrew tells CNN Travel. "I didn't really know Portugal. "

After traveling around the country for several months, they fell in love with Alentejo, located in southern Portugal, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) from the capital Lisbon, and decided to look for a home there. "Every direction has a beautiful view," adds Alan, who works as an educational psychologist. "For me, it's a mixture of African savannah and Tuscany. "

They looked at around 80 properties in the area before coming across a crumbling farm located in the rural village of Figueira i Barros. But it soon became clear that it would be impossible to save the house, and it became a much bigger project than they had planned. "It's been abandoned for about 50 years," Andrew explains. "So the roof is completely gone. "It was just crumbling. We knew we would have to start from scratch.".

They realized they would have to move to Portugal permanently to fully immerse themselves in building and farming. "It suddenly became a project," says Proost. "And I said: 'OK, let's move. And we moved. "We built a house from scratch just before the pandemic, which was a real adventure. "

They moved to Portugal and started building.

After buying the property in the summer of 2019, they officially moved to Portugal, renting a house nearby while they finalized the deal and went through the residency process. The couple also began meeting with architects and builders to develop plans for their new home before construction began. They decided to first renovate the barn on the property into a "pool house" to live in while the work was being done.

Once things got started, however, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. Countless countries around the world, including Portugal, have entered the lockdown, and a couple who were asked to leave their rented home found themselves homeless. "All the hotels were closed," explains Proost. "So we had to sleep in a tent for two weeks. "

They were eventually able to stay in a barn, even though they initially had no electricity, while waiting for repairs to begin. Fortunately, the barn was completed within a few months and they continued to live there while construction of the main house continued. The original farm was demolished in September 2020.

Life on the farm and the completion of construction

"For a long time we couldn't leave our neighborhood," Andrew says. "And we just moved here, so we didn't know anybody.

"There's a lot of outdoor space here," Andrew says. "Social distance is always respected here. "

Work on their home was slowed by Covid-related restrictions and the couple had to revise their expectations. "Construction was supposed to last a year," says Proost. "We just finished, it's almost three years. So it took longer than planned. "

The house, which they named Casa Baio, has a solar water heating system and is also equipped with solar panels for electricity. "It's very well insulated," Andrew adds. "In the old traditional houses, the windows are small because of the weather, but now, thanks to technology, we can install bigger windows. "

They admit that it took them some time to adjust to the change in pace of life, explaining that things move much slower in Alentejo. "Everyone here has time on their hands," Andrew says. "If you're standing in line at the supermarket, it's quite common for the cashier to have a conversation with the person in front of you for 10 minutes - and it doesn't bother anyone - you're just waiting in line. That's the way it is.".

Adoption by locals

Now happily settled in Portugal, the couple spend much of their free time caring for animals, including chickens and sheep, and working in their olive fields. "Neither of us had the slightest idea of farming," Andrew adds. "So we were lucky enough to meet a Portuguese farmer who became our mentor and taught us how to do it. "

They also produce their own organic oil, which has won awards at various competitions, including the London International Olive Oil Competition. Andrew and Proost say they try to use regenerative organic practices on the farm, which is certified organic.

They currently operate Casa Baio as a mini-hotel, with four en-suite rooms that can be booked for stays of at least two nights. They have made friends with many locals - Alan is a member of the local running club - as well as other expatriates who have moved to Portugal. "As soon as we bought the place, all the neighbors invited us over for dinner," says Proost. "The people here are just wonderful. "

They say they've definitely noticed an increase in the number of people from the U.S. moving to Portugal, especially to Alentejo. "It's a region that's not so well known yet, but is now becoming better known," Andrew says. "A lot of Americans come to this area from the west coast of California because the climate here is very similar to that of California. "

Andrew explains that Portugal's "golden visa," a five-year residency program for non-EU foreign nationals, "has attracted a lot of people." "Many of them first came to Porto or Lisbon, the big cities," he explains. "There are really authentic Portuguese villages here.".