While it was certainly not all DIY (we had professional help with most of it), renovating our apartment and terrace was a tedious 2.5 month-long project that is now 99% complete. Wayne single-handedly patched a lot of holes & cracks and painted every inch of walls and ceilings. We share this experience to demonstrate that you can overcome the language barrier and lack of understanding of local ways with some effort plus help from others. You can make a new place fit your needs and style – even in a foreign country. I’m sure our style wouldn’t suit everyone – certainly not most Portuguese – but, we are now quite comfortable. 

In addition to painting, we did/had done:
– Fixed many holes in the walls & cracks in the ceilings.
– Moved the dining area electrical to the opposite end & replaced the light.
– Replaced all other ceiling lights.
– Replaced electric cooktop with a gas one.
– Replaced the power vent over the cooktop.
– Replaced the kitchen faucet and two shower heads.
– Put in a dishwasher, built-in microwave, washer & dryer.
– Added trim around the bathroom ceilings.
– Replaced bathroom vent covers.
– Made & hung the tile decor over the fireplace.
– Removed all window coverings.
– Ran the cable and hung two TVs.
– Had the window sills & casings sanded, stained and varnished.
– Removed doors to storage.
– Had the fireplace flue cleaned.
AND – added an elevated deck and pergola to our rooftop terrace.

We learned a lot and have much more yet to learn. Of course we wish we could do more, but we have to stick to our budget so this will be pretty much it.