Checking Your Connections …
A guide to phones and internet overseas
This beautiful Portugal home could be yours.
If you’re considering investing in a holiday home or a place in the sun for yourself, then making a wish list of features isn’t a bad start.
You may want a garden of your own, for example, and perhaps a swimming pool; maybe you would prefer a shared complex where the costs are spread and there’s a better chance of making new friends among your neighbours. We have plenty to offer in both Turkey and Portugal.
But, if you imagine you’ve been looking for a property for sale in Fethiye or Lisbon for some time and you finally see one which seems to fit the bill, it’s easy to find yourself focused on the bricks and mortar and not the practicalities of what life would actually be like after you move.
Trouble in paradise
Let’s say that villa for sale in Fethiye has a beautiful sun terrace, an en suite shower in every bedroom, a couple of balconies with views; even the words on this page are probably conjuring up images which are difficult to resist, especially when in Turkey the price tag could be under £100k.
But have you thought what life would be like if your phone signal at home is patchy and the internet download speeds are so slow it may be quicker to consult an old-school encyclopaedia? For some, of course, that may only add to a vision of paradise but, if you’re trying to work, stream TV or – worse – if you have a teenager at home, any of the above could be a nightmare.
So, if you’ve seen a property for sale in Fethiye or something has caught your eye in Estoril, how can you check if it’s connected to the modern communication networks in advance?
Checking the facts
A quick search on the internet should lead to sites such as www.nperf.com which provides handy maps which show internet and phone coverage for the major networks. If you wanted to check on that villa for sale in Fethiye, for example, you may be relieved to find most of the town is covered by a 4G phone signal. Fibre optic internet may not be widely available but speeds of between 10mb/s and 20mb/s are possible in some areas.
Download speeds are even better in Portugal, where just about the entire country has internet, with connections established by the former Portugal Telecom monopoly, although the market has now been opened to other suppliers such as Sonaecom. However, as you may expect, the more remote your location, the more patchy your internet speeds may become.
In Portugal, there are fewer restrictions too but, if we go back to that villa for sale in Fethiye, you should be aware that Government restrictions mean that Wikipedia isn’t available without a VPN while PayPal also doesn’t operate in Turkey.
Neither issue is insurmountable of course; for many it would have little or no bearing on their quality of life. But, if you are looking for property for sale in Fethiye, it’s something worth bearing in mind.
Try before you buy
However, one thing we would always recommend before investing in a holiday home is “on the ground” experience in advance. If you have your heart set on a villa for sale in Fethiye, why not rent for a little while in the same area before you start hunting for your dream home?
That way, you will already be aware of the amenities available locally – and that includes the quality of the phone signal and internet connections. You will also have the opportunity to make friends and perhaps draw on their experience as well as your own – all valuable information which could influence your decision on where to settle and buy a home.
If you would like any more help or advice concerning internet and phone connections overseas, feel free to drop us a line or give us a call. Don’t forget we’re also here to help you find the home of your dreams in Turkey, Portugal, Spain or Greece and with the logistics and paperwork involved in relocating.
In the meantime, you may be able to find what you’re looking for on other pages of our website where you can read advice on how to obtain a Golden Visa in Portugal, a Golden Visa in Spain, how to qualify for citizenship in Turkey or to obtain a Golden Visa in Greece. Also, if you enjoyed this post and think others might find it useful, please feel free to pass it on.