Practical guidance for people building a life in Portugal.
Whether you're considering Portugal, preparing for the move, or already here trying to figure out your next steps, Paula brings a local perspective and Emily brings an immigrant perspective. Together, we'll help you cut through the noise, make informed decisions and avoid expensive mistakes.
Questions We Help You Answer
We don't claim to have all the answers. However, we WILL help you ask the right questions, understand your options, identify blind spots, and make informed decisions in order to build a practical plan for your life in Portugal. Every family's journey is different, but here are examples of some of the questions we hear every week: • Is Portugal really the right fit for us? • Which town fits our lifestyle? • Should we rent or buy? • Do we need a car? • How does healthcare actually work? • What should we know about schools? • What are we forgetting to think about? • Why does everything still feel harder than expected? • Everyone online says something different. Who do we trust? • I don’t even know what questions I should be asking—where do I start? If you're trying to make sense of conflicting advice, decide where to live, understand how everyday life really works, or simply figure the next steps for your unique situation, we'll help you cut through the noise and make informed decisions with confidence. When specialized legal, tax, immigration, or financial advice is needed, we'll help connect you with trusted professionals.
CLARITY
Cut through conflicting advice and understand your options.
PERSPECTIVE
Benefit from both a Portuguese native's local knowledge and an immigrant's firsthand experience.
CONFIDENCE
Move forward with practical next steps based on [your family's goals.]
Our Promise
Our recommendations are earned, not purchased.
When people trust us with important - and often expensive - decisions about building a life in Portugal, every recommendation we give must always pass our one simple test:
Would we recommend this to our own family?
This means we don't charge businesses for referrals, we never ask them to increase prices for our clients, and we don't ever expect compensation from a business for recommending or referring to them. Instead, we build our network the old fashioned way: through firsthand experiences, client feedback, and community reputation. When we suggest a lawyer, accountant contractor, healthcare provider, language teacher, or other service, it is because we genuinely believe they provide excellent service, not because someone paid to be on our list.
If we wouldn't confidently recommend someone to our own family, we won't recommend them to you.
Our loyalty is to our clients - not to referral fees.
Most People Start Here
Every family's situation is different. These are the most common ways people begin working with us. If your needs don't fit neatly into one of these options, we'd still love to hear from you—we're always happy to discuss your situation.
Portugal Reality Check
€99 + VAT (tax)
A personalized review of your situation from both an immigrant and a local Portuguese perspective.
Ideal for:
- People considering a move
- Families choosing a location
- Individuals facing an important decision
Includes:
- Review of your situation
- Answers to your questions
- Practical recommendations
- Follow up summary
Portugal School Roadmap
€79 + VAT (tax)
For families navigating Portuguese schools and family life.
Ideal for:
- Understanding school communications
- Questions about expectations and culture
- School related decision making
Includes:
- Review of your questions or documents
- Practical suggestions
- Questions you may want to ask
Portugal Second Opinion (Sanity Check)
€49 + VAT (tax)
Considering a major decision in Portugal?
Sometimes you don't need a consultant, you just want a second set of informed eyes.
Whether you're choosing a location, comparing schools, evaluating a service provider, planning a move, or trying to decide between different options, we'll review your situation and share our honest perspective from both an immigrant and local Portuguese point of view.
Our goal isn't to tell you what to do. It's to help you identify blind spots, ask better questions, and make more informed decisions.
Popular Topics Include:
- Public versus private school
- Choosing where to live
- Relocation plans
- Transportation and car ownership
- Budget and lifestyle expectations
- Everyday life in Portugal
- Do I need an attorney/solicitor?
Who We Are
Why these two?
Emily:
Emily understands what it's like to leave one country, build a life in another, and navigate the hundreds of decisions that come with starting over.
Paula:
As a Portuguese native (who has been an immigrant abroad as well), Paula provides the local insight, language, and cultural understanding that help turn good decisions into practical ones.
Together:
Together, they bring perspectives to your situation that neither could offer alone.
We are a woman-owned business with 50/50 American and Portuguese ownership! Inspired by our experiences living abroad, we strive to help you avoid the struggles we have faced through the years while making new friends! We are honored to help all people (and their loved four-legged companions), regardless of who they love, what they look like, and what their beliefs may be.
Emily Reid
Dr. Emily Reid spent more than 20 years helping people become more independent and overcome complex, real-world challenges as an occupational therapist before trading her predictable suburban life in the United States for the wonderfully confusing adventure of starting over in Portugal.
Like many immigrants, Emily quickly discovered that moving abroad isn't just about visas and paperwork. It's about figuring out everyday life—the unfamiliar systems, the language barriers, the cultural differences, and the constant feeling that everyone else seems to know something you don't. She learned that the biggest challenges are often the smallest ones.
Those experiences, combined with a career spent helping people navigate life's practical challenges, inspired Casa da Emília. Emily believes that relocating successfully isn't about having all the answers—it's about having someone beside you who can help you ask the right questions, avoid common mistakes, and navigate the unknown with confidence.
Today, Emily lives near Leiria with her husband, children, and dogs. She combines her firsthand experience as an immigrant with a lifelong passion for helping others build confidence and independence as they create a new life in Portugal. She still occasionally mistakes soap for hand sanitizer, still white-knuckles her way through medieval streets clearly designed before cars existed, and remains convinced that fresh Portuguese bread solves at least half of life's problems.
Paula Booth
Paula Booth is a true force of nature — full of energy, spirit, and determination. Born and raised in Portugal, she set off for Germany in 1990, where fate introduced her to the love of her life: an American in the U.S. Air Force. With him, she took flight to England where they spent several years and welcomed their two children.
Around the year 2005, Paula decided to return to her homeland, happily settling in Marinha Grande. Having once been alone in a foreign country, she knows better than anyone the challenges of starting over — the loneliness, the cultural barriers, and the vital importance of surrounding yourself with local people who can help.
Today, she gives back what she once received: the helping hand of someone who knows the way. At Casa da Emília, Paula is dedicated to supporting those who choose Portugal as their new home, making every transition smoother, more human, and truly authentic.
Let's Start the Conversation
Not sure which option is right for you? We'd be happy to talk through your situation and help you decide whether we're the right fit.