Finding builders in Portugal

I'll be interested in the outcome - we'll be looking, too, and we're almost walking distance in Pombal, if the online map is pointing to the right Malavenda.  What I've tried so far was to engage the service of a "paisagista" - landscaper in Santiago de Litem, who came right out and had some fairly practical ideas about how to proceed. He was going to send a rough draft plan.  And that's the last I heard, now months ago.  He spoke Portuguese and I believe French.

He would have been able to line up the people - he had already brought a guy with him from a solar power place, because I mentioned panels.  We're stuck in the US now, but when I get back, maybe I'll see if I can get him back on the stick, or try as I gather you are doing to manage the project yourself.

This is the biggest issue with the construction industry: lack of capacity (any at all, frankly, right now) and especially when it comes to small-scale works.  There has been ample major, lucrative work for the medium/large outfits, that they don't need to take the smaller jobs; and of course, there has been significant emigration of skilled professionals in the sector.

In our recent experience, the best success has come from individual tradespeople, project managed by the client; and in some cases, in building a reputation, they or people they know will carry out other work.  Finding someone to manage a project is all but impossible, in part because the skill is absent from the industry, and also because with the availability issues, people know it's extremely hard to achieve.

I know this is not the news you'd prefer.  There are individuals who claim to be able to sort things - but magical availability often masks either quality or follow-through issues; or there may be a major price-tag.  Resolving issues on work carried out on individual projects can be hard - so try not to lower your standards due to haste.  (This is hard, I know from personal experience!)