Useful articles
Short, practical guides about the home, local services and daily life on the island — for residents, for recent arrivals and for people here for a season.
Planning work on a home in Madeira: the order, the agreements and the quotesThe order trades come in, what to agree before work starts, how to stop a small renovation growing, and how to compare quotes written in different ways.Running a holiday rental on Madeira: the maintenance routine that keeps guests happyWhat breaks most often in a Madeira holiday rental, how to handle the turnover between bookings, and how to line up trades you can call at short notice.Damp and mould in Madeiran homesWhy the island climate causes mould, how to tell condensation from water ingress, and what you can fix yourself or should leave to a professional.Services worth knowing about if you are staying on Madeira for a few weeksBabysitting, a photographer, transfers and deliveries, a hairdresser or masseur who comes to you, and a mechanic if you rented a car in Madeira.Moving to Madeira: the services of the first monthThe services you will actually need in your first weeks on the island, in the order you will need them, from cleaning and utilities to furniture and damp.Working for yourself on Madeira: how to get clientsHow word of mouth works on a small island, what a good profile and a clear offer look like, and why replying fast wins more work than being the cheapest.Home emergencies: what to do in the first ten minutesBurst pipe, power gone, blocked drain or locked out: what to do first, where the stopcock and fuse box usually are, and who to call afterwards.How to find a reliable professional in MadeiraA practical guide to writing a request that gets useful offers, comparing quotes, asking the right questions and spotting warning signs in Madeira.