Having moved to Portugal about a year and a half ago, I think I can finally say our house is furnished to the level I am comfortable with.  I still want to get a few more pieces of furniture, but nothing is missing.  We host dinner parties and birthday parties, and we all sleep in beds.  We have decorations in the garage and a kitchen full of cooking tools.

We moved to Portugal with only suitcases and plans to furnish our home there.  As we are a family of seven, we were able to bring two suitcases each, plus carry-ons, so we moved with a total of 22 bags.  Several were overweight, which we expected, and we paid around $1200 in checked bag fees.

Now that we have status on an airline, I could have gotten that down to probably $200.  However, we were prepared to pay a bit to transport what we did. We looked into getting a pallet shipped to Portugal, and it started at around $2000, so we still came out ahead.

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What Did We Bring to Portugal From the USA?

We allowed each of our children to have an entire suitcase to pack.  They picked their favorite stuffed animals, toys, books, comfort items, and clothes. Emotionally, it went a long way that each could have an entire suitcase (as they never get to pack that much for our regular travels!).

I took several suitcases for myself to bring things like:

• Our favorite Magnaformer toys.  They are expensive, and I didn’t want to have to try and rebuy them for an additional expense in Europe.
• A favorite Minky blanket we use for movie nights
• Two full bags of clothing and shoes
• Our favorite Cozy Earth sheets
• Measuring cups and large glass baking bowls

You’ll want to bring some items that bring you comfort and that you are confident you won’t be able to find in Portugal.  That may be impossible to know if you haven’t been shopping in Portugal, but you can search online for more research.

TIP: Portugal doesn’t export a lot of high-end material, and wages are low.  This means many of the items you can buy in Portugal are of lower quality.  You can find luxury items, but they might be so luxury they are out of budget.

What You Should NOT Bring to Portugal

• Any living plants
• Meats/Dairy items (customs will impound them)
• Electronic items.  You’ll need a new plug!!  Ok, we did bring some with convertible power strips, but it’s a risk! I bought a brand new Instant Pot from Amazon, and the first time I plugged it in, it fried and broke. I was never able to use it.  Now I only buy small appliances with EU plugs.
  • The exception to this: our computers and tech.  It’s all from the US with US plugs.  Apple products (our personal favorites) are about 20-30% more expensive in Portugal. We use adapters, and so far, we haven’t had a problem.  I love this US-to-EU plug adapter for tech.
• Anything that might not be good in humidity.  A silly example is gingerbread house kits.  We tried to make them, and they literally fell apart in the humidity of the winter.  

How Do You Furnish a Home in Portugal?

Bedrooms

Emma

We’ve ordered a mattress from Emma and have been very satisfied.  It’s the most comfortable mattress in the house currently.  They also sell pillows, sheets, and even bed frames. Another mattress company we’ve seen is Colunex.  It seems to be a higher-end store, but I can’t speak to the quality personally.

IKEA

IKEA stands like a comfortable beacon in Portugal for most Americans. However, the quality is only so-so.  We furnished a decent amount of our house from IKEA, including our current mattress, but I’m already looking to replace it a year later with an Emma mattress.

Conforama

Conforama dominates the furniture market in the Lisbon area as the big boy in line after IKEA.   We’ve enjoyed many of the pieces we bought there, but it’s not much better quality than IKEA.  We also haven’t been impressed with their customer service.

You can’t order online until you have a Portuguese bank card, so you’ll need to visit in person. Thankfully, there are several locations, and they do deliver.

Living Rooms and Kitchen

IKEA

We bought all of our desks, bookcases, and kitchen items from IKEA, including a fantastic work island.  Pro Tip: If you don’t want to spend hours assembling your furniture,  Task Rabbit is partnered with IKEA for assembly. We’ve used Task Rabbit professionals several times and have always been very pleased.  In fact, we’ve used them for other jobs around the house, such as electrical and plumbing needs.

Kinda

My favorite home store in Portugal was Kinda, which offered more high-end furniture at affordable prices.  We splurged here for our big, wooden dining table that can seat 14.  We enjoy this table every day and love the fact that we can have people for dinner anytime.

We also got some excellent dishes, specialty kitchen items, and decorative items at Kinda.  

*Unfortunately, Kinda is no longer in business*

Conforama

Somewhere between Ikea and high-end stores lies Conforama. There are a lot of pressed plywood options, similar to Ikea, but also some longer-lasting furniture like our leather sofas and outdoor furniture. I have mixed feelings about their quality, and their customer service is hopeless. However, when you need to buy lots of furniture at one time and you want a step above Ikea, it’s worth a visit.

Casa

Similar to Conforama but with less selection overall, Casa is also a popular choice. You can find retail locations all over Portugal, from the Algarve to Porto.

Gato Preto

More of a decorative store, Gato Preto offers more than furniture. We snagged our 14 dining room chairs there, and they have gotten lots of use!

Kitchen Life

If you love to cook or bake, I’d definitely recommend a visit here in Lisbon.  I found many of the kitchen tools I was searching for. 

Decathlon

For sports equipment, like basketballs and bikes, head to Decathlon.  I find the quality to be much lower than we find in the USA and prices were high, but it’s the best I can find in Portugal so far.

Smaller Expat Stores

Smaller expat-run stores dot Portugal, such as Simple Taste, Kit & Caboodle, and Abode. Google listings are not always the best in Portugal (often inaccurate, if they exist at all), so ask your realtor, landlord, or new friend network in Portugal for recommendations when you arrive.

Hiring Professional Help To Furnish Your Portugal Home

Furnishing an entire home can overwhelm even the best planners and be expensive. Many interior design companies exist in Portugal that can help you design furniture and furnishings to fit the space.

This can be really helpful when picking out appliances, as they vary from their US counterparts. We’ve been working initially with Artys and have loved their ideas so far!

Delivery of Furniture

One of the perks of Portugal is that delivery is the norm.  Most people live in apartments, and more than half the population doesn’t own a car.  

The downside of delivery is having to be home to receive it!  You’ll get long windows of expected delivery and must be home for the entire time.  Sometimes they are incredibly prompt, while other times they are hours late

Online Shopping

We didn’t do much online shopping for our home furnishing as we were in a hurry.  We didn’t know what house we would live in until we arrived (we spent our first two weeks in an Airbnb), so we couldn’t plan furniture orders beforehand.  However, shopping online is strong in Portugal. The younger generation does it, but not as often as just going to the store.

The problem we encountered was paying for the purchases.  Often, you need to use your Portuguese debit card or MB Way, which is similar to a Venmo in Portugal used by most businesses.  Since we didn’t have them when we arrived, it was tricky and required an in-person visit to use our credit card.

Other Stores To Know in Portugal

Continente

Continente may be the closest thing to Target in Portugal.  It’s not quite a Target and is more grocery than other goods, but it sells everything from lawn furniture to sheets.  You can find a lot of goods you’ll need at the larger Continente stores.  They also have grocery delivery (and other goods), which is lovely. 

Grocery Stores

Preferred grocery stores are a bit of a dividing factor among the Portuguese.  Everyone seems to have their favorite and thinks theirs has the best prices or offerings.

Options Include:

Pingo Doce 

More of your neighborhood grocery store, franchised.  Smaller selection with locations under apartment buildings and in the middle of each aldeia, or “village.”  Some malls also have giant versions of Pingo Doce.  

They offer food catering of a sort, which is very popular during the holidays for parties and Christmas dinners.  Many Portuguese people work a full day on Christmas Eve and don’t have time to cook, so they will order dinner from Pingo Doce.  After having it at our church Christmas party, I was impressed, and the price was incredible: around $150 to feed over 50 main dishes.

Lidl

This chain exists in many parts of the USA, and you might already be familiar with it.  For me, it’s a bit small, but it tends to have holiday options!  I head here during holidays when I want themed goods.

Achuan 

A French-based grocery store with a great food selection (although a bit smaller than the large Continente stores).  I love the cheese and meat selections here, but they are more pricey.  They also have an excellent selection of allergy-sensitive foods, such as gluten-free.  We have a large store near us that also carries some home goods.

Chinese Stores

I know how this sounds.  I was shocked by this when I first heard of it.  However, it’s a real thing.  They are literally called “loja chinesa” in Portuguese and bridge many gaps.  Here you can find many things: office supplies, craft supplies, pet supplies, clothing, school items, seasonal holiday items, house goods, and more.  Quality is low overall, but for many of these items, it doesn’t matter. Price is not always the lowest either.. sometimes they are gouging customers.

Think of this between the dollar store and Walmart in the US and your equivalent to a Michael’s Craft Store.  Visiting a few is a MUST.  If you are in Lisbon, this one near CascaiShopping is my favorite. 

Worten and Fnac 

Like Best Buy, Worten and Fnac are your stops for school books, tech, musical instruments, and more.  Larger home appliances are best found at Worten (like vacuum cleaners and my Instant Pot replacement).  We also found a foosball table here.

Fnac has books and musical instruments and will be where you can go if you need to buy school books (should you go private or choose to buy them yourself). Fnac online also offers many good books in English.

Shopping Malls 

If malls are a dying art in the USA, the opposite is true in Portugal.  Malls are thriving and are where you must go for most of your shopping.  They all tend to have big grocery stores.  Some of the considerable options in Lisbon and around Lisbon include:

• Columbo
• Ubbo
• Corte Ingles (hailing from Spain, this is more like a giant department store for higher-end goods and very fun to visit)
• Cascais Shopping
• Oeiras Parque
• Vasco De Gama

Malls tend to have several floors with massive food courts, restaurants, movie theaters, and play areas for kids.  Overall, it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Other Tips for Furnishing a Home in Portugal

• Take note that many homes, especially rentals, can be found furnished. This likely won’t include everything you want, but it will save a bunch of money not having to buy the basics. Furniture is also non-taxable in Portugal, which can save you some money! Just tell your realtor (which you use for rentals as well) you want furnished. You can then add a few personal touches to your new home.
• When furnishing a home, keep the long term in mind. If you are only going to experience Portugal for a couple of years, you’ll want to buy less and of lower quality than if you are staying forever. If you are furnishing a short-term rental property, some things are not as important, like storage spaces. The durability of furniture in a short-term rental needs to be high as well for the constant wear and tear.
• Note that all homes in Portugal have gates and all apartments have locked front doors. This is not because Portugal is not safe. In fact, it is one of the safest places to live. However, due to low income and the propensity for social assistance, you do want these light levels of protection against homeless (which is not super common), wandering pets, etc.
• Closets are often non-existent or very small (like everything in Europe!). We had to buy closets from Ikea along with the storage options and hangers.

Good luck with all your new adventures!

Xoxo,

Leslie

Additional Reading

Moving Your Family to Portugal from the United States: What to Know

Getting Yourself To Portugal

Why We Are Uprooting Our Family and Moving To Portugal