December 30, 2020 - In: Rooms

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Students place adverts seeking out the perfect room at the perfect price. Finding that perfect room that has everything plus even those little surprises is what we all hope for. Nothing wrong in that, but you do find it, buyer beware.

Make no doubt that as human beings we are always on the quest for something better, something cheaper, someone better, and so on. If we didn't, we wouldn't have evolved to where we are today. Who doesn't like a bargain or great deal?!

Portugal, land of the cheap?



Unfortunately when it comes down to getting a room, especially if you intend to do so from abroad, can get tricky. Make no doubt, you will probably spend hours and hours hunting for that ultimate space, flat, room that has everything, even more so then you have at home, and at the monthly price of a good evening out. Wow, after all, Porto, or Portugal is the poorest (or it was for a while) country of Western Europe, so yea, prices should be like hundred euros a month... An expresso still goes for 60 cents in some places, so a room, not more than a 150, right?

Not anymore. Prices for room and board have risen to new modest levels ever since the boom from foreign students hit Portugal. The demand is much higher than the offer, hence prices have risen. Nonetheless, prices in Porto are still way below Lisbon and most neighboring Euro countries. Porto is a great city, facing the Atlantic, which is home to great surf, beaches galore, a great nightlife, and most of all, highly rated university exchange programs. So all this has a cost. More demand, higher prices. Foreign visitors are still lucky when they can easily go out for lunch and spend 10-15e on a decent meal with wine.

As a landlord, I have heard sad stories about how people were scammed or fooled. The title of this article means to send a message to those seeking out the cheapest rooms. They are out there, maybe old, smelly, uncomfortable, noisy, car noise and pollution penetrating the walls. Landlords that may keep your deposit if you leave early or if he feels like it because you left earlier then expected or because you stayed 10 days into the month, so he'll keep the whole month's rent. Of if something breaks that is old, junky or just cheap quality he may keep it for replacement of a new one and the current price that is 10 years old anyway.

O barato sai caro

In Portuguese the term "O barato sai caro" is gold. Literally. So often in life, we regret for the choosing the cheapest thing that later on comes back to haunt us.

Não há Milagres

At Porto Erasmus Rooms, we won't promise to be the cheapest, nor a 5 star hotel. Maybe we are a good 3.5 stars rating with price being 4 stars. That is how we can classify ourselves. You can keep looking for that 5 star room at a 5 star price, but good luck. Another Portuguese term goes "Não há milagres", meaning there are no miracles out there, but keep looking, you might just get lucky.  We only charge in 30 day cycles. We don't need a deposit because what are you going to break, cheap IKEA junk? These furniture pieces have a short life. The only thing we will ask is a minimum 15-day notice when you plan to leave. Fair enough?