Well we are well into February and things are very slow in getting going, but we suspected this would be the case, even when setting the dates with the builder we discussed some flexibility around the date to allow for the weather. On top of this generally Portugal has been suffering the same effects of the inclement weather we have been experiencing here in the UK, nowhere as much as the UK, but enough that it is holding things up.
As mentioned in previous blogs, the first task before any construction can really get going is to get some basic utilities on site e.g. Water and Electricity. We have heard the installation for the electricity has been done, not sure what this actually is, but we assume some form of box has been installed to the site and cables / wires are somewhere, I expect we find out at some point. We are now 
waiting for the “Certiel” to approve the installation so the electricity can be turned on. The bad weather is holding this up understandably if they have to restore power to some customers, like in the UK. I guess at some point they will need some details from us about paying the bills, e.g. bank details, but we will let you know what happens.
The second bit .e.g. Water, this requires the drilling of the borehole and we heard that this was all scheduled in for last week, but again due to the bad weather this has been delayed.
The weather here in the UK seems now to be improving so hopefully it is in Portugal as well and we will get a more favourable update later this week.
Also the licence fee for the build still has to be paid to the council, but the licence will have an expiry of 1 year from the date of payment, you can apply again, but to maximise the 12 months, the architects (Project Management team) are hanging on until the “Certiel” approval is achieved as it not needed before.