Your Home
Everything you need for running Number 10 day-to-day.
Appliance manuals are also in the bottom drawer under the toaster.
Access & Alarm
Pedestrian gate
Entering on foot: press the bottom-left button, then 2021, then the bottom-left button again, and pull the left gate towards you. No code needed to exit – just close it behind you.
Garage
On first arrival, use the ground-floor pedestrian access – fewer steps with bags! After that, the 2nd button from the top on your remote opens the external garage gate; the top button opens the lower sliding door into the garage.
Alarm & flood alarm
To unset or set, enter your 4-digit code (given with your keys). Basement flood sensors will sound the house alarm regardless of whether it’s set – reset with your usual code, but check the basement if it goes off unexpectedly.
Intercom
For the pedestrian gate, to the right as you look out of the kitchen window. Press the red call button to speak to a visitor via video; once you know who they are, press the blue padlock button on screen to let them in – tell them to pull the left gate when they hear the click.
Never admit anyone you weren’t told to expect – all authorised visits (repairs etc.) will be notified to you in advance by Luis or us.
Services
Maid service
Carla calls on Tuesday mornings to clean. She isn’t expected to do personal washing, ironing or washing up – ask us in advance if you need this arranged. A tip of around €20/week is customary; leftover food or drink is also welcome.
Garden furniture
On arrival, remove covers and store them in the roof box. Ground-floor furniture is secured with a chain and padlock (key in the cutlery drawer) – arrange as you wish. Rooftop furniture has covers too; scatter cushions are in the storage box.
Garden & pool maintenance
Marko maintains both weekly, on Tuesdays, during the day – please don’t send him away. The pool is topped up as part of this, so it may run cooler than usual for a while afterwards.
Repairs & maintenance
We or Luis will always notify you before any contractor visit – call Luis to confirm identity if you’re ever suspicious, even with an ID card shown. Please don’t attempt repairs yourself or hire anyone independently; all work must be authorised by us.
Refuse
Bins (with liners) are under the kitchen sink – left for food/general waste, right for paper & card, glass kept separate and taken to the basement. Everything goes to the public recycling bins just outside the main road entrance. Please empty more than once a week, especially after cooking fish!
Utilities
Electricity
220 volts, 2-pin continental sockets – check your own appliances can run on this voltage. The pool pump runs year-round; air conditioning is fine in summer but natural ventilation (parasol, blinds, building design) should be your first choice, as A/C spikes usage. Underfloor heating isn’t needed May–October for the same reason.
Gas
Only the outside BBQ relies on gas.
Plumbing
Modest toilet paper is fine, but nothing else – no nappies, sanitary towels or tampons, please use the bins provided. Avoid bleach on sanitary ware; only biodegradable cleaners. Tell Carla if any drain is slow.
Water supply & heating
Mains water – please don’t waste it, especially in high season. Hot water is solar-heated with a timer; when off-cycle it may take a couple of minutes to come through from the basement, and temperature can dip if more than one shower runs at once.
Drinking water
Tap water is safe but can upset stomachs or taste odd – we prefer bottled for drinking, ice and washing salads. Tap water’s fine for teeth, tea/coffee and cooking veg.
Appliances
- Dishwasher: gently press the middle of the door to open – no need to pull. Tablets, salt and rinse aid are in the drawer under the sink. The 60° wash gives the cleanest, driest cycle.
- Oven: press Start (left), choose a cooking type or ‘Cooking Types’ for more detail. The scroll wheel confirms options including time (default 30 min). Cooking starts once the door closes – it runs hot, so keep an eye on things.
- Hob: press standby below the central extractor (sensitive to wet fingers). Select a zone or the extractor symbol, then +/- or slide up the middle bar to set heat. Double-tap the extractor for Automatic mode. It runs intense – take care.
- Kettle: press standby, spin the dial to your desired temperature, press once to start boiling.
- Frother: press standby, then press again to choose hot or cold milk – it lights up when started and stops automatically.
- Coffee machine: top up the water tank, press standby, insert a capsule, slide the green indicator to your cup size. The lever at the back: right for hot, left for cold.
- Toaster: press standby, turn the silver dial to your desired browning (we suggest 7), or select reheat/bagel/one-sided/defrost. Press the tick to check or cancel.
- Air fryer: line the drawer with baking paper (in the drawer under the toaster). Press standby, choose a cooking type, adjust time with +/-.
- Fridge & freezer: simple to operate once you’ve found them – the large ice cubes are great for drinks.
- BBQ: hot-plate style, mains gas, on the pool terrace. Utensils are in the kitchen’s top left drawer.
- Ice machine: in the basement utility room. Plug in, lift the lid, fill the basket to the ‘Max’ line, press power, select ‘L’ cubes. Takes ~25 minutes and beeps when done – decant into zip-seal bags (drawer under the toaster) and into the freezer.
- Washing machine: detergent left, softener middle. Water is soft, so an egg-cup of each is plenty. Mixed load / 15–30 min express both work well; keep the temperature at 30° or below.
- Dryer: mix load, set to 40°, works well.
- Steamer, iron, board, airer: all kept in the tall cupboard in the utility room.
Phone, TV & Wi-Fi
Telephone: no landline – please use FaceTime, WhatsApp or similar rather than incurring call costs. UK dialling code is 00 44 (drop the leading 0); Portugal is 00 351.
TV: Terrestrial TV gives Portuguese channels; the basement cinema has Apple TV if you have your own login (please delete your account, not ours, before you leave). Sound runs through Sonos – turning on the TV overrides other music in the Cinema Zone.
Wi-Fi: Network Lazer_A10 – you will find the WiFi password located on the bottom of the router, located on the ground floor. Good coverage throughout, weaker on the rooftop. Please don’t alter any settings; contact us rather than Lazer directly for issues.
Blinds, Lights & Heating
Blinds: clear the area before lowering. Bedrooms have sunlight and blackout blinds – we suggest keeping sunlight down for privacy and to reduce solar gain. Master bedroom: blackout 1 & 2, sunlight 3 & 4. Bedrooms 2 & 3: blackout 1, sunlight 2. Living/kitchen: sunlight only.
Lights: basement stairwell/garage entrance is sensor-controlled. Pool light switch is by the patio door to the garden.
Heating: Nov–Apr, underfloor heating should already be running – you shouldn’t need to adjust it. If still cold, use the air heating (lift the front cover of respective remote, 1 per room, choose the sun/heat mode). Turn off whenever you go out.
Towel rails: press the button under the bottom-right corner – blue light means on. Switch off in warmer weather.
Air conditioning: last resort after natural ventilation in summer – controlled by same remote as heating, lift cover, select cooling – keep doors/windows closed while running, turn off when you go out.
Spare batteries are kept in the kitchen cupboard under the coffee machine.
Security
- Changeover day is when you’re most likely to be off guard – lock suitcases and never leave a vehicle unattended while loading.
- Shut and lock every door, gate and window each time you leave, even briefly – your insurance may not cover a claim without signs of forced entry.
- Never leave keys under a planter, mat or similar hiding spot.
- Use the alarm code every time you leave Number 10.
Other Info
Insects & animals: ants, flies and mosquitoes are a fact of life here – so refrigerate perishables, use the vacuum-pack jars in the kitchen (battery operated white pump in kitchen drawer), and don’t leave dirty dishes out. Shut doors before switching on lights to keep mosquitoes out. Never feed stray cats or dogs – they can cause damage and later visitors may be allergic.
Damage: if anything is damaged or broken, please tell us and offer to cover it – no need to source a replacement yourself unless it’s an easy match. Never attempt a repair yourself or hire anyone independently. Also: secure open doors/windows against draughts, wipe up spills quickly (granite and wood stain easily), keep sun cream off furniture and linen, don’t walk pool water into the house, and close the parasol at night or in wind.