Europe Project · 2025–

A new home
on new ground

For nearly 18 years, Second Home has been a living experiment in a different way of life. Now we're bringing it to Europe — and we're looking for people who want to help build it.

Actively seeking co-builders · Portugal & beyond

Why now · Why Europe

Empty villages,
waiting for life

Across Portugal's interior — and across much of rural Europe — villages are quietly emptying. Houses stand unused. Land sits idle. Communities that sustained life for centuries are fading, not because there is anything wrong with the place, but because people left for cities and never came back.

"What if a group of people who already know how to build community went to one of these places — and simply started living?"

That question is what started this project. Not a development scheme. Not a tourism venture. A genuine attempt to put down roots, restore what's been lost, and build a life that actually makes sense.

We're not looking for a perfect ready-made situation. We're looking for the right place — somewhere with space, some openness from local authorities, and enough quiet to build something real. Portugal is our first focus, but we're not limited to it.

Portugal · Interior Region

Affordable land, mild climate, and a government actively trying to attract people back to its rural interior.

Low cost of living Mild climate EU base Permaculture-friendly

Restore & inhabit

Bring empty houses and land back to life. Make them livable, workable, beautiful again — with our own hands.

Grow real food

Establish gardens, orchards, and ecological farming. Reconnect with soil and seasons.

Live together well

Build a shared life based on cooperation, low consumption, mutual care, and genuine freedom.

Open the door

Once stable, welcome visitors, host immersive stays, run cultural exchanges.

Prove the model

Show — in concrete, daily, visible terms — that Civilization 3.0 is not a concept. It's a place you can walk into.

Be good neighbours

Contribute positively to the local area. Bring activity, care, and life back to a place that has been quietly fading.

Who we're looking for

People who build,
not just believe

🌱 Growers & land workers

Permaculture, organic farming, ecological design. People who know how to make land productive and alive.

🏗️ Builders & restorers

Construction, renovation, natural building. Turning old structures into livable, beautiful spaces.

🗣️ Local connectors

Portuguese, Spanish, or strong cross-cultural skills. Help us navigate and integrate locally.

🤝 Long-term builders

Not here for a few weeks. People ready to invest time, energy, and presence in something that lasts.

💡 Creatives & makers

Writers, artists, educators, technologists. People who can shape the culture of what we're building.

💰 Financial co-investors

People with capital who share the long-term vision. Not donors — co-builders with a stake in what gets created.

We don't require everyone to share the same philosophy. Short-term participants just need to be able to live harmoniously alongside others. Long-term members are people who genuinely resonate with the direction. What you contribute is entirely voluntary. There are no financial obligations, no mandatory beliefs, no restrictions on leaving.

What you get

What a life here actually looks like

🏡

A real home

Simple but comfortable accommodation. A place that is genuinely yours to live in — not a hotel, not a hostel.

🥗

Organic food

Food grown on shared land. Fresh, seasonal, and produced by the people who eat it.

🧘

Inner quiet

Life at a human pace. Less noise, less anxiety, less performance. More presence, more meaning.

👐

Real community

People who actually look after each other. Not a network — a home.

🌍

A stake in something

The community belongs to those who build it. Your contribution — in any form — is part of the foundation.

♾️

Long-term security

For long-term members: food, shelter, and care for life. The community has your back — in all seasons.

This is happening.
Are you part of it?

We're not looking for a lot of people. We're looking for the right people — those who feel something when they read this, who have been quietly wondering if there's another way.

Reach out and tell us a little about yourself: where you are, what you do, and what draws you to this. There's no form to fill, no application process. Just a conversation.

The village doesn't exist yet. The community does. Come help us find its home.

Get in touch

💡 When you write, tell us briefly: who you are, where you're based, what you bring, and what draws you to this project.

A new homeon new ground

Empty villages,waiting for life