Thanks to its warm weather, low cost of living, and beautiful beaches and countryside, Portugal has become an incredibly desirable place to own a holiday home or vacation rental, particularly in areas like Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. It’s also home to some of the best golf courses in the world, many undiscovered wine regions, and often has cheap flights from destinations like the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. If you’re looking for a property
Over the past few years, more and more people have bought properties in Portugal. This begs the question: can foreigners buy property in Portugal? And, if they can, do they have to be a resident to do so. According to Camille Ramiere who runs buyers agency Bloom Spaces, “yes, you can buy property in Portugal as a foreigner.” Ramiere also points out that there are no restrictions on residents (people legally living in Portugal) and
The last big step in the buying process is the signing of the Deed of Purchase and Sale or Escritura de Compra e Venda (commonly referred to as the escritura). This is the point where you hand over the final cheque or payment and in return, the sellers hand over the keys to the property. Although there will be a few small things to do afterwards, this is the last big hurdle in the buying
The Portuguese golden visa is one of the most popular Portuguese residency visas. It has many benefits, but the main one is that it only requires you to spend an average of just seven days per year in Portugal (14 days every two years in practice). In comparison, most residency visas assume you will spend the majority of your time in Portugal. This makes the golden visa is ideal for those that: After five years
A major step in the property buying process is putting down a deposit and signing the promissory contract. You’ve already made an offer, but the promissory contract confirms you want to go ahead with the sale. Although putting down a deposit is a normal part of the buying process in many countries, in Portugal this is a much bigger step as the promissory contract (Contrato de Promessa de Compra e Venda or just CPCV) makes
While most people buying property in Portugal buy for themselves, either as a main residence or a holiday home, many buy with the intention of renting that property out, either to long-term renters or to short-term holiday-makers. And, unless you’re in the lucky position to have savings to cover the purchase, it’s quite likely you’ll need a mortgage. Getting a mortgage in Portugal is possible, regardless of whether you live there (resident) or not (non-resident),
You’ve found that perfect property in Portugal. It could be an apartment in Lisbon, a villa in the Algarve, a ruin on the Silver Coast, or a cottage on a remote island of the Azores. Either way, it’s perfect. Now you just need to get a mortgage (called a hipoteca or crédito habitação in Portuguese). Even if you live abroad, you’ll probably need to get this through a Portuguese bank. That may seem daunting, but
Apartments and houses in Portugal lack insulation. This means that not only can they be absolutely freezing during the winter months, but noise travels between apartments very easily as well. And while there are things you can do to stay warm in Portuguese apartments, it’s very hard to solve noise problems. For many people, this won’t be an issue. For those that are sensitive to noise, wake up easily, or are going to be working
Parts of Portugal like the Algarve, the Alentejo, and Lisbon are blessed with some of the mildest winters that Europe has to offer. Outside, that is. Inside a Portuguese house is another story altogether. Old Portuguese houses and apartments are typically poorly insulated and almost never have central heating of any kind, although some may have an air conditioning unit with a heat function. Newer properties tend to be better insulated, and some may even have
In Portugal, estate agents typically charge 5% (or more) commission + VAT. For many expats living in Portugal — and an increasing number of Portuguese — that’s just too high to even consider. 5% of a €250,000 property is €12,500. If your property is more expensive, say €750,000, you could be paying €37,500 just in commission. Some estate agents will drop their commissions ever so slightly, but it’s unlikely that you’ll get them below 3%. Even
