Buying & Renting Property - Page 2

Dealing with Noisy Houses & Apartments in Portugal

A man and a woman lying in bed under white blankets appear disturbed. The man, on the right, covers his ears with a pillow, while the woman, on the left, looks annoyed and is holding her head. A lamp on a nightstand is in the background.

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 from home a lot, it …

A circular Starlink satellite dish is mounted on the roof of a building with several solar panels. The sun is setting behind a mountain range in the background, casting a warm, golden light across the scene.

Portugal has great internet coverage, but there are definitely some parts of the country that aren’t covered – not just by fibre broadband but by mobile internet as well. If that’s the case, you may be looking at other options and wondering whether Elon Musk’s Spacex Starlink could be the answer to your problems. With a monthly cost of €40 (and, as of August 2024, a hardware setup cost of between €249 and €349), getting internet through Starlink isn’t as …

Getting a Mortgage in Portugal as a Foreigner: What Banks Actually Want

Dreaming of owning a little slice of Portugal — maybe a sunny apartment overlooking the Algarve coast, a stone cottage in the Alentejo, or a city apartment in Lisbon? The good news is that getting a mortgage in Portugal is absolutely possible for foreigners. The process is more straightforward than you might think — as long as you understand how Portuguese banks work, what paperwork you’ll need, and what kind of deposit to expect. Since 2016, Portugalist has helped countless …

A couple sits on a white couch in a modern living room, watching TV. One holds a remote control, and the other has a laptop. The room features a stone accent wall, sleek furniture, and a black rug on a polished floor.

For those considering a move to Portugal, the country’s television offerings promise a blend of local and international content. Most TV packages, especially when bundled with fibre internet, boast around 150 channels, ensuring a diverse viewing experience. If you opt for a 4G home internet package, you can still expect a respectable lineup of approximately 90 channels. Beyond the array of Portuguese channels, viewers will be pleased to find familiar English-speaking channels such as Fox News, Fox Comedy, National Geographic, …

A man and a woman sit at a table, reviewing and signing a document together. The man, wearing glasses and a light blue shirt, holds a pen and signs the paper, while the woman in a black dress with lace sleeves looks on attentively.

A major step in the Portuguese 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 it difficult for either …

A hand is holding a clear glass under a chrome kitchen faucet, filling it with water. The background features white tile walls.

When you move to Portugal, sorting out your water supply is key, along with sorting out other utilities like electricity and gas and arranging home internet. In Portugal, water services are managed by local municipalities. This means you don’t get much choice with your provider; it depends on where you live. Each area has its own supplier, and information about your specific provider is available through your local municipality. For example, Aguas de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo looks after …

A couple sits at a table with a man in a suit. The man from the couple is signing a document while the woman, smiling, rests her hand on his shoulder. The suited man watches attentively. The table has papers and a cup on it.

The last big step in the house buying process in Portugal 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 process and …

A person with curly hair, wearing a yellow coat, stands on a stone staircase and smiles while talking on the phone. Sunlight illuminates part of the scene, and the stairs are flanked by walls with graffiti.

If you’re planning a move to Portugal one thing you might be wondering is, “Will my mobile phone (or cell phone) work over there?” Your phone is such an important part of daily life nowadays. Whether it’s keeping in touch with family and friends, getting directions with maps, or quickly looking something up – your phone is likely always by your side. So of course you’ll want to be able to take it along during this big move. The good …

A symmetrical facade of a building covered in blue and white tiles with 15 windows in a grid pattern. Each window has a blue wrought-iron balcony railing. The design is consistent across the entire surface, creating a harmonious and repetitive visual effect.

Buying Property in Portugal · 2026 How to buy property in Portugal, step by step A practical 14-step walkthrough for first-time foreign buyers. From your first market research to keys in the door — what to do, in what order, and where to be careful. By James Cave, founder of Portugalist· Thinking about buying? I want to buy a property in Portugal Tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll come back with next steps — no obligation, no hard sell. …

A person in a pink shirt is using a laptop on a white desk. The laptop screen displays a photo of an outdoor patio with greenery. Also on the desk are a glass of water, a pen, a notepad, a calculator, and a rotary phone.

If you’re familiar with Zillow or Realtor.com in the US—or Rightmove and Zoopla in the UK—your instinct is probably to look for “the one big website” that lists every property for sale. In Portugal, that doesn’t exist. There is no MLS system, and that means two things: Think of Portugal as a patchwork: different agents upload to different portals, some post only on their agency website, and a surprising number of rural owners still list only on classifieds. Below is …

Dealing with Noisy Houses & Apartments in Portugal

Does Starlink Work in Rural Portugal? An Honest Assessment

Getting a Mortgage in Portugal as a Foreigner: What Banks Actually Want

TV in Portugal: What You Can Watch and How to Get American & British Shows

Understanding the Promissory Contract

Getting Your Water Connected in Portugal

Signing the Deeds (Escritura) in Portugal

Will Your Phone Work in Portugal? What to Sort Before You Move

Buying Property in Portugal: The Real Process, Not the Brochure Version

Property Websites in Portugal: The Rightmove, Zillow and Realtor Equivalents