Buying a plot of land in Portugal is often cheaper and easier than in other countries, in particular in the countryside. A newly-built home can be done to your own specification, plus land is a lot cheaper and more readily available in Portugal than in the UK. New builds are also a good option when it comes to holiday rental investment if you are thinking of going down that route.
One of the most important aspects of purchasing land in Portugal is to ensure that any piece of land that you are considering buying allows you to use it for what you need. It is recommended that you work in conjunction with an English-speaking, Portuguese licenced estate agent and a reputable architect and lawyer from the very outset. Word of mouth is usually a very good way to set about finding someone good: ask expats or go onto an expat forum perhaps. Also ask to actually talk with ex-clients to get firsthand feedback.
There are five different classifications for land: Reserve (Protected), Agro-Forest i.e. forest or woodland areas (which are very difficult to obtain planning for due to current fire regulations), Commercial, Urban and Rustic. The Plano Director Municipal (PDM), which governs this classification, is updated regularly and gives clear definitions of any changes to land classification in all areas.
Portugal has some of the strictest planning laws in Europe which have been introduced to ensure sustainable development and to enhance and protect green open spaces. They have seen what has happened in neighbouring Spain and are determined not to go the route of the vast over-development that took place there.
Once you have the land, you will want to plan to build on it.
Planning Permission
Planning permission in Portugal is a two-stage procedure and it is essential to work with an accredited architect and engineer. The first stage of planning is called the Architectural Project (Projecto de Arquitectura) which is submitted to the local Town Hall for first approval and incorporates a comprehensive description of the property, including architectural drawings, topographical survey and a list of the materials to be used.
The second stage of the planning procedure in Portugal is the submission of the Speciality Detailed Project (Projecto de Especialiada). This part of the procedure covers the engineering detail required to complete the build, information pertaining to sewage removal, water and utilities and is usually compiled in conjunction with an engineer.
Bear in mind that this can be quite a time consuming process!
Once both the Architectural Project and the Speciality Detailed Project have been approved by the local council, it is possible to obtain the Licence of Work or building licence (Licença de Obras) from the Town Hall. Once the build is complete, the Town Hall official will visit the property to inspect it although sometimes this can be just an external inspection. They will check the Book of Works (Livro de Obras) which is kept by the engineer and, if everything is in order, the Town Hall will provide a technical file (Ficha Technica) and a habitation licence (Licença de Habitação) for the property.
I hope this has assisted you. Remember that there are many property professionals that have been personally sourced and checked by OGC Resource Centre staff or that come highly recommended by other OGC readers. The team will happily put you in touch with them – just give them a call on 0207 898 0549. This is a free service and you are under no obligation to use them so why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose.
http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/resourceform.htm
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com
Friday 17 December 2010
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Renovation - how easy is this in Portugal?
Times economically are hard and more and more people are opting to buy a property that is reasonably priced but that needs restoration. And that would seem to make a lot of sense. Just looking on the internet it’s amazing to see how may properties you can find in Portugal that are in the €20,000 range – but just bear in mind that old South African saying: “Goedkoop is deurkoop”, which, loosely translated, means buying cheaply can end up being very expensive!
So…you have looked far and wide and finally found an utterly delightful property with beautiful views in exactly the part of Portugal that you fancy living in - BUT – it needs extensive restoration…
There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself: how practical is this in a country that is foreign to you, working in a language that is too? And how expensive will it turn out to be? Are you planning on doing some of it yourself? This is great if you have some sort of experience, but forget all those TV programmes you have watched if not: it’s hard work, and in the end you may have to get an expert in to complete the job effectively so have a care if you are thinking of going this route.
Be aware that different rules and regulations apply to property in Portugal. You need to know UPFRONT that you will be allowed to do what you both want and need to do to get the place in good order without having to wait years to get plans passed…that’s if they get passed at all.
Generally, restoration properties fall into two categories; those requiring full planning permission and those that don’t need any further permission at all but just some TLC. Buying a property without public utilities connected for instance is generally not a good idea. Getting mains water and electricity connected isn’t a simple process and may need planning application, which can take a very long time. I would suggest you make it a condition of purchase that you can get plans passed for work that you need to have done and that you do your research very carefully before signing anything. Your own independent lawyer would be essential here…a local recommended Portuguese lawyer who speaks English.
Unless, as previously mentioned, you have personally carried out a renovation project before, it would be advisable to get a Portuguese builder to help you. They are far cheaper than builders in the UK and there are many skilled tradesmen available at a fraction of the cost of their UK counterparts.
Generally the quality of workmanship in Portugal is very high, but you would be well advised to use someone that comes personally recommended and to ask to see examples of their completed jobs. This will give you a good idea not only of their workmanship but also of their reliability and integrity. It would also be a good idea to get your lawyer to draw up a contract outlining not only exactly what work is to be done but when it is to be done by and when payment is to be made. Payment should be on a stage-completion basis and NOT time based…
Personally I would accompany the builders to the local builders’ merchants and DIY supermarkets to buy materials. That way you supervise the cost yourself and don’t end up paying what the builder thinks you should pay! Failing that, INSIST on till slips and make it clear that this is essential upfront. I had an unpleasant wrangle with a builder once who maintained that he had ‘lost’ the slips. No slips, no payment is my future maxim.
You need to decide before repairs begin how much you are thinking of spending. Inform your builder of this and do not be coerced into going over budget. Remember that the property market is not great at the moment and, if you should want to sell in the future, you don’t want to over-capitalise in your property.
Damp is probably the most common problem in many older Portuguese properties, so be aware of this and make sure it can be sorted before rather than after you buy.
Good luck and I would be so interested in your story if you are going this route.
Have fun and speak soon,
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com
So…you have looked far and wide and finally found an utterly delightful property with beautiful views in exactly the part of Portugal that you fancy living in - BUT – it needs extensive restoration…
There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself: how practical is this in a country that is foreign to you, working in a language that is too? And how expensive will it turn out to be? Are you planning on doing some of it yourself? This is great if you have some sort of experience, but forget all those TV programmes you have watched if not: it’s hard work, and in the end you may have to get an expert in to complete the job effectively so have a care if you are thinking of going this route.
Be aware that different rules and regulations apply to property in Portugal. You need to know UPFRONT that you will be allowed to do what you both want and need to do to get the place in good order without having to wait years to get plans passed…that’s if they get passed at all.
Generally, restoration properties fall into two categories; those requiring full planning permission and those that don’t need any further permission at all but just some TLC. Buying a property without public utilities connected for instance is generally not a good idea. Getting mains water and electricity connected isn’t a simple process and may need planning application, which can take a very long time. I would suggest you make it a condition of purchase that you can get plans passed for work that you need to have done and that you do your research very carefully before signing anything. Your own independent lawyer would be essential here…a local recommended Portuguese lawyer who speaks English.
Unless, as previously mentioned, you have personally carried out a renovation project before, it would be advisable to get a Portuguese builder to help you. They are far cheaper than builders in the UK and there are many skilled tradesmen available at a fraction of the cost of their UK counterparts.
Generally the quality of workmanship in Portugal is very high, but you would be well advised to use someone that comes personally recommended and to ask to see examples of their completed jobs. This will give you a good idea not only of their workmanship but also of their reliability and integrity. It would also be a good idea to get your lawyer to draw up a contract outlining not only exactly what work is to be done but when it is to be done by and when payment is to be made. Payment should be on a stage-completion basis and NOT time based…
Personally I would accompany the builders to the local builders’ merchants and DIY supermarkets to buy materials. That way you supervise the cost yourself and don’t end up paying what the builder thinks you should pay! Failing that, INSIST on till slips and make it clear that this is essential upfront. I had an unpleasant wrangle with a builder once who maintained that he had ‘lost’ the slips. No slips, no payment is my future maxim.
You need to decide before repairs begin how much you are thinking of spending. Inform your builder of this and do not be coerced into going over budget. Remember that the property market is not great at the moment and, if you should want to sell in the future, you don’t want to over-capitalise in your property.
Damp is probably the most common problem in many older Portuguese properties, so be aware of this and make sure it can be sorted before rather than after you buy.
Good luck and I would be so interested in your story if you are going this route.
Have fun and speak soon,
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com
Thursday 2 December 2010
Good news - EasyJet are increasing passengers to Portugal
Low-cost airline easyJet is expecting to dramatically increase the number of passengers it carries to Portugal via its Lisbon base. For anybody thinking of buying a property in Portugal this is really good news, either for your own holiday plans or indeed to service those many people looking to rent your holiday property.
With ten new destinations due to be added to its Lisbon route map, the total number of customers arriving at the city via easyJet is predicted to rise from 1.5 million to 2.5 million each year – and that’s a lot of people! It does rather highlight the country’s increasing popularity with visitors – something that you and I know all about!
easyJet has selected Lisbon over a number of other European cities because of its market potential; they have done their homework and decided that Portugal is a growing tourist market and have acted accordingly to cater to that growing market.
Chief executive Carolyn McCall is quoted as saying: "We are making it easier to visit this beautiful country. As one of Europe's most attractive capital cities, Lisbon already attracts 3.6 million tourists and four million business travellers a year. The increase in easyJet aircraft based in Lisbon will stimulate demand and contribute to visitor numbers by over 1 million passengers a year, with clear benefits to the Portuguese economy " - and to you too!
The destinations that can be reached using the airline's flights include some of Portugal's perennial favourites, easyJet says. Among them are Sintra, the favourite village of Lord Byron – and mine I might add - along with the university town of Coimbra.
At the moment low cost airlines Basig Air, bmibaby, easyJet, Flybe, Germania Express, Germanwings, Jet 2, Norwegian, Ryanair, Snowflake, Sterling, Sterling and Virgin Express all fly in to Portugal from various points – and that doesn’t include the other airlines such as BA and TAP.
This is important news if you are thinking of buying a property to rent out: the more accessible the country is to potential visitors the more likelihood there is that you will be able to keep your home booked out throughout the tourist season at the very least.
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com
With ten new destinations due to be added to its Lisbon route map, the total number of customers arriving at the city via easyJet is predicted to rise from 1.5 million to 2.5 million each year – and that’s a lot of people! It does rather highlight the country’s increasing popularity with visitors – something that you and I know all about!
easyJet has selected Lisbon over a number of other European cities because of its market potential; they have done their homework and decided that Portugal is a growing tourist market and have acted accordingly to cater to that growing market.
Chief executive Carolyn McCall is quoted as saying: "We are making it easier to visit this beautiful country. As one of Europe's most attractive capital cities, Lisbon already attracts 3.6 million tourists and four million business travellers a year. The increase in easyJet aircraft based in Lisbon will stimulate demand and contribute to visitor numbers by over 1 million passengers a year, with clear benefits to the Portuguese economy " - and to you too!
The destinations that can be reached using the airline's flights include some of Portugal's perennial favourites, easyJet says. Among them are Sintra, the favourite village of Lord Byron – and mine I might add - along with the university town of Coimbra.
At the moment low cost airlines Basig Air, bmibaby, easyJet, Flybe, Germania Express, Germanwings, Jet 2, Norwegian, Ryanair, Snowflake, Sterling, Sterling and Virgin Express all fly in to Portugal from various points – and that doesn’t include the other airlines such as BA and TAP.
This is important news if you are thinking of buying a property to rent out: the more accessible the country is to potential visitors the more likelihood there is that you will be able to keep your home booked out throughout the tourist season at the very least.
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Portugalbuyingguide.com
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