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
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