There is quite a lot involved if you want to buy a plot, business or house in central Portugal. Good preparation is half the battle. Please read through all the steps so that you know what to expect when you are going to buy a plot, company or house in central Portugal.
1. Discover the region
It is important to be sure that this is the region where you want to buy a plot, business or house: in central Portugal. So the first step is: discover the region. Tábua is – just like the surrounding villages and towns – a good base for various activities. The surroundings are inviting: not only the interesting Roman roads and bridges, but above all the impressive landscape makes the region ideal for outdoor sports. Go to the mountains (any name on the map that includes “Serra”), ride to rivers (Rio Mondego nearby, Rio Dão and Rio Alva a little further), rent a bike, canoe or horse, or hike through the woods on the walking routes (trilhos pedestres) that have now been marked out almost everywhere. There is still much to discover in this region. It is also important before you buy a plot, company or house in central Portugal that you have explored as well as possible that this region is really the region where you want to live.
Terra dos Rios, real estate agent in central Portugal, searches and finds houses in the wider area of the city of Tábua. This region, bordering the mountains of the Serra da Estrela, is green, hilly, and hospitable. There are two major cities in this area: Viseu and Coimbra and many smaller towns, villages and hamlets. The rivers Rio Mondego, Rio Dão and Rio Alva are beautiful, wide, and all flow nearby.
The IP3, IC6 and IC12 are the major roads that open up the area. There are more reasons than good accessibility why this region is particularly attractive to buy a (second) home. The Beira interior has a pleasant climate, which (usually) does not get too hot even in summer. Most months of the year it is green – it rains more often than in the south. The hilly landscape contrasts nicely with the neighboring rugged Serra da Estrela.
In the cities you see Portugal of this time. In the countryside of the Beiras there are still places where it seems as if time has moved much more slowly. Those looking for a slower pace, neighbours with time for a chat, and no problem with low-frequency public transport, will find what they are looking for here. This interior is less empty than the more northern Trás os Montes, the migration abroad and cities has remained somewhat limited. Children are still being born in the villages, and there are still cafes. Residents take care of their fields in the area (of which, after you have become acquainted, they will let you share in the proceeds), graze their flocks, are hospitable and wave as soon as they know you.
Portugal has different regions with different characteristics. Most famous is the Algarve, in the south, with warm summers, beaches and tourism. Also south is the hot, dry Alentejo, with the cities of Évora and Beja. More to the North are the mountains of Trás os Montes, rough and dry, and the green Douro Valley with many vineyards. Beira Interior is pretty much in the middle: not too hot, not too cold, Spain nearby, and yet the sea not far away. And of course the pride of Portugal is pontifically visible: the mountains and nature park the Serra da Estrela. The region is now fairly popular but fortunately not (yet) in the hands of speculators and mass tourism.
2. Look at houses or plots with Terra dos Rios, real estate agent in central Portugal
If you have fallen for our region, make an appointment with Terra dos Rios, real estate agent in central Portugal. If we have not already done so, we will first take the time to get a good idea of what you are looking for. In part, we look at the actual side of the plot, company or house that you want to buy in central Portugal: what location do you want, how much land, how many[T1] rooms and bathrooms do you want? How many square meters of living space? Just a ground floor or more floors? In or outside a village? These things are fairly easy to define. Our experience as a real estate agent in central Portugal, however, shows that the more emotional aspects are often decisive. What does make you feel ‘at home’ somewhere? This may have to do with the incidence of light in a house, the smell, the acoustics in a space, the unique location of a plot, company or house or the building style. This feeling of ‘being at home’ is more difficult to include in the description of your wishes. We will do our best to clarify this together with you.
We will take you to the houses or plots that seem to fit best. You have already got an impression based on photos and information. Now it is exciting to experience what the place is like in reality.
Ideally, we will take you straight to your dream place, but usually it takes a little more time. After viewing a number of objects, you will have a good idea of the Portuguese style of building, of the layout of the houses and you can imagine even better what it takes to really make it your place.
Is your wish list still up to date? Does something need to be added or removed? With our many years of experience in the real estate market as a real estate agent in central Portugal, and our knowledge of the possibilities for building, renovation and everything that comes with buying in Portugal, we help you to further concretize your wishes.
3. Have you found your place?
Once you have found your ideal location, it is important to check with the municipality what the zoning plan and other plans say about your location. Are there plans to change the infrastructure (construction of roads, sewers, water pipes)?
Certainly if you have building plans, we recommend as a real estate agent in central Portugal to inquire about the possibilities with the municipality. You can get this information verbally from an architect from the municipality, but it is better to submit a written request. You will then receive a written response from the municipality with an explanation of the options.
Check whether the information you receive from the owner or selling real estate agent in central Portugal about the zoning plan is still valid. Government documents often have a specific period of validity and zoning plans are adjusted once every five to ten years. In addition, the government can also, in response to critical situations (such as the forest fires in Portugal), include provisions in the law in the short term that have consequences for building opportunities.
4. Additional costs
Before you agree on the price with the seller, you must also take into account a number of additional costs with the purchase transaction. If you buy through Terra dos Rios, real estate agent in central Portugal, you will receive a tailor-made overview. This includes transfer tax, costs for the lawyer, costs for the preliminary purchase contract, costs for the notary and other costs that you need to take into account if you are going to buy a plot, business or house in central Portugal.
In the following steps you will be dealing with the Portuguese bureaucracy. It is important that you are supported by someone knowledgeable, whom you trust and who knows everything about the ownership documents of the plot, company or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal.
5. Provisional contract/Provisional agreement for sales and purchase of property
The provisional purchase contract (´contracto promessa de compra e venda´) can be drawn up by your own lawyer. We as a real estate agent in central Portugal help you to find one if you do not have one yourself when you are going to buy a plot, company or house in central Portugal. The lawyer checks that the ownership papers, permits and other documents of the property are in order before the sale.
The lawyer then draws up a provisional purchase contract. If necessary, you can have resolutive conditions that are important to you included in this contract. It is important to know that the lawyer here works for you and therefore looks after your interests.
With the preliminary purchase contract you pay a down payment to the owner of the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal. This is usually an amount between 10% and 20% of the agreed price. Both the resolutive conditions and the amount of the down payment are subjects on which the buyer and seller must agree together.
The contract is drawn up in Portuguese. If you do not understand Portuguese yourself, it is helpful to choose a lawyer who speaks English or another language you understand. You may also consider having the contract translated into your own language by an official translator.
In addition to the registration of ownership, it is good to ask the lawyer to clarify on these issues over the property, business or home that you are going to buy in central Portugal
- has the owner paid all taxes on the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal?
- are there rights of way for others? You can think of a right of way, rights to use water, or agreements with the local shepherd about pasturing his flock on your land?
- is the surface area of the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal in accordance with what has been registered?
- are there any neighbours who have the first right to buy?
- does the house you are going to buy in central Portugal have a residence permit?
- can you do what you intend to do with the plot, business or house you are going to buy in central Portugal? Is there a camping site at that spot? Are you allowed to renovate the house with or without a permit?
If all the above matters are not yet clear, they can still be investigated in the period between the preliminary purchase contract and the final purchase contract. You can agree with your lawyer which matters are important to include as resolutive conditions. The preliminary purchase contract states before which date the final purchase contract will be signed for the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal. As a real estate agent in Central Portugal, we provide you with guidance throughout these steps.
The buyer and the seller sign the preliminary purchase contract. At that time, the buyer also pays the amount of down payment to the seller. If you are unable to attend the formal procedures yourself, you can authorize someone to handle matters for you. That could be the lawyer.
6. Deposit
Portuguese law lays down the procedure of rights and obligations regarding the down payment for the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal.
The bottom line is that if you cancel the purchase, the seller can keep the amount of the deposit. If the seller renounces the sale, he must pay twice the down payment to the buyer.
You can record any exceptions to the rule as a resolutive condition in the preliminary purchase contract. For example, you can have a condition included that the contract is only valid if you have received a document before the final purchase date confirming by the municipality that you can build on the land. If the council’s response means that you are not allowed to build on the ground, the contract will be dissolved and the seller will have to refund your deposit.
7. Just before the sale: what is the actual state of my plot, company or house?
Just before the purchase date, take another look at the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal. Is everything still in the condition in which you concluded the agreement? It is acceptable that nature has taken its course in the meantime and the grass has grown, but the owner, for example, may not have taken the pump out of the well if it was part of the agreement or neither have cut all the trees if that had not been agreed. Fortunately, this is very rare, but if such an irregularity occurs, we will solve it with you as your real estate agent in central Portugal.
8. Purchase contract/Definitive purchase agreement
The definitive contract (´escritura de compra e venda´) is drawn up and signed at the notary (or at the Conservatoria do Registo Predial or lawyer). The notary (or curator or lawyer) has the duty to check all ownership documents. Before you sign the purchase contract, you pay the transfer tax on the plot, business or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal.
The contents of deed of sale consists of a number of fixed components:
- identification of the buyer and seller
- identification of the property, business or home that you are going to buy in central Portugal (description of the property, of the registration of the articles, and of the owner at the Finanças and the land registry)
- price of property, business or home that you are going to buy in central Portugal
- confirmation that the property is free and unencumbered
- enumeration of the documents that are included in the (notarial) archive about the plot, company or house that you are going to buy in central Portugal
This contract is also drawn up in Portuguese. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the contents of the contract. As a service, the civil-law notary may translate and explain the contract for you in English. You may also bring someone with you who understands the Portuguese language well and who will translate the contract for you on site. The contract itself always states how the notary is convinced that the content is clear to you. If you bring someone with you to translate for you, they will sign the contract as a translator. In addition, as a real estate agent in Central Portugal, we are always there to provide further explanation if necessary.
When signing the purchase contract, you hand over the amount (minus the amount of the down payment) to the seller. This is usually done with a guaranteed bank check or proof of a bank transfer. The contract is then signed by the buyer(s), seller(s) and the notary.
9. Registration in your name
As a final step in the buying process, arrange for your newly acquired property to be registered in your name at the tax office and land registry. In practice, it means that the notary does this for you if desired.
10. Put electricity and water in your name
If there is still a connection to electricity or water, it is useful to put it in your name soon after the sale. Doing so you avoid having to disconnect and then reconnect. Terra dos Rios, real estate agent in central Portugal, can support you in these matters at an hourly rate.