FAQs

A licensed agent can guide you through the entire home-buying process and make the experience much more comfortable and convenient for you.

We could use our knowledge, expertise and vast portfolio to help you find the perfect property, a task that would be much more difficult if you were trying to do it alone. We are also on hand to answer any questions you have, allowing you to purchase with confidence and without any doubts.

As part of your legal representative’s duties, it is up to them to undertake a complete search on the property. They make sure the property is fully registered, that it holds all necessary licenses and that it’s free of any debts or mortgages.

Once you’ve finally decided which property you want, just tell us, and we’ll make it happen for you.

 

Once you’ve finally decided on the property of your dreams, we’d suggest at this point that you tell us to make a firm offer on your behalf for the property so that it shows a definite intent to buy.

As mediators, we take that offer to the owner of the property. It is then up them to either accept, decline or counter the offer.

If the offer is accepted, you then need to instruct a legal representative preferably a lawyer, who’ll act on your behalf to achieve a successful purchase and make your dream become a reality.

We would suggest the following: either you accept the counter offer and proceed with the purchase or make another offer.

 

You’re only committing yourself to purchase a property when you sign the promissory agreement and pay the deposit value. Expressing interest in or making an offer on a property does not bind you in any way.

This is a very frequently asked question. The honest answer is we don’t know. We are only acting as the mediator. We don’t own the properties and therefore cannot make that decision on behalf of the owners. What we can do is advise you whether we agree with the asking price and if it is a realistic price under the market conditions. We can also show you similar properties at an equivalent price for you to compare. Please remember that making an offer on a property does not commit you to anything – so why not try it?

If your representative in your country has offices or liaises with lawyers in Portugal, then they will be satisfactory. Otherwise, we’d advise you to instruct a local lawyer  and preferably based in the area. We can provide you with contact details of a number of lawyers or alternatively you can source one independently.

This is a very open-ended question. It very much depends on the following facts:

Property Type – Villa, Apartment, Townhouse, Farmhouse, etc. Obviously, running a 4-bedroom villa is going to be more expensive than a 2-bedroom apartment or townhouse.

Usage – The amount of time the property is occupied either by yourself, friends, family or if the property is rented out.

Consumption of electricity, water, gas, telephone and any other utilities are a given. Other expenses for the property – For example, tax, condominium fees, management charges, pool cleaning, gardening and maid service. In addition, the type of heating, irrigation and any satellite systems will influence annual running costs.

The bottom line is that there is no definitive answer to this question. Casas do Barlavento suggests obtaining amounts for each service from the current owner and use that to work out the average yearly running cost.