Helen248

Hi,

Less than 2 weeks now until our visit to Portugal. We have booked several viewings with agents and viewing properties in many areas including: Ansiao, Arganil, Campelo-dos-vinhos, Gois, Penela, Lousa, Pedrogao Grande & Castelo Branco.

We are viewing properties with hope of permanent relocation ASAP.

We have a name/recommendation of a solicitor/lawyer and a surveyor/builder for property inspection.

Flights, hire car, insurance and air b n b booked.

Any final advice or words of wisdom greatly received.

Exciting times!

toots sweet

Have you found the properties you are viewing on Google Earth? If not have a look first. It can be quite hard to find them ,as agents just state a general area and in fact the property is nowhere near where you are expecting. Also if you can find them it gives you a bit of an insight into the neighbouring areas.,such as opposite a car repairer(saw a lovely property,but was across the road from a garage full of half repaired cars).etc etc

Helen248

Hi,

Luckily we have most of the coordinates and can view the properties from Google Earth or street view. We are meeting a couple of agents at their office so will have to wait and see for those. I know what you mean as one house is opposite a really run down property which is an eye sore! Most of the properties we are viewing are in rural areas.

We did have one property agent explaining that they could view any properties with us even from other agents then asked us to sign a contract that we would not buy from another agent in next 30 days and that if we didn't find a property through them or anyone else then we wouldn't have to pay. We denied as we are viewing properties with a few agents.

I think this week will be quite an experience and an eye opener.

dingg

My advice would be determine what area you want to be in and rent something for a year, don't rush in on a two week look-see trip as most buy something that they later regret.
We have spent about 6 months of serious looking to find what we wanted.
There's some overpriced crap out there.


Good luck

Helen248

Thanks for your advice.

We are not opposed to the idea of renting whilst looking to buy and we will explore this if properties we look at this visit are no good but we feel our budget can buy a property. This first visit is really an initial visit to explore options. We know it is unlikely to find our dream property in a 1 week visit. We are viewing quite a few properties over various areas too.

It's difficult for us to pick an area we want to live in as in previous experience of visiting Portugal we like most areas and all seem to be within a 5 or 10 min drive to a village/town with shops, cafes, doctors, etc. Hopefully during our visit we can also explore different areas and may be able to determine areas that we like over others.

coleio

Hi,

What he/she/dingg says, do not rush into a purchase but spend time in different seasons in the area(s) you are interested, ie lots of time looking before deciding. We did 18 months lookings then decided in an hour and put in offer.

a few things, get some cheap buisness cards printed with your details, email addresses are easily mis-understood. get a PAYG Vodafone (other providers are available) from the shop at the airport, Porto or Lisbon and have an unlocked phone which it'll work in. Write the number clearly on your cards indicating it is a Portugese number not a UK number. The usual rule is a PT card will operate in the UK and they can call it ffrom PT for the same cost as if it were in PT. If passing any agents shop take a photo of the shop showing email/phone/shop name. Many agents do not list on the internet, if you can go into any agent shop (they will take you seriously if they meet you but often an email is ignored) and tell them what you what you want and hand them a card. Property may be in their window and no longer for sale but places may be for sale and not in their window. Take photos of everything, make notes as you go so the photos mean something a month later. Now relax and enjoy.......

PS if you have a cheap satnev with PT roads and a facility to capture the position you are in (Ohhh Matron) it is useful as often the web map is not where the property is but if you see it then you can get it's co-originates, also if you see somewhere with a for sale sign you can ask the selling agent about a specific property.

riv

All the more reason for renting for six months or so.

captainflack

We took an apartment for a year, spent some time going to different parts of the country and eventually settled on the area we're in now. I think it's good to spend some time in Portugal to be sure you like it, and to visit different places as you may discover areas you hadnt considered. It's also good to see places at different times of the year - a place that is buzzing and busy in summer, might be miserable and lonely in winter (especially in tourist areas).

Also... DOGS!

Make sure you visit anywhere you want to buy a couple of times at different times of the day and night, just to check out the noise situation. Despite it being one of the safest countries in the world, many Portuguese seem to love having a big, untrained dog outside their house, sh1tting all over the driveway (never gets walked) and barking at everyone and anyone, or just barking all night for no reason. You can never be sure that you won't get such people move in after you buy, but at least you can make sure you don't move in with such people already living next door.

Helen248

Thanks for the advice, greatly received.

I take your point re dogs and totally agree and we have also seen a few properties with church bells ringing every hour and cockerels making horrendous cockadoodledooing as they do!

riv

The dogs are the WORST !

There seems to be total absolute indifference to the noise made by dogs, and indeed to the danger caused by packs of unsupervised dogs running wild and snapping at your heels as you try to pass.

I am not sure how you avoid the risk of this, except to say that it is yet a further indication of how much more sensible it would be to rent for 6 months or longer whilst you select both a general location to live and a specific property.

I suppose if you are looking to buy somewhere isolated in its own spacious grounds in the country then you reduce the risk of annoyance / danger caused by the dogs of others, but if you are in sight and sound of other properties then it is a risk that needs serious investigation. [ Unless you yourselves share the Portuguese indifference to dog noise and danger. ]