Andy43

Good advice already, especially from MrBife - my thoughts exactly. Only Algarve experience here but it may apply Countrywide (see what I did there?).

Properties are advertised by multiple agents in Portugal - they're competitive, so don't usually reveal exact locations. Some don't even get the town correct - I've seen the same house in two towns. A house that's in Praia da Luz isn't in Lagos for example, but I suppose it is technically in Lagos municipality. But without knowing the address you're screwed.

Streetviewing or google aerial mapping to eliminate properties can be difficult if not impossible, unless you ask the agents for those exact locations - some we asked just refused point blank.
This means those dangling power cables spoiling views, crap locations on main roads, next to dumps etc, air-brushed-out attached properties (yes really!!!) that would take the property out of the equation can't always be 'filtered' out. Pool shapes, nearby buildings, the lie of the land etc can be used via aerial views to find house locations - but it's very time consuming!
All bar one (the one we bought, which I'd found on streetview - there we basically told the agents we knew where it was so we would meet them there) were chauffeur driven viewings - meet at agents office and then get taken in their cars - so you aren't given locations. I think if some agents could blindfold you for the journey they would...

Our house was advertised as 5 bed (no - 3 bed + office), self contained apartment (no - legally uninhabitable basement), central heating (no - two wall mounted oil filled radiators), plus an illegal conservatory. Built area and garden area were also mysteriously swapped, by mistake obviously... but we had worked out where it was from google, loved the location, and had viewed it from the outside before seeing it with the agent.
Then you get onto the legalities of boundaries, rights of way, included land etc if you're buying rural. Most of that wouldn't be known until your advagados get involved.

All the above blows any reasonable attempt at maximising house viewing speed and efficiency out of the water - so as already suggested I'd recommend narrowing down to specific areas via streetview/google, then give agents seriously long and acccurate lists of wants and don't-wants, making it clear you'll walk if they show you unsuitable properties or don't reveal exact addresses/locations so you can view remotely from the air.
I'd be making contact asap with that wants list - don't leave it until the weeks before. If you can make friends (I use that term loosely!) with a couple of agents it could help - the recommendations above could be a great start.
Good luck! Mountains of information on here - extremely useful!

riv

I think you would be far better served by:

A] deciding on what specific date you wish to commence and then living in Portugal ( May next year by the sound of it ) and then:

B] renting somewhere in the area you think would suit your considerable number of requirements for in the first instance maybe 3 months. Aim to find a rental which includes all bills , just to avoid the faff of having to deal with elec / town hall / internet / whatever for the duration. If you can move earlier than May you may well find a pleasant holiday rental for a good price out of season, and you can test the internet speed etc. for yourselves before signing.

If you buy somewhere which experience in due course dictates was an error, either as to the house or the village /town / countryside location, you will find that the transaction charges when selling ( IF you can sell that readily ) will substantially diminish the amount you have to spend on your next property.

Three months is a more leisured timescale during which to really seek out the areas and properties which you envisage.

liveaboard

Most people who move have some sort of work requirement, which dictates the location. Many who move to Portugal however, are either retiring or have independent means or internet based work. You can live where you like.

I paid no attention at all to which town we were looking in; only the distance from the coast [for the climate, not how many seconds it takes to drive to the beach], and the immediate local surrounding; road access, privacy, power, communication, etc.
And the price.
We narrowed it down to 5 properties, and 4 were already sold. So viewing didn't take too long.
then we had the bargaining process; that took 2 days.
After settling on the price, we had to wait 4 months to take possession. That wasn't nice, we were living in a van.

Your experience may differ.

I've lived in many countries; what I figured out is that the most important is your immediate neighbors. And they move; new ones arrive, old ones might become more friendly, or less, and either state could be good or bad.

Lentisc

Helen. Please, please, please get yourself good legal representation when you find a property you like. If you don't, you could be in a legal dispute for years. Things have an habit here of having corners cut to avoid legal costs.


The property you like could be owned by various parties and then the land it stands on could be owned by someone completely different.

My partner and I made sure of our legal status before purchase and are able to sleep at night without any financial and legal worries.

Best of luck.

Helen248

Thanks everyone for your advice, all very much appreciated and very useful information for us as we are clueless! Does anyone know how to source an English speaking solicitor? Without personal recommendation i'm not sure how you go about this. Others have recommended that I do not use the estate agents own solicitor. I'm also getting useful advice from a work colleague who is from Portugal but living and working here in UK. So much to consider and i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

We have been saving up for 7 years for a deposit on a house and have nearly reached 100K so this is a big step for us as we can't risk anything going wrong and loosing our hard earned cash. I am dreaming of living mortgage free in Portugal as opposed to buying a property here for 250K and having 150K mortgage. I also don't want to work myself into the ground and die at an early age of a stroke like my mum. I really feel living in Portugal will be less stressful and a calmer day to day life if the process of buying a house in Portugal doesn't put me off the idea!

EMR

What do you plan to do when you move to Portugal.
What do you know of Portugal, it's lifestyle, beaurocracy etc.
Will you need a job.
There is far more to consider than just looking for a property with what is to be honest a modest budget..

Helen248

We plan to live life at a slower pace. Hubby plans to work remotely.

I will hopefully not need to work as no mortgage but am willing to explore PT work and am qualified in certain areas where I should be able to source work.

My ex husband (of 10 years) is Portuguese so I have knowledge of Portugal via him and extended visits over the years, I understand it's different living there than going on holiday/visits.

I do understand that there is more to consider than what you call a modest budget. That is the reason I posted on here to gain advice from people who have already gone through the process and gain an insight to the process. Our 'modest' budget is growing month by month so by next year we will have a higher budget but I am happy with properties I have viewed around the 100K budget.

sambo76

Hi Liveaboard, We are doing our first reccie to the Algarve in search of a permanent home this July. We've not visited the area before; are you able to provide a very brief overview of how climate changes from the coast up into the hills inland beyond the A-22? Interested in rainfall, temp, humidity, day & night in each of the seasons if possible. Checking weather portals online can be inaccurate at best. Many thanks if you can add anything

Macroomite

Hello,
I have been on a number of 'quicky' house buying trips to Portugal and have done both the: remote preparation - connecting with realtors etc and also: 'walk-ins'. In my experience in Portugal the most successful (by far) have been the 'walk-ins'. It is all about being 'face to face' and their dealing with a 'real' buyer. Realtors then open their books: here you'll discover how many work completely independently - unaware of other listings - so do shop around. You can now see immediately if they have anything that suits your needs and either view them or move on. Viewings I found, were arranged very soon after if not the same day. I have walked from Realtor office to Realtor office and dealt with them in 'silo's - one not knowing about the other. Very helpful indeed. Some have 'offered the world' ... so do have your wits about you and KNOW what you want, but always be prepared to compromise. One will very rarely if ever get everything you want. One thing that 'got to me' was the issue of house size ... often feeling smaller than advertised. Only to find out that the entire footprint (and a little extra fresh air!) is included vs real / actual living space. In the end, as one person told me: it is what it is ... does it work for you?
Last thing I'd say ... one week is a tall order if one expects to FIND something. So, I'd stick to 1 or 2 small towns max. whilst driving around to 'know' the area. And not to be contradictory ... I searched in a large city and there was very little to match my needs ... and moreso, after discovering places which were sold / not available to view yet etc. So maybe also to use the time as an opportunity ... and come back again. It gets more-ish!

liveaboard

We're on the west coast; basically, if you can get within 5km of cold water [the Atlantic] there will usually be a thermal sea breeze in summer to keep you cool. Hot air rising inland [where everyone else is sweltering] creates a vacuum that pulls the cold sea surface air in to replace it.
That's why allergy sufferers are happy near the coast too; no pollens in it.
Much of the south coast has barrier islands, so the effect may be lower.
We're 10C cooler in summer than the south coast; but also about 5 cooler in winter.
Some people don't like the wind. I'm not one of them but it has to be mentioned.
As you move beyond 10km from the coast, the cool sea air either warms before it gets to you, of rises over you leaving you in the stew.
Depending on weather and local conditions of course.
We get maybe a dozen hot [30+] days a year.
In the valleys between the hills in the center, it gets REALLY hot during much of the summer.
But property up there is much, much cheaper. You can get a palace in Monchique for the price of a ruin down here on the coast.

EMR

Sadly fire risk is something anyone living in forested areas should consider ..
The further inland you go ,the hotter it gets in the summer and definetly colder it gets in the winter.
The closer to the coast the cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter...

sambo76

Thanks Liveaboard this is exactly the info I was looking for. Just understanding the approximate boundaries of those climatic changes really helps to exclude a number of places we are looking. As sun-lovers and not big fans of the colder, windier weather, we'll most likely be looking out east, close to the coast however there are one or two areas slightly inland and east-central Algarve that I want to check out. We're visiting in late July, it may be that a winter visit is also required (easier said than done when you're 3+ flights away in Panama).

Thanks again, Sam

sambo76

Thanks EMR. Yes, I think we will be looking in the SE corner of the Algarve at least initially. Away from some of the busier summer spots further west, but within proximity to centres like Faro appeal, then the manageable day trip to Seville if required. This may all change following this summer's reccie though...

riv

Late July will be incredibly ( to me anyway ) HOT ! and tiring looking around.............How long do you intend staying and what SORT of house are you looking for at what budget ? Is land important to you ? If so, well inland is more likely to have what you want than near the coast, I think.

sambo76

Hey riv, here's the answers, hope this provides more info for suggestions:

Hot: bring it on, dry heat compared to the jungle humidity here!
How long: 5/6 days
Type of house: villa with pool (T3-4)
Land required: some, not looking for loads, but a garden or space to landscape one would be preferred. We'd compromise here to ensure we got a more favourable year-round climate if required.

Thanks