About what to avoid when buying a rural countryside property in Portugal we can write a novel, and I am pretty sure, somebody actually did! There are a lot of things to consider when buying a property in other country but the things get really complicated when you are trying to buy an old house, a ruin or a country property that has land.
I put together a few recommendations from my own experience in real estate, which is not much, but still hope you will find it useful.
Inquire about ALL owners
When buying a property in Portugal, it is more than likely that these old houses to have several owners because they inherited the properties from relatives. It is also possible that not all owners to be in Portugal. This in fancy lawyers language is called “dispensation of property“. This might come in handy when talking to a lawyer or maybe you read about it somewhere.
So make sure you know who the owners of the property are, all of them, if they all agree to sell and if they are not in Portugal, if the proper documentation is made, meaning the power of attorney was given to a lawyer in order to sign the deed.
If you have a good lawyer, they will check all of that for you and can asses if there is any obstacle in signing the deeds quickly or not.
Make sure you know the legal situation of the property
Rural properties in Portugal (but not only here), in my experience, almost always have legal problems with the title deeds. This happens because properties are made up of several small pieces of land and sometimes with different owners. Agents don’t have all the details, sometimes because they don’t do their job properly but sometimes because even the owner don’t have a clue about who owns what – legally speaking.
Also is Portugal, especially in the rural areas, buildings get constructed without proper permits. Or several annexes get build and attached to the main building without permits. You can think that you have in your hands the proper deeds from the building in front of you, but really, half of it can be done illegally.
If this is the case with the property you want to buy, make sure your purchase deed includes a ‘rectification‘ – this is the right procedure that is legalizing’s any existing buildings that don’t have a planning permission.
This procedure will cost a pretty penny and I wish you the very best luck in the world convicting the owner to do it before you buy!
Insuring that the deeds are correct, this is the lawyer’s job. So get a good lawyer.
The best way to travel abroad is to live with the locals.
Inquire if furniture is included in the price
When buying a property in Portugal, in normal cases, you wish you had the furniture in the same price! But not this time! With old and rural properties, the problem is not that they will not give you the furniture! Is that they will give it all to you! All the junk! This might seem a good idea in the beginning, until you see how much other people will charge you to clear the house for refurbishment.
Be sure you understand drainage & water
Rural properties are not on main drainage, usually. You need to understand the drainage system and if the septic tank is shared with your neighbors or located on your neighbors land. Also if this is the case, you need to talk to them and understand who is responsible for maintaining the system and how the costs are split between you.
Water in another problem, especially in Portugal! Some rural properties are connected to private water supply’s. These private water supply’s have special regulations.
You will need to establish the source private supply, if it’s on your property or not and who are the the people using it.
Any last advice?
Take the time to know your future neighbors. Find out about the history of the place and the land you plan to acquire. Tell them about your life and your future plans so they can get you know you and maybe even trust you.
When you live in a remote place or in a small community this step is important.
Maybe you have some advice for the readers of this blog, leave it in the comments or just send me an email with your thoughts!
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