What do I need to know when buying property in Portugal?

"Understand what is and is not including in the price. It is common for sellers to take appliances, light fixtures, and much more with them if it is not listed in detail in the offer. Be patient. See many properties to understand the market. It's nearly impossible to do a market analysis of the asking price since historical sales are not easily known. When you find something you like, move quickly. No two sellers are alike. Some are highly motivated and will negotiate. Many will not budge. In Portugal you are basically buying the property "as is." Inspections are almost unheard of. Be prepared for unexpected expenses and repairs after closing," mentioned another expat when asked about moving to Matosinhos, Portugal (a suburb or Porto), Portugal.

"Last Fall, we looked in Cascais and other costal towns near Lisbon and in the Algarve. We did purchase a property. Since then, we learned a few things that may be helpful to you. 1. There is no MLS equivalent. Different companies have different sources of properties for sale. 2. Work with more than one real estate agent at the same time. 3. Make sure your agent is licensed. 4. If looking at other than new construction, check for mold and mildew build up, insulation adequacy, Heating and a/c availability. All new construction we looked at was well built and majority had a/c. 5. It doesn't hurt to make an offer, even if the real estate agent says the owner won't sell below list. One thing you might do is purchase health insurance for your trip. Your US health insurance most likely won't cover you. Something you need to check. We ended up buying GeoBlue (tied in with Blue Cross) for our stay in Portugal," commented one expat who made the move to Portugal.

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From app lessons to live online classes to games, videos, podcasts and more, with Babbel you’ll do more than learn to speak a language. You’ll start to truly understand every aspect of it. Because language is more than just words - it’s culture, history, people, places. Start learning with Babbel, and who knows where you’ll end up.
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