Supply of houses for sale in Portugal up 11% in the last year

The house-buying business is changing in 2023. At a time when it is more difficult and more expensive to pay off a mortgage and purchasing power continues to be squeezed by inflation, the number of houses sold in Portugal is falling and prices are tending to stabilise in our country. With demand for housing cooling down, in parallel with the arrival on the market of new-build and refurbishment property projects, the supply of houses for sale in Portugal increased by 11% in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, as shown in a study by idealista, the leading property marketplace in southern Europe. Évora saw the biggest increase in the supply of houses to buy in this period (+55%).

Stock of houses to buy increased in 13 district capitals

The supply of housing for sale in Portugal has risen in 13 district capitals in the last year. Leading the list is Évora (55%), followed by Guarda (47%), Viana do Castelo (41%), Vila Real (38%) and Leiria (37%) as the district capitals where the stock available to buy a house increased the most. Next are Setúbal (27%), Coimbra (18%), Braga (18%), Faro (13%), Castelo Branco (12%), Portalegre (12%), Viseu (9%) and Beja (5%).

On the other hand, Porto was the city where the supply of houses for sale fell the most (-24%), followed by Funchal (-16%), Ponta Delgada (-14%), Aveiro (-10%), Bragança (-5%), Lisbon (-5%) and Santarém (-3%). These were the seven cities analysed where the housing stock fell between the summer of 2022 and this year.

Offer of houses for sale by district capitals

Variation between the 3rd quarter of 2023 and the same period of 2022 idealista

There are more houses for sale in mainland Portugal - and fewer on the islands

Analysing the 20 Portuguese districts and islands, it's clear to see that in all districts of mainland Portugal the supply of houses to buy increased between the third quarter of 2023 and the same period last year. On the two islands analysed, there are fewer houses for sale than a year ago.

Therefore, the ranking of the increase in the supply of houses to buy over the last year is led by Leiria (29%), Évora (26%), Setúbal (22%), Viana do Castelo (22%) and Faro (22%). They are followed by Guarda (15%), Portalegre (15%), Beja (14%), Castelo Branco (12%), Coimbra (11%), Lisbon (11%), Braga (10%), Vila Real (9%), Viseu (7%), Santarém (6%), Aveiro (3%), Bragança (3%) and Porto (1%).

On the other hand, on the island of São Miguel, the stock of houses for sale in the last year fell by 10% and on the island of Madeira supply fell by 7%, points out the Idealista study.

Offer of houses for sale by districts and islands

Variation between the 3rd quarter of 2023 and the same period of 2022 idealista