Selling your house in Portugal: a step by step guide

Selling a house is probably one of the most important things you will do in your life and it is something that requires time and organisation to be successful. Before starting the whole process, there are certain aspects to take into account that can help you sell your house faster, especially if you're selling property in Portugal for the first time. Check out our step by step guide to selling your house in Portugal. 

Is it a good time to sell property in Portugal?

As a first step, you need to do some market research and work out if it's a good time to sell property in Portugal. In order to do this, you have to study the current situation of the real estate market, understand if there is too much or too little demand and how long it takes for a a house to be sold in your area.

How much is my property in Portugal worth?

After getting your head around the real estate market in Portugal and deciding if it is a good moment to sell your house, we advise you to:

• Get a property valuation: it is important to carry out an analysis of the value of the properties for sale in your area. You should look for houses with the same characteristics as yours;
• To get a more realistic idea of the value of your house, you can request a valuation through a real estate agency. For that, you should inform yourself about the existing agencies in the area where the house is located, because they know the reality of the market better than anyone; 
• The state of the house will also influence the sale value. If the house is well kept, you can ask for a higher price when you sell it.

Selling property with an estate agent in Portugal or on your own?

This is a very personal question. Some people choose to handle all the business on their own and others prefer an agency to handle the whole selling process. You must not forget that the longer you take to sell the house, the more it loses value in the market, and the best people to get your property sold quickly are agents, given their expertise in the market. 

When you choose to sell a property by yourself you have to:

• Prepare the house for sale (make it more attractive, take photos, place the listing on websites and social networks);
• Have time available for visits and phone/email contacts;
• Handle all the necessary documentation for the sale.

When you choose to sell property through an estate agency in Portugal:

• The agency will handle the entire selling process, from preparing the house, advertising, documentation and sometimes even after-sales support;
• They usually have a portfolio of clients, which will allow them to find a possible buyer more quickly.

Check out our tips for finding a good estate agent in Portugal and use our search tool to find real estate agencies near you. 

Necessary documents to sell property in Portugal

Before putting your house up for sale, either with or without a real estate agency, it is important to get all the necessary documents in order. You will need: 

• ID (You can use your passport or Portuguese ID card);
• Permanent land registry certificate;
• Caderneta predial: this is a unique certificate for each property which serves as an identification document of the property
• Utilisation permit, known in Portugal as a "Licença de utilização";
• Plans of the property;
• Energy certificate of the property;
• Technical file of the dwelling;
• Condominium declaration 
• Mortgage documents.

Costs involved in selling your property in Portugal

It is important to calculate the expenses inherent to the sale of a house in Portugal, because not everything is profit. You should remember to consider the following expenses in order to plan your budget carefully:  

• Possible work that has to be done before selling the house (painting, plumbing, humidity, etc.)
• Necessary documents to sell the house (all of them have an associated cost);
• Legal expenses (contracts, lawyers, notaries);
• Taxes associated with the sale (IRS, capital gains).

For more details, check out our guide to the costs, taxes and expenses associated with selling property in Portugal.