How to sell a property in Portugal

Guide to selling your Portuguese house

22 December 2017, 10:42

Selling your house is a big moment, so follow these steps to make sure you’re doing it right:

1. Prepare the documentation: Before you sell, you’d be advised to collect together all the important documents connected with the property. These include, but are not limited to, the property deeds; the cadastral plans showing all the usable and built land; proof of the meter readings and records of the annual energy costs; Energy Performance Certificate; any outstanding mortgage loans against the property; rental agreements if it is being rented; and anything else you can get. They will all be necessary to sell the place.

2. Set the price: Getting a correct valuation of the property is vital if you want to put it on the market for a fair price and actually sell it. If you set the asking price too high, it will delay the sale process. You can either pay a professional surveyor to value it for you, have an estate agent do it for you for free or use the valuation services of idealista (only in Portuguese) and other property websites.

Putting your property up for sale

3. Put it on the market: It’s a good idea to contract a good estate agency to do this for you because they’re experts and they will handle everything for you. If you don’t, you can always advertise the property yourself on web portals, in newspapers and by sticking flyers on lampposts. Make sure the price is the same everywhere, though, regardless of who puts it up. If you put one price in one listing and the estate agency another, it can create mistrust and alienate potential buyers.