Buying process

Buying a house is the decision of a lifetime. And there are many things you need to pay attention to in deciding whether or not it is the right time to buy a house. In general terms, the price, location, orientation and size of the house are still the most valued factors when buying a house.

Buying off-plan houses, or houses that have not begun construction yet, is a form of property acquisition that is in fashion in Portugal.

Buying a property in Portugal - be it a flat, a house, a farm, or a plot of land - is a rather complex process and implies compliance with several legal requirements.

In order to be able to buy a house, one of the most common routes both for many Portuguese and expats is a mortgage loan. Banks are increasingly willing to finance the purchase of homes, interest rates are falling, and savings are on the rise.

The exchange of real estate, also known as a house swap, has been gaining more and more importance in the real estate market in Portugal, where this process is called "permuta".

Starting a new life in Portugal and buying property should be an exciting experience but in many cases, expat buyers find the process can be overwhelming and complicated.

With the increase in teleworking as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people interested in moving to Portugal in search of a better climate and lifestyle has increased. As a result, there has also been an increase in requests for housing loans for non-residents in Portugal.

Even though Portugal is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic crisis, banks continue to be willing to finance house purchases, and along with low interest rates, now could be the perfect time to buy a property and take out a mortgage in Portugal.

What is a mortgage "spread" and what impact does it have on the monthly installments paid to the bank each month in Portugal? The term, mortgage spread, basically refers to the profit the bank obtains by lending you money, normally when you have a variable-rate or mixed mortgage.

A difficult 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic across the world has meant that many people are longing for a significant lifestyle change, and the beginning of a new year is the perfect moment to start afresh.