The Lisbon region has increasingly attracted families to live, visit, and invest. This high demand has been reflected in house prices, as the housing supply has not kept pace with this growth.
The Algarve has become more popular than ever: not only among visitors who are captivated by its beaches and warm, mild climate throughout the year but also among investors. The region's property market continues to feel the effects of this dynamic and is growing visibly.
House rents in Portugal continue to rise, at a faster pace than in other European markets. This makes residential rentals an attractive business for investment in our country.
Concerns about house prices (whether for renting or buying) are reaching record levels in the wealthiest countries, surpassing other issues such as health or education.
House sales in Portugal (and Europe) fell throughout 2023, leading to a cooling in the rate of price increases. However, recent decreases in mortgage interest rates and gains in purchasing power due to slowing inflation are aiding the recovery of the housing market.
House prices in Portugal continue to increase, having grown by 6.5% over the past year, 2.5% over the past six months, and 2.9% over the past three months, according to the Knight Frank Global House Price Index. Portugal also ranks 14th in the index, ahead of countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA.
The purchase of houses in Portugal has been cooling down, given the high costs of housing, along with high interest rates on loans and low purchasing power, which continue to be felt. And this cooling in demand for houses in the country has been reflected in prices. The National Statistics Institute (INE) reveals this Tuesday, April 23rd, that the set of homes sold in the final stretch of 2023 had a median cost of 1,619 euros per square meter (euros/m2), a value of 7, 9% higher compared to the same period last year. But compared to the previous quarter, house prices in Portugal fell 1.3%, a trend felt in 14 of the 24 most populous municipalities, Lisbon and Porto included.
“Housing prices continued to increase significantly in Portugal, in contrast to most other EU countries”, warns the European Commission in a recent in-depth analysis report on the country's policies. Although growth has slowed, prices “remain overvalued”.
Portugal continues to be an attractive country to live in, as well as invest in, despite the uncertain economic and political context. But the lack of homes for sale is a structural problem with no end in sight, as new home construction is not keeping up with demand in the country.
In Portugal, households face the challenge of finding homes they can afford. This is especially difficult at a time when the cost of living has skyrocketed and the price of houses to buy keeps rising (albeit at a slower rate), without wages keeping pace.
Moving to Portugal is an affordable option for expats looking to live abroad, compared to other countries in Europe. However, high house prices in the big urban centres and areas near the coast have pushed many to the outskirts when it comes to buying property.
Even in the current context of uncertainty, high interest rates on bank loans and rising living costs, there is still interest in buying a house in Portugal.
In an international context marked by geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East, uncertainty over the duration of the European Central Bank's tightening of monetary policy and a deterioration in the economic outlook, "the likelihood of a price correction in the residential property market
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.
Portugal has an incredible coastline with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, and there are several towns on the coast that have sea views to make you feel like you're on holiday all year round.
The slowdown in the Portuguese property market "is proving to be less pronounced than expected, at least in terms of house prices", according to a study by CaixaBank Research, which has improved the country's growth forecasts for 2023.
New trends are forming in the new economic context. With the pressure on purchasing power and rising interest rates on home loans, families are looking for cheaper homes to buy in order to borrow less from banks.
House prices in Portugal have been rising for several years. And there are streets in Portugal that concentrate more luxury homes for sale, thus standing out for their exclusivity. On the most expensive street of all, buying a house costs an average of 4,404,545 euros.
House prices around the world are under pressure as central banks raise benchmark interest rates to try to curb inflation. But the truth is that house prices in 56 countries are rising at the slowest rate since 2015, as there is less pressure from demand on existing housing supply.
Today, families are experiencing reduced purchasing power and access to housing is more difficult. In order to buy a house compatible with their income and pay a lower mortgage instalment, some people are thinking of moving to the interior of the country.
The municipalities where it is cheapest to buy a house are in the interior of the country, show INE data analysed by idealista/news.
Choosing the perfect place to buy a home is no easy task, at a time when prices continue to rise (albeit at a slower pace) and interest rates on home loans are on the