People find property through a variety of tried and tested ways, often using a combination of more than one method. It is certainly worth considering the different options and keeping an open mind about the process.

NEWSPAPERS

There are three main journalistic sources of house information: UK newspapers, English-speaking papers in Portugal, and Portuguese newspapers, as well as specialist overseas property magazines, although the vast majority of these focus on Spain and France.

In the UK, most daily papers have overseas property sections, but the main listings come out in the weekend editions. Papers like the Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail and others have property supplements, quite often with key articles about purchasing/life in featured countries, plus a wide selection of adverts from private vendors and agencies alike. The Sunday Times runs a particularly good supplement. Even if the articles are about countries other than Portugal, they are usually worth reading, as they throw light on the whole area of buying and living overseas, and may give valuable insights into what you may be about to embark on. Many of the houses advertised through these means tend to be the more modern villas and apartments, although you do also see the odd ad or two for older, rural buildings.

In Portugal, the main English-speaking publications, The Anglo-Portuguese News (APN), Algarve Resident, and The News, carry adverts and features on local property sales. The News, in particular, has a separate property section, which, in addition to the published paper, can also be accessed via its website (see Directory section). It can be contacted by email too on: property@the-news.net Properties featured are mostly in the Algarve, although there are a good number in the Lisbon area too. There are also local businesses for sale, such as bars and restaurants, often with accommodation attached. If you have friends in Portugal, you could ask them to send you copies of the papers, otherwise you can subscribe to them from the UK: details in Directory on page 228.

Madeira also has its own monthly paper, The Madeira Island Bulletin, available from: Apartado 621, 9001-907 Funchal, Madeira.

In Portugal, the local, regional, and national papers all have property ads, usually in the section marked classificados, or anúncios. Look for the columns headed imobiliário (property), vende-se (for sale) or aluga-se/arrenda-se (to rent). The main papers to check out are: O Público, Diário de Notícias, Correio da Manhã, and Jornal de Notícias, as well as the many regional and local publications. The main papers are also available on the internet:

www.publico.pt

www.dn.pt

www.correiomanha.pt

www.jn.pt

The Directory has many more sites for you to explore.

For guidance on understanding Portuguese adverts see page 59.

Specialist magazines dealing with overseas property have mushroomed in the last few years, at the same pace as the TV programmes extolling the virtues of a move abroad. A wonderful magazine dedicated to Portugal, is actually called Portugal, and is available monthly from good newsagents, or on subscription, from: Merricks Media Ltd, Tel: 01225-786644. Email: onlineorders@merricks media.co.uk Another useful one I have found which also features Portugal is Homes Overseas (The International Homefinder). It is published in association with an overseas exhibition company, and has many adverts from estate agents, financial organisations, and relocation companies. Although the material on Portugal itself is minimal, the magazine, which comes out monthly, is an interesting font of general information. It can be bought at WHSmiths and other large newsagents, and has its own website www.homesoverseas.co.uk. There are also snippets in other, similar magazines, such as World of Property, Private Villas, Dalton’s Weekly. The Algarve Golf Guide also has houses (mostly villas) for sale.

In Portugal, Vista Ibérica Publicações Lda publishes a bimonthly magazine called Algarve Property Advertiser, which again includes a combination of articles and ads. They can be contacted by email at vista.lda@netvisao.pt Their publications are also distributed in the UK, and you should be able to get hold of them via a good newsagent.

International property consultants David Headland Associates publish their own guide, which includes hundreds of properties. It is called The Ultimate Property Guide (Algarve) and is available by calling 01933-353333. Or to view properties, try their website www.headlands.co.uk From 2000 to 2002 they were voted ‘Best Portuguese Estate Agent’ (in the UK), and have over 30 years’ experience in selling in Portugal, so are a safe bet when it comes to requesting advice.

PROPERTY EXHIBITIONS

Most exhibitions in the UK tend to focus on Spain, although some do have stands representing Portuguese companies and agents. They are predominantly of new properties, and tend to be held in large hotels and conference centres in larger cities around the UK. Ads for them run in the main press, and the organisers have their own websites for information. Here are a few to start you off:

www.outboundpublishing.com

www.internationalpropertyshow.com

www.homesoverseas.co.uk

www.homebuyer.co.uk

www.worldclasshomes.co.uk

View exhibitions as another means of information-gathering; an opportunity to get brochures, contact details and have a chat to reps about the buying process, and the types of properties their companies have on their books. Ask questions, but don’t feel pressurised into signing up to anything at this stage. Although, undoubtedly, reps will be wanting to capture people’s interest and trying to sign them onto inspection flights to view houses, it is not to your benefit to commit yourself amidst all the heat and bustle invariably associated with exhibitions.

ESTATE AGENTS

In the south of Portugal there are so many British (and some German/Dutch) estate agents (mediador autorizado/imobiliário), the choice is rather bewildering, and whilst there are some Portuguese agents too, the array of English-speaking agencies is decidedly overpowering. The showrooms are like those in the UK, and the range of services they offer tends to cover sales, purchase or rental of property, plus letting and management. Some of the more experienced agents can also offer guidance and contacts for the financial side of the process, plus conveyancing services. Fees to the agent are paid only by the vendor, at about 5% of asking price, plus IVA (VAT).

All legally-operating agents (whether foreign or Portuguese) in Portugal must be government-registered, and have an official AMI (Associação de Mediadores Imobiliários) number displayed. Ask to see one.

The UK Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, in London, has a website with a list of licensed agents www.imoppi.pt On the right-hand menu click on ‘mediação imobiliária’. On the left-hand menu click on ‘empresas licenciadas’. Click on ‘por região’ and then you can click on the map of Portugal any areas of interest. The search will bring up companies in that area; click ‘sim’ (yes) to see their details. The Chamber can supply details of the companies’ telephone/fax/email, on request. Contact them either by telephone on 020-7494-1844, or by email at info@portuguese-chamber.org.uk

In Portugal, AFPOP, the Foreign Property Owners Association, also has a list of AMI members, and in the UK, reputable agents should be members of the Federation of Overseas Property Developers, Agents and Consultants.

PORTUGUESE ESTATE AGENTS

Away from the south, you will be dealing almost exclusively with Portuguese estate agents who will have varying levels of English. Some will have a good knowledge of English or French, others less so. It will be even more vital for you to have a working knowledge of Portuguese, or have someone with you who can help out, to avoid possible lapses in communication which could ultimately prove costly. Apart from this, the process involved is the same as anywhere, except agents may not be as pro-active as you might otherwise be used to. The range of properties, plans and photos on display may be quite small and you may have to push to get things rolling. There is often more inside the shop but, according to one purchaser who bought in central Portugal, ‘you would not know they were for sale unless you ask! Don’t just look in the window’.

However, positive comments on using estate agents are clear from most people you speak to:

‘Our experience with estate agents has been very good. Most of the work is done by the lawyer so your own contact with Portuguese officials is minimal. Once we had selected a property, the estate agent helped us through the process.’

‘We used a local estate agent to form a short list of six properties. We then viewed them and reduced the short list to two. We also used estate agents’ websites to get info on the buying process.’

UK AGENTS

In the UK there are some agents who are specialists in Portuguese property. Some also offer advice on the purchase process, and can guide you through the financial aspects too. Some of the main ones dealing with Portugal include:

David Headland Associates

Quinta da Arrábida SA

Noblelink Limited

Prime Property International

Cerro Novo Lda

Quadrant Overseas Property Ltd.

See also Directory.

Many companies simply act as agents for their Portuguese counterparts, introducing customers to them. Whilst it may be very useful to have an English-speaking, UK-based representative to deal with, you may be charged a hefty commission for the service. Check in advance what the fees are likely to be and what these cover; then, if you can, compare this with what you might pay should you go direct with someone based in Portugal. The difference may be surprising, and may warrant a trip to Portugal and the search for someone to act for you over there.

USING THE INTERNET

For a general overview of the buying process in Portugal, you can check out the BBC site: BBC/NEWS/Working lunch, which ran a series on buying abroad. A useful site with articles on the process, plus pictures of houses for sale is the overseas property search site www.newskys.co.uk Their latest average prices for new-build properties range from £115K for a 1-bed flat, to around £900K for a 4-bed house.

A Portuguese site offering information in different regions is: www.imoregioes.com

Many property companies also have their own websites, which you will find in their ads. The Directory on page 228 gives you some more to explore, although no guarantee can be given that any of the sites listed at the time of writing are still ‘live’. However, you can also search yourself, by typing in ‘Portugal + property’.

Ads on the net can be placed by companies or private individuals. They are useful as an extra means of information-gathering. Many have beautiful pictures of the properties offered. As with many aspects of the internet, be cautious when giving out any of your own personal details. You will still need to be in Portugal to see the places for yourself, so you need to check how bona fide the advert is (is there a phone number to talk to someone direct?), what are the arrangements for visiting, what can they send you via the post?

The popular foreign property search site primelocation.com has information on Portugal. A recent survey revealed that in March 2005 Portugal accounted for 3.4% of hits on the site (in comparison with France at 44.9%). The largest rise in interest registered was for property in Italy and Turkey. Of course, this is just one site among many and, whilst property-hunters continue to swell the ranks in the Algarve, it may just indicate that elsewhere in Portugal, the interest is still quite low. Take advantage whilst you can, as prices in central and northern Portugal will not remain low forever. Other useful sites include:

http://casa.sapo.pt

www.portugalimovel.com

www.sotherbys-realty-portugal.com

www.escape2portugal.co.uk/

www.prestigeproperty.co.uk

http://portugal.themovechannel.com

www.homesworldwide.co.uk

UNDERSTANDING ADVERTS

If you are considering scouring the Portuguese press or internet sites for adverts, the following may be useful in interpreting the language used.

PRIVATE SALES

Vende-se (for sale) is often painted on the side of buildings, or on home-made signs, along with a telephone number. If your Portuguese is good enough, you may be able to strike up a good deal direct with the vendors. If not, you will need someone, such as your appointed lawyer, to negotiate for you. You will, in any case, still need to employ all the necessary people to carry out the process for you. See Chapter 6.

Amongst the ex-patriot communities, or even just within the circles of frequent visitors, word goes round of residents with a property to sell, and often this is a very good starting point. It can also lead to other, useful contacts, such as for agents or builders, and save you a lot of time, effort and money into the bargain. It is worth talking to foreign residents in bars and cafes to see what they know. Barbara Baird, from Manchester told me that

‘Friends who had gone through the same process were able to direct us to a solicitor, who in turn directed us to an engineer. They also found us a Portuguese builder and told us where the best supermarkets, builders merchants could be found.’

Another couple I interviewed had the following to say:

‘We’d met some people who invited us for coffee one evening – it was dark. A couple of years later my husband decided to try to find their house in daylight. He did and as we went round the bend, there was this incredible view. There was a field for sale so we stopped to ask a lady the price (she was English and there were only three houses there). She told us that one of the houses was for sale. We weren’t seriously looking at the time, but we bought it eventually. It’s fantastic!’

AUCTIONS (Leilões)

Auctions are advertised in the Portuguese papers. They operate in the same way as they do in the UK, but you do need to do a lot of preliminary research on the condition of the property, estimates for work, and legal status of the building. It is essential that you have legal representation for the auction, and have everything in place for the process, should you strike lucky. Bargains can be had, but it would certainly be unwise to try to go through these means without sound Portuguese backing.

VIEWING PROPERTY

Unless you are buying something off-plan (in which case you should at least be able to look at the detailed plans, site and a model of the proposed building), arrangements to view property can be made through the vendor’s agent, the estate agent, or with the vendors themselves. It is somewhat difficult to say which is the most beneficial.

Through the agent

The agent will give you the ‘guided tour’, interspersed with agent commentary. They will usually want to show you the best features and highlight the positive aspects. Remember they have a financial interest in selling the property. However, as a third party presence, it can often be easier to ask more awkward questions of them and have a better look around.

House owner/vendor

With the vendor showing you the property it may be more difficult to have a good nose around as you may feel embarrassed and less inclined to discuss critical points. It’s useful, though, to get their low-down on life in the locality. Hopefully they will be realistic and honest in their responses, but always be prepared to follow up by exploring further yourself.

If you find a property you are interested in, you will probably benefit from more than one viewing. In the interest of a successful sale, it should not matter to all parties how many times you request to see the place, although patience may wear thin if you start dithering. Ultimately you may lose out on the sale yourself if there are other interested parties on the same trail.

If you are looking for property through a UK-based agency, you may be offered an inspection flight at a discount rate. Usually these last around three days, and you are accompanied the whole time, shown various properties, and are not given the chance to do your own thing. They are obviously looking for a sale at the end of it all, and it can be a very tiring way of checking what there is in a fairly limited location. You may be better off in the long-run taking a cheap flight over yourself and taking time to look around at leisure.

However, should you opt for an inspection visit, here are some top tips offered by Overseas Property TV:

• walk around the whole development area to get to know it properly
• ask to see different styles of property
• do lots of research on the region

and, remember: it’s a business trip, not a holiday!

SUMMARY

Use as many sources as you can whilst you are in the research stage. Amass as much information as you can about different locations, types of house, local life and prices. Read up about the whole process, and also about Portugal itself (see also Chapter 11), so you are more prepared to integrate there. When you start to get down to the nitty-gritty of looking at houses, make sure you check out agents for official licences. Always get a written run-down of fees and make sure there are no hidden costs so that you can make realistic comparisons between agencies. With any form of information, make sure you have the whole picture before you start making decisions. Once you do, there is no reason to believe that the process will not progress to its ultimate, happy, conclusion, as it has for many thousands of people before you.