Which documents should you check before buying a home?
A practical guide to checking the property’s tax, legal, planning and energy status before paying a deposit.
Read articleClear guides for property decisions in the Algarve.
All guides
17 articles in all guides.
How can you tell whether a home is expensive or good value?
Use similar properties in the area, condition, location and total cost to assess the asking price without relying on a single price per square metre.
Read articleBuying land: essential checks
Tax record, registry, boundaries, access and planning rules: the essentials before assuming that land can be built on.
Read articleHow do you obtain the property tax record online?
How to obtain it free of charge from Portal das Finanças, save the PDF or take legible photographs of the document.
Read articleHow do you set a realistic asking price?
A practical way to compare similar properties, features, condition and documents without confusing an advertised price with market value.
Read articleFrom the first document to completion: what are the steps?
The essential stages for preparing, presenting, negotiating and completing the sale of a property in the Algarve.
Read articleSelling an inherited home: where should you start?
Heirs, declaration of heirs, partition, registration and taxes: what to clarify before putting an inherited property on the market.
Read articleSelling a home after divorce or separation
How to organise ownership, mortgage, use of the home and the decision to sell while keeping the division of assets separate from the mortgage agreement.
Read articleSelling a home with an outstanding mortgage
How to coordinate the outstanding balance, early repayment, mortgage discharge and completion while the property is still financed.
Read articleSelling to buy another home: how to coordinate it
Compare selling first, buying first or coordinating both transactions, taking account of mortgages, deadlines, risk and capital gains.
Read articlePortuguese property purchase tax (IMT): what will you pay in 2026?
How Portugal’s property transfer tax (IMT) is calculated, with 2026 tables, worked examples, Stamp Duty and relief for eligible young buyers.
Read articlePartitioning an estate when it includes a home
What changes when an estate is divided, how to agree values and payments to balance the heirs’ shares, when Portuguese property transfer tax (IMT) may apply, and the official costs.
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Building in Loulé: reading the municipal plan without shortcuts
Plans currently in force, GeoLoulé, more detailed plans, rural restrictions and the care required while the municipal plan is under review.
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Building in Faro: which maps and rules should you consult?
How to cross-check Faro’s municipal plan, agricultural and ecological restrictions, risks, heritage, local plans and archaeological rules.
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Building in Olhão: the municipal plan, Ria Formosa and local rules
How to cross-check Olhão’s municipal plan with agricultural, ecological and coastal restrictions, and when to request a certificate before buying.
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Building in São Brás: the municipal plan, restrictions and local rules
How to read land-use rules and restrictions together, distinguish the municipal plan from local plans and confirm a project before buying.
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Building in Tavira: the municipal plan, local plans and changing rules
How to identify the plan in force in Tavira, cross-check restrictions, check suspensions and distinguish general information from a municipal response to the specific project.
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