Find a house in Portugal

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in buying property in portugal, House for sale, Living in Portugal, Rental April 22, 2014

If you are searching Portugal for a property to buy you will have no doubt studied many websites in your own language. Found a region that suites your taste & pocket and then started a thorough search to find a house in Portugal.

Over the next twelve months you will no doubt take a couple of trips out to Portugal when the air fare prices are lower and the weather not too hot so that you can see whats available and experience life in the local area.

Most people will find their Portuguese property through an estate agents website or a property owner like http://www.casteloconstruction.com/property/index.htm This helps because there are people on hand who can tell you what its like living in the area and transport you around the properties.

If you are looking for a real bargain and have time to spare you could look at the Portuguese Tax (Finances) notices when they are selling off people property to raise money to cover tax debts. If you go this route or buy from a bank that is reselling property expect the properties to be in poor condition, often vandalized and if its in a village you may have unhappy family members as neighbors.

If you want to buy your ideal cheep house in Portugal you will have to be flexible in terms of timescales, money and the number of visits that you will have to make out here to take the purchase to conclusion.

Rushing into things is one of the best ways to buy a “money pit” as the heart usually rules the head.

If you want a smart buy that is a good investment then you need time to compare this ideal house with others of the same size and condition, location and layout.

Remember that if a property has problems such as woodworm or damp get them fixed before you move in otherwise it will be more difficult to do when you are living there and the damp in particular will prevent the house from truly becoming a home. For solutions to damp problems and property condition appraisals contact info@casteloconstruction.com

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About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders